Reba McEntire as Bobbie, Melissa Peterman as Gabby, and Belissa Escobedo as Isabella in ‘Happy’s Place’ (Photo by: Casey Durkin/NBC)
NBC’s so happy with Happy’s Place season one’s ratings that they’ve officially renewed the half-hour comedy for season two. Starring Reba McEntire, the popular comedy’s premiere episode has drawn in 17.6 million viewers since its premiere on October 18, 2024. The network reports the workplace comedy’s increased its Friday nights at 8pm ET/PT viewership year-over-year by 54%.
The season one cast includes Belissa Escobedo, Melissa Peterman, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk, and Rex Linn. NBC hasn’t confirmed if all series regulars will return for the second season, nor have they announced the number of season two episodes. In November, NBC upped the season one order by five, bringing the total to 18 episodes. The renewal announcement was released with four new episodes to go in the first season.
“Bobbie (McEntire) inherits her father’s tavern and is surprised to discover that she has a new business partner, Isabella (Escobedo), a twenty-something half-sister she never knew she had,” reads NBC’s synopsis.
The series was created by Kevin Abbott and Julie Abbott, with Kevin writing, executive producing, and serving as showrunner. Additional executive producers include Reba McEntire, Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis, Matt Berry, and Pamela Fryman.
According to NBC, Happy’s Place took the number two spot on Peacock’s list of NBC comedy launches. Only St. Denis Medical starring Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier, and Allison Tolman did better. NBC renewed St. Denis Medical for season two on January 14, 2025.
The promo for CBS’s SWAT season eight episode 12 welcomes back a familiar face for a special guest starring appearance. Directed by Ramaa Mosley from a script by John Amato, episode 12 will air on Friday, February 21, 2025 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season eight stars Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, David Lim as Victor Tan, Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert Hicks, and Anna Enger Ritch as Zoe Powell. Annie Ilonzeh is Devin Gamble and Niko Pepaj plays Miguel “Miko” Alfaro.
“Deep Cover” Plot: While working undercover for 20-Squad, Alfaro encounters associates from a previous undercover case in Long Beach, embarking on a dangerous mission that stirs up unresolved issues from the past. Lou Ferrigno Jr guest stars as Donovan Rocker.
S.W.A.T. stars Shemar Moore as a former Marine and locally born and raised SWAT sergeant tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Torn between loyalty to where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson strives to bridge the divide between his two worlds.
Committed to the job, Hondo is equally devoted to his marriage and fatherhood. The other members of Hondo’s elite S.W.A.T. unit include David “Deacon” Kay, an experienced S.W.A.T. officer and dedicated family man who always puts the team first; Victor Tan, who started in the LAPD Hollywood Division and uses his confidential informants in the community to help the team; Zoe Powell, a tough and loyal team member trying to reconnect with the son she gave up for adoption as a teen; and Miguel “Miko” Alfaro, a headstrong officer who overcame a troubled childhood, and is now a trusted 20-Squad addition following a rocky transfer to Los Angeles S.W.A.T.
Responsible for the management of all Metro Division S.W.A.T. units is Commander Robert Hicks, a senior LAPD official with the Special Operations Bureau. With Hondo leading the charge, these dedicated men and women bravely put themselves at risk to protect their community and save lives.
Keanu Reeves’ The Arch Project has a new title, trailer, and premiere date. Debuting on The Roku Channel on March 7, 2025, Visionaries finds ARCH Motorcycle founders Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger traveling the globe seeking inspiration from innovators who are working to improve the world.
“This new series follows Hollinger and Reeves on a quest to find the answer to the question: ‘Where does human creativity and ingenuity come from?’ Fueled by their own curiosity and desire to learn, Hollinger and Reeves help find and explore the stories of those whose ideas and achievements they admire,” reads Roku’s synopsis. “We’ll join these mavericks to meet and learn how their unique views help fuel them to shape and change the world and hopefully find some answers to that never-ending question.”
Reeves and Hollinger founded ARCH Motorcycle in 2011 and serve as executive producers on their new eight-episode docuseries. Additional executive producers include Sharon Trojan Hollinger, John Stevens, and Brian Skope.
Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger in ‘Visionaries’ (Photo Credit: Hulu)
Peyton List as Maddie Nears in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
There’s a lot going on as Paramount+’s School Spirits season two episode six kicks off. Maddie (Peyton List) is freaking out because it’s taking too long for her living BFFs to return from dinner with Janet. Mr. Anderson’s handling Mr. Martin taking over his body by hitting golf balls in the library. Apparently, he’s totally fine with it. And this also just happens to be the night of Wally’s class of 1984 reunion.
(Reminder – this is a recap, so there are spoilers ahead!)
Episode five ended with Janet being kidnapped by a masked figure while dumping the trash. We catch up with her in the trunk of a car, wrists bound, and mouth taped shut. Meanwhile, when morning arrives, Sandra stops by Mr. Anderson’s, frantic that Maddie’s missing again. Mr. Martin, in Mr. Anderson’s body, suggests she give Maddie time to come home instead of calling the police.
So, Simon (Kristian Ventura) and the gang are Janet’s kidnappers, and they’ve taken her to Sandra’s cabin in the middle of nowhere. They tried to take her to school, but she was screaming in front of the reunion catering crew, so they had to leave. Janet insists she’d rather die again than go back to that high school. Claire (Rainbow Wedell) reminds her that Dawn passed over, so she won’t have to spend eternity there if she goes back.
Janet’s confused about how the living have any idea about Dawn or Mr. Martin. Simon confirms he can talk to Maddie, but Janet’s still unwilling to accept that Dawn–who talked to her slinky–figured something out that she never could. Simon offers to bring her proof. (He hopes Maddie has something that would convince Janet it’s true.)
After a lengthy debate, it’s decided Simon and Claire will go to school while Xavier (Spencer MacPherson) and Nicole (Kiara Pichardo) babysit Janet. Nicole’s acting weird since she knows Xavier is the stranger she’s been flirting with on the Weird Wisconsin ghost forum. She drops some hints but can’t get Xavier to take the bait.
Nicole keeps playing the same sad song over and over again and then demands to know if Xavier knew he was talking to her on the forum. Nicole’s sure he knew, and that he was laughing at the secrets she was sharing. Xavier insists he did not know and that he really wanted to meet the person he was talking to.
Maddie’s stunned they kidnapped Janet, but Simon claims they did what they needed to. It’s Simon’s turn to be shocked when Maddie reveals that Mr. Martin stole Mr. Anderson’s body. Simon says Mr. Anderson was lurking around her house last night. Maddie warns Simon they need to keep him away from Janet, no matter what it takes.
Quinn (Ci Hang Ma) and Rhonda (Sarah Yarkin) help Maddie look for ways to confirm Dawn’s passed over by searching the area she used to hang out in.
Milo Manheim as Wally Clark in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Wally (Milo Manheim) and Charley (Nick Pugliese) go over their plans for the reunion, and Charley confesses he’s petrified about the prospect of going on his first real date since Emilio. Wally assures him he’s ready to be his wingman.
And now we get a dance segment choreographed by Wally to David Bowie’s “Last Dance.” It’s a number he has the ghosts perform every reunion.
Back at the cabin, Janet convinces Xavier to loosen her hands, reminding him she doesn’t want to hurt Maddie’s body. Nicole calls Claire from the only spot in the woods with cell service, totally done with being Xavier’s partner in babysitting. Claire has to cut their conversation short when Mr. Martin, in Mr. Anderson’s body, spots them staking out his house.
The reunion’s in full swing as Wally passes through the crowd, shouting out his former classmates who obviously can’t hear him. Charley and Yuri (Miles Elliot) join him and when the partygoers are asked for a moment of silence for Wally, they hear one of his classmates call him a homophobic bully. Wally apologizes to Charley, and Charley says he understands. It was the ‘80s and Wally was a jock.
Simon and Claire follow Mr. Martin to the deserted house that Janet squatted in. Claire takes care of the situation by calling the sheriff and reporting that there’s a creepy guy at one of her parents’ properties.
A short while later, Sheriff Baxter finds Mr. Anderson there and takes him in for questioning.
Maddie steps into Janet’s scar looking for more clues, and she’s shocked when she exits through Rhonda’s scar. She fills Rhonda and Quinn in on the development, and they decide that must be how Mr. Martin could hide from them. He was moving between the scars. Rhonda wonders if there’s a connection between them because they’ve been sharing secrets in group for decades.
They study a map of the school and the spots where deaths occurred. Maddie draws lines between the death spots and it’s a path! They don’t need Dawn’s key; they can get into her scar.
Nicole returns to the cabin and finds Xavier sound asleep instead of watching Janet. He took off one rope around her wrist and Nicole insists he put it back on. As they’re arguing, Xavier notices Nicole’s brother, Diego, is pulling up outside. Diego’s worried since Nicole spent the night out, and when Xavier steps out of the cabin, he assumes they spent the night together. Xavier and Nicole play along with it, but when Maddie makes a noise inside the cabin, Diego’s super suspicious.
Janet’s thinking of ways to escape and goes along with it by suggesting that Diego hang out with them.
Back at school, Charley and Yuri’s date is going sort of okay, although Charley’s incredibly nervous. Mr. Anderson strolls through the reunion with a bucket of golf balls, completely unconcerned that his body’s been possessed and he’s stuck in ghost form. Finally, Charley agrees to a slow dance and Yuri confesses he’s never been to a school dance before. But poor Charley can’t relax and claims everyone’s looking at them. (They’re not.)
Maddie works her way through the scars until she arrives at Dawn’s in the theatre department. A light bulb flickers and Maddie turns it off before moving into a room filled with flowers. She exits the scars and tells Simon he needs to tell Janet the scars are connected, and Dawn’s has a light bulb and flowers. Simon doesn’t think that’s enough, but Maddie claims that’s all she has. He has to make it work.
Mr. Anderson’s alibi for the night of Xavier’s hit-and-run checks out, so he’s allowed to leave. Sheriff Baxter makes him sign out, and he spells his name wrong!
Nick Pugliese as Charley in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 (Photo Credit: Lindsay Siu /Paramount +)
Charley’s on a picnic table, staring up at the stars when Wally finds him. Charley doesn’t need his apology for something 40 years ago. Wally confesses he was an a**hole when he was alive and wouldn’t have helped Charley out when he was choking. It’s too late to make up for what he did while alive, but he would defend Charley now. He was a bully in life and is a better person now that he’s dead.
Charley explains he used to make himself the punchline as a defense mechanism. He wanted to be someone else and hated himself while he was alive. And there are moments when he still believes all of it. Charley can’t just accept that someone would want to be with him. Wally tries to get Charlie to believe Yuri’s into him, calling Charley the “hottest get in the afterlife.” Charley actually chuckles when Wally says, “Trust me, Scary Potter wants to see you again.”
Wally tells Charley he loves him. Charley admits he knows that and says it back.
Meanwhile, Janet tries to grab Diego’s car keys at the cabin, claiming she wants to get something to eat. Nicole and Xavier stop her, and Diego’s now completely confused about what’s going on. Simon and Claire pick the perfect moment to barge in with pizza. Claire offers to go with Diego to buy alcohol, and since they flirted a few episodes ago, that’s enough to get Diego’s attention off the weird vibe.
Seconds after Claire and Diego leave, Simon tells Janet that Dawn’s scar had a closet with marigolds growing out of the walls. Janet recalls Dawn talking about the marigolds. Simon assures Janet a lot has changed in her 70 years as a ghost. Never before have the dead talked to the living like he and Maddie do. And if Dawn could cross over, then so can she.
Janet doesn’t even care about moving on now; she wants to stay in Maddie’s body and go to college. Simon doesn’t believe that will make her happy since she left an innocent person trapped at the school. Simon understands she was cheated of having a full life, but Maddie told him she has a heart as big as her brain. He’s hoping she’ll do the right thing.
Janet asks for a moment alone and Simon agrees.
Sandra arrives at the school during the reunion and confronts Principal Hartman, demanding to know who Eugene Berkstrom is and why Maddie refuses to return to school. Sandra’s sure something bad happened to her, and Principal Hartman assures her the investigation is still ongoing. He asks her to leave, but instead, she goes inside and has a drink. She asks for another, but Principal Hartman throws her out after she makes a scene.
Maddie, Quinn, and Rhonda watch her get tossed out, and Maddie looks heartbroken. Mr. Anderson tells Maddie that Sandra’s been doing really well the past few weeks. She even attended AA meetings, so her backsliding is unusual.
While Simon’s dealing with Janet, Xavier admits to Nicole that he saw ghosts at the hospital and that’s why he went on the Weird Wisconsin forum. He’s not who he said he was in their chats, and Nicole admits she’s glad she was talking to him.
Mr. Martin, in Mr. Anderson’s body, pulls up to the Grab-N-Gough where Diego’s getting drinks. Diego watches as Claire slashes Mr. Anderson’s tire and demands to know what’s going on. Claire tells him to drive away and then she’ll tell him.
Charley finds Yuri in the pottery room and apologizes for rushing off and for how he treated him at the dance. Yuri turns up the radio, and they finish their slow dance while kissing!
Maddie returns to Dawn’s scar, looking for more clues. She tries another door, but it’s locked. But there’s a light above it and an exit sign appears when she moves the flowers and branches away. A white light glows behind the door, and Maddie says, “The only way out is through.”
Episode six ends with Janet alone on the dock, collecting her thoughts. Simon returns to the cabin and tells Xavier and Nicole she’s agreed to return to the school. He thinks she deserves a few last moments to be alive.Janet hears a noise and turns, coming face-to-face with Mr. Martin!
Pedro Pascal as Joel in ‘The Last of Us’ season 2 (Photo Credit: HBO)
In January, HBO announced it was targeting an April 2025 premiere for The Last of Us season two. Today, the network confirmed the much-anticipated second season will arrive on April 13th. New episodes of the seven-episode season will debut on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.
The season two premiere date announcement was accompanied by special “Every Path Has A Price” character posters.
“Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind,” reads HBO’s synopsis. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey lead the cast as Joel and Ellie. Gabriel Luna plays Tommy and Rutina Wesley is Maria.
New season two cast members include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara guest stars.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann serve as writers and executive producers. Additional executive producers include Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells. Based on the popular video game, the series is produced by PlayStation Productions, Word Games, Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
Amy’s already complicated life becomes even more so on Fox’s Doc episode eight, “Man Plans.” Episode eight will air on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT.
Molly Parker plays Chief of Internal Medicine Dr. Amy Larsen, Omar Metwally is Dr. Michael Hamda, Amirah Vann is Dr. Gina Walker, Jon Ecker is Dr. Jake Heller, and Anya Banerjee is Dr. Sonya Maitra. Season one guest stars include Scott Wolf as Dr. Richard Miller and Patrick Walker as Dr. TJ Coleman.
“Man Plans” Plot: Amy and Richard reconnect while treating a patient whose diagnosis is not at all what it seems. A real-life romcom comes to Westside Hospital, bringing love to the forefront of everyone’s mind.
After a late-night car crash results in severe head trauma, Amy wakes up from surgery with no recollection of the patients she’s treated, the colleagues she’s crossed and the tragedy that caused her to push almost everyone away. The relief that Amy gets from seeing her family post-accident is fleeting when she learns the incomprehensible – that she and her beloved husband, Dr. Michael Hamda have been divorced for four years. In fact, her entire family is not at all as she remembers them, rocking her foundation to the core.
Amy’s best friend, neuropsychiatrist Dr. Gina Walker, has little guidance to give her for this new reality since matters of the brain are, even to the experts, still a big mystery. While Gina is hopeful, she does not know if Amy will ever recover her memories. In Amy’s fragile state, Gina must choose carefully what information from the past eight years to reveal to her, scared that too much too soon could prove more harmful than good. This includes her secret romance with Dr. Jake Heller, since Amy now has no recollection of ever meeting him before, let alone being in a passionate relationship with him. Certain other memories, those close to her believe, would perhaps be too painful to relive and are best left forgotten.
In a fateful irony, that’s the fervent hope for Amy’s colleague, Dr. Richard Miller, who has now been promoted to take over as Chief of Internal Medicine after Amy’s accident. Richard is desperate for Amy’s memories to never return since she was the only person to uncover his career-ending mistake – another thing she now doesn’t recall.
And Richard isn’t alone in relishing Amy’s predicament – her previously contentious and unkind behavior left her with more than a few enemies at the hospital, including Dr. Sonya Maitra. While she does remember Dr. TJ Coleman, she does not recall that he became a doctor – nor that it was she who inspired him to do so.
Feeling completely off balance and having to piece together what happened through the prism of other people’s subjective points of view, practicing medicine remains the one constant for Amy, and she is determined to become a doctor again. While she may never get back what she’s lost, Amy knows she’s been given a second chance to do things differently and she will not take that gift for granted.
FBI: Most Wanted‘s Shantel VanSanten returns to guest star as Special Agent Nina Chase on CBS’s FBI season seven episode 13. Episode 13, “Unearth,” airs on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 8pm ET/PT and finds the team attempting to take down a sniper.
Missy Peregrym stars as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki plays Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, Jeremy Sisto is Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, and Alana De La Garza is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille. John Boyd plays Special Agent Stuart Scola and Emily Alabi is Agent Dani Rhodes.
“Unearth” Plot: After two jurors for a high-profile mafia trial are gunned down, the team jumps into an organized crime investigation until it is discovered that the jurors may not have been the intended targets at all. The case becomes personal for Scola when he learns that one of his former drill instructors from the military academy he attended may be linked. Jean DeSegonzac directs from a script by Woody Strassner.
FBI is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This elite unit brings to bear all their talents, intellect, and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep New York and the country safe. Born into a multigenerational law enforcement family, Special Agent Maggie Bell commits deeply to the people she works with as well as those she protects. Her partner is Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, a West Point graduate via Bushwick who spent two years undercover for the DEA before being cherry-picked by the FBI.
Overseeing them is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, who operates under intense pressure and has undeniable command authority. The team also includes Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, the nerve center of the office whose ability to easily relate to and engage with both superiors and subordinates makes him a master motivator. Special Agent Stuart Scola is an Ivy League-educated Wall Streeter-turned-FBI agent. These first-class agents tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime and counterintelligence.
A24’s first teaser trailer for Bring Her Back is a masterclass in how to tease a horror film. The one-minute teaser intros the vibe without giving away all the twists. Plus, there’s a cat.
Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, and Sally Hawkins star. The cast also includes Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Stephen Phillips, and Mischa Heywood.
“A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother,” reads A24’s super cryptic synopsis. Bring Her Back opens in theaters on May 30, 2025.
Talk to Me‘s Danny and Michael Philippou wrote the screenplay and direct, with Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton serving as producers.
Ellen Pompeo (Grey’s Anatomy) stars as a mom who begins to believe her adopted daughter is not the young girl she’s claiming to be in the trailer for Hulu’s Good American Family. If the setup sounds familiar, it’s because the limited series is inspired by the story of Natalia Grace, which has been told multiple times, most recently in ID’s The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.
In addition to Ellen Pompeo, Mark Duplass and Imogen Faith Reid star, and Dulé Hill, Christina Hendricks, Sarayu Blue and Jenny O’Hara are recurring guest stars.
“Told from multiple points of view, as a means to explore issues of perspective, bias, and trauma, this compelling drama is inspired by the disturbing stories surrounding a Midwestern couple who adopts a girl with a rare form of dwarfism. But as they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, mystery emerges around her age and background, and they slowly start to suspect she may not be who she says she is,” reads Hulu’s synopsis. “As they defend their family from the daughter they’ve grown to believe is a threat, she fights her own battle to confront her past and what her future holds, in a showdown that ultimately plays out in the tabloids and the courtroom.”
The series premieres on March 19, 2025.
Katie Robbins created the series and serves as a co-showrunner with Sarah Sutherland. Robbins, Sutherland, Ellen Pompeo, Laura Holstein, Andrew Stearn, Dan Spilo, Niles Kirchner, and Mike Epps executive produce. Liz Garbus directed and executive produced the pilot.
Poster for ‘Good American Family’ (Photo Credit: Hulu)
ID will air the five-part documentary series A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read beginning on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT. The docuseries premieres just days before Read’s second murder trial, set for April 1st.
The first two episodes will be released on March 17th, followed by parts three and four on Tuesday, March 18th. The finale airs on Wednesday, March 19th.
ID offered this description of the docuseries: “On a cold January morning in a sleepy suburb outside of Boston, a police officer named John O’Keefe is found dead on a fellow officer’s front lawn. Authorities, citing a toxic dynamic between O’Keefe and his girlfriend, Karen Read, immediately narrow in on Read as their main suspect. They allege Read backed into O’Keefe with her car in a fit of passion and then left him to die in the snow—but Read maintains her innocence, with her defense alleging something far more nefarious was at play.
With the 2024 trial ending in a mistrial, and a 2025 retrial upcoming, many questions continue to swirl over what really happened that night. In a new multi-part docuseries, Investigation Discovery takes viewers behind the scenes of the Karen Read 2024 murder trial, with unprecedented access to Read, her legal team, and other key voices involved in the case.”
