Netflix announces final ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ season 2 cast (Photos Provided by Netflix)
Production is currently underway on Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season two, and the streamer just announced new additions to the cast. The eight actors round out the ensemble of the much-anticipated second season of the fantasy series.
Per Netflix, the new cast and characters are:
o Chin Han (Mortal Kombat) as “Long Feng”
o Hoa Xuande (The Sympathizer) as “Professor Zei”
o Justin Chien (The Brothers Sun) as “King Kuei”
o Amanda Zhou (The Handmaid’s Tale) as “Joo Dee”
o Crystal Yu (Doctor Who) as “Lady Beifong”
o Kelemete Misipeka (Sons of Thunder) as “The Boulder”
o Lourdes Faberes (The Sandman) as “General Sung”
o Rekha Sharma (Yellowjackets) as “Amita”
“A live-action reimagining of the beloved Nickelodeon animated series following Aang, the young Avatar, as he learns to master the four elements (Water, Earth, Fire and Air) to restore balance to a world threatened by the terrifying Fire Nation,” reads Netflix’s synopsis.
The newcomers join a cast that includes Gordon Cormier as Aang, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Kiawentiio as Katara, Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai, and Dallas Liu as Crown Prince Zuko. Miya Cech plays Toph, Elizabeth Yu is Azula, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is Iroh, Momona Tamada is Ty Lee, and Thalia Tran is Mai.
The live-action series is inspired by the Nickelodeon animated show. Christine Boylan, Jabbar Raisani, Dan Lin, Ryan Halprin, Brendan Ferguson, and Albert Kim serve as executive producers.
Yellowstone fans were left devastated by the opening minutes of season five episode nine, the first new episode of the popular series since January 1, 2023. Battle lines have been clearly drawn after Jamie not only killed his adoptive father but also ruined his legacy by setting up his death as a suicide. Paramount Network released an action-packed one-minute teaser for the remaining episodes of the final season, showcasing an alliance between the Duttons and Thomas Rainwater and Kayce being all in on taking down his brother.
The season five part two premiere set a new high in premiere night viewership, with 16.4 million viewers tuning in. That’s a 3% increase over the first episode of season five which aired on November 10, 2022.
Season five stars Kevin Costner as John Dutton, Luke Grimes as Kayce, Kelly Reilly as Beth, Wes Bentley as Jamie, and Cole Hauser as Rip. Kelsey Asbille stars as Monica, Brecken Merrill is Tate, Jefferson White plays Jimmy, Forrie Smith is Lloyd, Denim Richards is Colby, Ian Bohen is Ryan, Finn Little is Carter, Ryan Bingham is Walker, and Gil Birmingham is Thomas Rainwater.
“Yellowstone chronicles the Dutton family who controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States,” reads Paramount Network’s synopsis. “Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect – the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders – an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park.”
Taylor Sheridan and John Linson co-created the series and serve as executive producers. Additional executive producers include Art Linson, Kevin Costner, David C. Glasser, Bob Yari, Stephen Kay, Michael Friedman, Christina Voros, and Keith Cox.
Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton and Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in ‘Yellowstone’ season 5 episode 12 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)
Jared Padalecki (Supernatural, Walker) guest stars in a multi-episode arc on CBS’s Fire Country season three episode five. Directed by Mark Tonderai from a script by Jen Klein, episode five – “Edgewater’s About to Get Real Cozy” – will air on Friday, November 15, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT.
Max Thieriot stars as Bode, Billy Burke plays Vince, Kevin Alejandro is Manny, and Diane Farr is Sharon. Stephanie Arcila plays Gabriela, Jordan Calloway is Jake, Jules Latimer is Eve, and Rafael de la Fuente is Diego.
“Edgewater’s About to Get Real Cozy” Plot: Station 42 and Three Rock jump into action when an airplane makes an emergency landing outside of Edgewater. Jared Padalecki guest stars as Camden, a SoCal firefighter who immediately recognizes Bode’s raw talent.
Fire Country stars Max Thieriot as Bode Leone, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region. It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son until his troubles began.
Years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret. Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption with Cal Fire.
Cobra Kai has been promising the Sekai Taikai since Season 5. When Season 6 Part 1 ended, Miyagi-Do had finally arrived in Barcelona for it, only to find Tori re-joined the Cobra Kai team. Part 2, premiering on Netflix on Friday, November 15, 2024, shows all the fighting events and introduces new international competitors
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Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan) leads the Iron Dragons and wait until you see Zara (Rayna Vallandingham) and Axel (Patrick Luwis). Plus, Miyagi-Do still has Kwon (Brandon H. Lee) to contend with at Cobra Kai.
Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald spoke with Showbiz Junkies for a Zoom interview about Part 2 of Cobra Kai Season 6. The trio will also be back after Friday to discuss spoilers.
The Sekai Taikai has several different tournament styles: battle royale, tag team, and more. How did you come up with different creative ways you could explore fighting, and was there anything your stunt coordinators said, “That’s too much?”
Jon Hurwitz: “It was a real delicate balance overall with everything. First of all, it started from a place of character. It was like okay, who are the characters that we have at the Sekai Taiki and each of these fights needs to be meaningful in some way? So, it would be whether there’s something going on with the characters emotionally, the inner personal issues within the teams and then the rivals that they’re fighting with. So, you’re starting from a place of that and how much character you can achieve through these fights.
But beyond that, our thought was we want this to not be the All-Valley. Mike Barnes built this thing up and for years they’ve been talking about it as something that is more dangerous, that they’re throwing things at you that you’ve never done before, that are unpredictable. And that’s what we wanted to have this feeling for the audience of you don’t know what the next event’s going to be. You’re not expecting the same kind of fight and to have our characters sometimes tagging in and out or fighting on the mat at the same time or doing some balance type events suspended high above the ground, we wanted there to be these elements of danger.
It was challenging because we make the show on not the largest budget, believe it or not. It’s got the pace of making television, which is a lot different than making movies, but we wanted this to be spectacular. So, we had all these ideas. We would talk with our stunt team and our production team and find out okay, what can we do? Everyone was game for everything and everyone was game to try to pull off everything that we could.
I think the biggest challenges for us was in the dream world, each event would be in a different, spectacular location and you’re in the middle of some ancient ruins while fighting in one thing or in the jungle for another thing. These were the kinds of things we were talking about in the writers room. At the end of the day, the events themselves were just a great collaboration between our stunt performers, our production team, our actors, everyone and our writers to really put a lot of thought into making this different and unique, and then our editors eventually. It was a whole group effort.”
You had a brainstorm version where each round might have been in a different location?
Josh Heald: “It could look like Street Fighter 2. You could have events on a beach. You could have events at the top of a building. In the blue-sky version of what this is, that even goes back to thinking about where the Sekai Taikai is. That goes to the earliest days of writing the final season before we even knew it was going to be Barcelona. Once you get deeper into production and you get tied to a city and you get tied to a venue, you naturally will put more guardrails on that. But in the $5 billion version of this, yeah, one of the events takes place in the clouds. You want it to just be the most cinematic, the most unexpected.”
And yet, the movies didn’t have a stable of martial artists or a cast who’d trained for six years. Is that one advantage of coming to the end of the series?
Hayden Schlossberg: “Absolutely. The thrill of shooting Season 6 is that you’re seeing our young actors who’ve been on this show now for seven years some of them at a stage of martial arts that we don’t actually need stunt doubles at all times. It’s really amazing. There’s a certain way of fighting in front of the camera that they are so used to by now and the relationships between our actors and stunt coordinators are so good that by Season 6, it really is just a great machine.
Then adding into that actual experienced martial artists who push our non-martial artists even further, it led to the best fighting that we’ve had. Definitely the best fighting that this franchise has had up to this point. We knew as we were shooting the second part that this feels like the highest level of martial arts that the franchise has had. That continues into Part 3.”
Did you audition new martial artists for all of the Iron Dragons and Dublin Fighters?
Jon Hurwitz: “It played a factor in who we were casting for those roles. Many of the performers on the other teams outside of the Iron Dragons and our teams were stunt performers first, as opposed to actors first. Many of them were just stunt performers who auditioned as actors. When it came to those characters, it was martial arts experience was a plus.
For Lewis, that was somebody we knew had a lot of martial arts experience and also had a lot of acting experience. So, he was going to square up across from our senseis in a real strong way from the beginning.
Rayna, who plays Xara, was somebody who we’ve been tracking on social media for a while. She has these phenomenal videos. She’s like a tornado. It’s unbelievable how quick she moves and how accomplished she is in the martial arts community, very much like Brandon Lee was. The question was can she act? We were very pleased when we saw in her auditions that she was really, really strong.
Patrick actually had less martial arts experience but had enough experience in sports and dance, but he brought a lot to the character beyond that. We were looking for that sort of Drago type character, somebody who is larger than life that feels like more powerful and a stronger force than our characters have ever had to square off against. He was different than anybody else we had ever had and he was a quick study with the martial arts team. They were all blown away with the amount of work that he put in and he was really strong.”
So Brandon H. Lee was also a trained martial artist?
Jon Hurwitz: “He’s like a 10 to 12 time World Champion. He was another one that when we were auditioning for the role of Kwon, any time we’re auditioning for any of the characters on the show that are going to have martial arts, we always ask our casting directors cast a wide net to people beyond just traditional actors. Go to stunt performers. Brandon happened to be somebody who had been working on his acting. He came from the stunt community but had been working to be an actor and had started acting before the show. Reina, this was her first big acting job.”
Was it fun to pay homage to other sports movies like A League of Their Own and Rocky II quoting their famous lines?
Josh Heald: “You can’t help it in the writers room, especially, just drawing comparisons and finding those allusions. The Kumite was a big one as we started to think about this international competition of monstrous athletes coming together to have a bloody fight. You always find those turns of phrase. Even on the cutting room floor there’s probably five or 10 more Rocky universe quotes that didn’t make it because it just became overload. You have to moderate it as well but it’s playing in a candy store, not overeating.”
Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf in ‘Brilliant Minds’ episode 7 (Photo by: Rafy/NBC)
NBC’s Brilliant Minds episode seven opens with a flashback of Roman (aka John) in Grozny, Chechnya, running from the authorities. Flash-forward to current events, and Roman’s able to acknowledge he can still hear Dr. Oliver Wolf (Zachary Quinto). Oliver explains they’re about to insert an electrode into his brain to allow him to communicate. It’s a risky surgery, but Roman indicates with his eye movements that he’s ready to move forward.
Oliver and the interns go over Roman’s medical history again, and it’s evident that multiple doctors at a dozen hospitals misdiagnosed his condition. Treating him for seizures instead of the early stages of a stroke meant that by putting him on Propofol he was sedated into oblivion. No one caught that he was actually suffering from locked-in syndrome until now.
Still, with everything they have learned, they don’t know anything about Roman.
Dr. Josh Nichols (Teddy Sears) reluctantly allows Oliver to be present in the operating room, even though neurologists are notoriously talky during surgeries. And he’s proven correct when Oliver tosses out questions and narrates the surgery.
The surgery is successful, and everyone gathers to see what happens when Roman wakes up. Signals are being sent to Roman’s brain teaching him how to speak again. Simon Gadson, the man running the test program, has even programmed it so that the words will translate from Russian into English.
Oliver is told to talk to Roman like he would any other patient, and the first question he asks is if Roman has something he wants to say. “Scratch my nose” appears on the screen after a short pause. Oliver does as asked, and Roman communicates “thank you” on the screen.
Later, Oliver’s alone with Roman and asks if he can hear him. Roman, happy and seated in a chair, appears behind Oliver and replies, “I could always hear you. Now, I can understand you.” Roman says it’s nice to meet Dr. Wolf and lists a few things Oliver’s done for him recently. Roman explains he was forced to flee Chechnya, and it was both exciting and terrifying to be alone in a foreign country. He finally got a job so he could start saving money to send home. Plus, he wanted to be able to hire a lawyer and apply for asylum.
His boss gave him an old bike to help him get around and he fell in love with America. Roman felt connected to the city, even though he didn’t speak the language. He collided with a taxi, and that’s how he started his hospital journey.
Roman asks if he’ll get better and Oliver doesn’t sugarcoat his diagnosis. Oliver doesn’t expect Roman to regain movement, but he can still live a rich life. However, they won’t be able to remove the ventilator because his lungs are too damaged.
Dr. Carol Pierce (Tamberla Perry) agrees with Simon that it would be a good idea to bring in investors to see the progress Roman’s made. They need to show success in the real-world, and Carol believes this technology will open up a new way to communicate with patients.
Dr. Jacob Nash (Spence Moore II) pops in to check on Roman, having actor Alex Ozerov-Meyer appear in a real verbal dialogue with his scene partners is how Brilliant Minds will handle scenes of Roman communicating. Jacob and Roman joke about looking like Rasputin, and Roman says the day Jacob gave him a shave made him feel alive. Jacob apologizes they can’t do more, and Roman feels grateful for what they’ve done. However, he has a request. Roman confesses he doesn’t want to live like this anymore.
Jacob informs the team and even though Oliver’s assured him there’s more they can do, Roman seems determined to die. Dr. Ericka Kinney (Ashleigh LaThrop) points out that now that Roman’s finally able to say what he wants, they need to listen to him. A discussion ensues about assisted suicide, and Dr. Dana Dang (Aury Krebs) says this is a palliative withdrawal of mechanical ventilation. Oliver confirms it’s legal, even though it’s an ethical gray zone.
Allowing Roman to pass away won’t affect Dr. Gadson’s trial. Dr. Nichols says that if Roman dies, it won’t be the fault of the device. Dr. Nichols thinks they need to listen to what Roman wants. Jacob is against Roman’s request to die, unwilling to just give up. Oliver believes they need to allow Roman a little time to come to terms with what happened. Oliver ends the meeting by telling the team to find a reason for Roman to want to live.
Dana engages Roman in a chess game and attempts to find out why he came to America. A flashback shows Roman in the minutes after he was hit by a car. He refused medical help, fearing the authorities. He’d been waiting for his asylum appointment and didn’t know what the police would do to him. It’s too dangerous for him to return to Chechnya.
Unfortunately, he fell unconscious at work and lost any say in the matter. Dana asks again why he fled Chechnya and Roman finally replies, “For love.”
That answer spurs Dana into action. Obviously, Roman isn’t alone so Dana orders Jacob to go to his old job and see if anyone ever stopped by. Ericka is tasked with checking out his old apartment, while Dr. Van Markus (Alex MacNicoll) will see what he can find via social services and immigration. Dana will continue her research online.
Aury Krebs as Dr. Dana Dang, Teddy Sears as Dr. Josh Nichols, and Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf in ‘Brilliant Minds’ episode 7 (Photo by: Rafy/NBC)
Dana was right and they find Alex (Mishka Yarovoy), who immediately recognizes Roman. Oliver assures him that Roman can hear him and Roman confirms by saying Alex’s name (through the computer). Oliver, Dr. Nichols, and Dana back away to give them their privacy as Alex apologizes and reveals he’s been searching for him.
He caresses Roman’s face, and Roman jokes, “What took you so long?” Tears flow down Alex’s face as he kisses Roman’s hands. Dana has her answer: it’s illegal to be gay in Chechnya, so Roman fled to America to avoid jail or death.
Later, Oliver asks Alex about his relationship with Roman. Alex has been looking for Roman since he arrived in America and had given up hope. Oliver provides a brief explanation of what happened after Roman’s bike accident, and Alex is aware his partner wants to end his life. Oliver explains that if they can change his mind, then the next step would be figuring out Roman’s future. Would he go to long-term care or home with Alex? Alex confirms he’d love him at home, even if it’s a lot of work.
“I will do it. It was my idea for us to come here. I’m the one who speaks English. I was always planning to care for Roman. It just looks different now,” says Alex.
Oliver tells Roman that he’s very lucky to have Alex in his life. Oliver explains that Alex is learning how to take care of the medical equipment, trach tube, and ventilator. And Dana is searching for first-floor apartments. Roman’s shocked since none of this is what he wants. He still wants to be allowed to die.
Oliver won’t give up and reminds Roman that he came to America to be with Alex. Alex still wants to be with him, so why would he die now that he’s reunited with his love? Roman truly appreciates everything Dr. Wolf has done for him, including reuniting him with Alex, but he doesn’t want this version of life for himself or for Alex.
Oliver saw him when no one else did, but now it feels like Oliver doesn’t see him anymore.
Oliver asks Carol to examine Roman for depression, and Carol suggests that Oliver put himself in Roman’s shoes. “Roman came here seeking the ultimate freedom, and ended up in the ultimate prison,” says Carol, gently. “Not every patient can be saved, Wolf. Not every patient wants to be saved.”
Carol agrees to talk to Roman, and Roman describes himself as content. He’s at peace with his decision. Having Alex with him in the end completes his story. Roman believes Alex will fall in love again and carry on for him.
Oliver confides in Josh that he’s having a difficult time letting Roman go. Josh admires Oliver’s ability to see what a patient wants and needs through the patient’s eyes. Roman’s decision was hard, and Josh suggests that if they’re good doctors, they honor it.
Ericka explains to Roman the steps they’ll go through as he passes away, starting with morphine to keep him comfortable. Roman wonders if Ericka’s disappointed in him, and she claims she’s not. She envisioned what his life would look like, and it wasn’t this.
Roman confesses he doesn’t want to die in the hospital, and Ericka rushes to find Oliver. He decides to bring Roman to his house, and the interns, Carol, and Josh set everything up. Oliver and Roman have a final chat about life, family, and relationships, and Roman thinks Oliver and Josh would make a great couple. (Of course they would!) Oliver chuckles when Roman says Josh likes him. Roman reminds Oliver there’s no time like the present.
Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf and Teddy Sears as Dr. Josh Nichols in ‘Brilliant Minds’ episode 7 (Photo by: Rafy/NBC)
Everyone gathers, including Alex who takes his place next to Roman in bed, and looks up at the stars projected on Oliver’s ceiling. Oliver describes his favorites Vega and Altair that represent forbidden lovers who were separated by the galaxies but stayed connected by their hearts.
Alex tells Roman that he’ll love him forever. Roman adds, “Until death. And after it.” Alex kisses Roman one final time. Oliver says Roman’s name and he doesn’t respond. “It’s time,” says Oliver, and turns off the machines. He gently removes the tube and places his hand on Roman’s shoulder. Alex clutches Roman’s shirt and rests his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder as he passes away.
No one informed Simon that Roman chose to die and he’s angry his investors didn’t get the opportunity to speak with him. Carol insists this was Roman’s decision, but Simon doesn’t see it that way. He’s no longer willing to partner with Bronx General.
Oliver’s mom checks in on her son, and their conversation leads to Oliver revealing he still holds his mother responsible for giving up on his dad. They argue over Oliver’s motivation in allowing Roman to die, and Oliver insists he followed Roman’s wishes.
Van tells Ericka he can sense she has big feelings, and Ericka’s shocked he senses that. Unfortunately for Van, the feelings are for Jacob, not him. And speaking of feelings, Oliver’s preparing to leave for the day when he spots Josh across the street. A flashback shows Roman on his final day telling Oliver that he always wished he’d spot Alex on the street in New York and run to him. Oliver tells Roman he wishes he could have given that to him, and Roman assures him he did.
The flashback ends with Roman wondering what Oliver is waiting for, and apparently, Oliver’s done waiting. Episode seven ends with Oliver and Josh in a passionate kiss.
Prepare for a wild ride on ABC’s Doctor Odyssey season one episode seven guest starring John Stamos, Cheyenne Jackson, and Caldwell “Bob” Tidicue. Episode seven, “Oh, Daddy!” airs on Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT.
Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) plays Dr. Max Bankman, Phillipa Soo (Shining Girls) is Nurse Avery Morgan, Sean Teale (Little Voice) is Nurse Tristan Silva, and Don Johnson (Rebel Ridge) stars as Captain Robert Massey. Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken write and executive produce the first season.
“Oh, Daddy!” Plot: Bears, otters and cubs on board can only mean one thing: It’s Gay Week on The Odyssey. As Max, Avery and Tristan navigate their relationships, Capt. Massey’s brother arrives with an unexpected guest.
John Stamos, Don Johnson and Phillipa Soo in ‘Doctor Odyssey’ episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)
Doctor Odyssey Plot Description, Courtesy of ABC:
From the brilliant mind of Ryan Murphy comes the high-octane procedural Doctor Odyssey. Max (Jackson) is the new on-board doctor for a luxury cruise ship where the staff works hard and plays harder. It’s all hands on deck as Max and his small but mighty medical team navigate unique medical crises and each other miles from shore.
Cheyenne Jackson and Johnny Sibilly in episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)Caldwell “Bob” Tidicue and John Stamos in episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)Rick Cosnett, Phillipa Soo, and Jacqueline Toboni in episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)Cheyenne Jackson and John Stamos in episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)Joshua Jackson and Sean Teale in episode 7 (Disney/Tina Thorpe)
American Idol, Will Trent, Shifting Gears, and The Rookie premiere dates (Photos Credit: Disney)
ABC’s 2025 midseason lineup includes the return of Will Trent and The Rookie as well as the debuts of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Shifting Gears. The network’s midseason schedule also features new episodes of High Potential‘s first season and the much-anticipated Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover episode.
Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building season two makes its broadcast debut, and Grant Ellis looks for love on season 29 of The Bachelor. ABC’s also set midseason dates for Celebrity Jeopardy!, What Would You Do?, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Scamanda, and Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini.
9-1-1, Doctor Odyssey, and Grey’s Anatomy return after the winter break in March 2025.
ABC MIDSEASON PRIMETIME SCHEDULE PREMIERE DATES
THURSDAY, JAN 2
8:00 p.m. – Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Series Premiere)
9:00 p.m. – Only Murders in the Building (Broadcast Season Two Premiere – two hours)
SUNDAY, JAN 5
7:00 p.m. – AFV (Midseason Return)
8:00 p.m. – The Wonderful World of Disney
TUESDAY, JAN 7
8:00 p.m. – Will Trent (Season Three Premiere)
9:00 p.m. – High Potential (Midseason Return)
10:00 p.m. – The Rookie (Season Seven Premiere)
WEDNESDAY, JAN 8
8:00 p.m. – Shifting Gears (Series Premiere)
8:30 p.m. – Abbott Elementary (Midseason Return)
9:02 p.m. – Celebrity Jeopardy! (Season Three Premiere)
10:02 p.m. – What Would You Do? (Midseason Return)
FRIDAY, JAN 17
8:00 p.m. – Shark Tank (Midseason Return)
SATURDAY, JAN 25
8:00 p.m. – NBA Countdown Presented by Papa Johns
8:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors
MONDAY, JAN 27
8:00 p.m. – The Bachelor (Season 29 Premiere – two hours)
10:01 p.m. – The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Broadcast Series Premiere)
THURSDAY, JAN 30
9:00 p.m. – Scamanda (Series Premiere)
10:00 p.m. – Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini (Broadcast Series Premiere)
SUNDAY, MAR 9
8:00 p.m. – American Idol (Season Eight Premiere – two hours)
10:00 p.m. – The $100,000 Pyramid (Season Eight Premiere)
‘EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION’ hosts Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer (Disney/SAMANTHA DRASIN)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: A new iteration of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition returns to ABC with Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, co-founders of the global lifestyle brand The Home Edit, set to host. Alongside designers Wendell Holland and Arianne Bellizaire, Shearer and Teplin will harness their world-renowned organizational expertise to thoughtfully design and specifically tailor each home from the inside out. Like the original series, this reimagining will showcase heartwarming stories, inspired volunteers and mind-blowing builds for deserving families who give back to their communities. Assisting them is a team of builders and contractors from homebuilder Taylor Morrison who will expertly reconfigure the home based on the family’s lifestyle and needs.
Shifting Gears – Shifting Gears stars Tim Allen as Matt, the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When Matt’s estranged daughter (Kat Dennings) and her kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.
Only Murders in the Building – From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman comes a comedic murder-mystery series for the ages. Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. Season two follows the shocking death of Arconia Board President Bunny Folger; and Charles, Oliver and Mabel race to unmask her killer. However, three (unfortunate) complications ensue—the trio is publicly implicated in Bunny’s homicide; they are now the subjects of a competing podcast; and they have to deal with a bunch of New York neighbors who all think they committed murder.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives – The scandalous world of a group of Mormon mom influencers implodes when they get caught in the midst of a swinging scandal that makes international headlines. Now, their sisterhood is shook to its core. Faith, friendship and reputations are all on the line. Will #MomTok be able to survive and continue to give the rulebook a run for its money, or will this group fall from grace?
Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini – Keith and Sherri Papini’s seemingly idyllic family life is shattered when Sherri vanishes from their northern California neighborhood, triggering a frenzied search that becomes news around the world. With unprecedented access to Sherri’s family and friends—as well as the investigators who struggled for six years to solve the mystery of her disappearance—this limited documentary series intimately explores the jaw-dropping revelations of a relationship that wasn’t what it seemed.
Blake Shelton, Taylor Sheridan, Lee Metzger, and David Glasser have set up The Road singing competition series at CBS. The network’s given the unscripted series a fall 2025 series order, with details on who’s headlining the series still under wraps.
“I’m a big fan of Taylor’s incredible work, and I’m excited to team with him and my long-time collaborator, Lee, on The Road,” said Blake Shelton. “I know a thing or two about singing competitions and what it’s like to chase a music dream and live life on tour. I’m looking forward to discovering new talent and giving them this platform.”
Shelton, Sheridan, Metzger, and Glasser will be involved as executive producers. MTV Entertainment Studios, Glasser’s 101 Studios, and Shelton and Metzger’s Lucky Horseshoe Productions are producing.
“There is a revolution taking place in country music. Building a platform with Blake for the next leaders of that revolution is an incredibly exciting venture,” stated Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown). “No more shiny floors and studio audiences. This is where the rubber meets the road – literally. Get in the van, go to the next town and win the crowd. Do it enough, and you become the next leader. Simple as that.”
CBS offered this description of the new series: “The Road offers viewers a backstage pass into the gritty and unforgiving life of a touring artist. With exclusive access to the behind-the-scenes workings of the music industry, viewers will see what happens when some of the best up-and-coming performers pile into a tour bus and tackle a grueling schedule in pursuit of their dreams.”
Aspiring singers will join a touring artist and compete to win over local fanbases. If they do, they can remain on the tour.
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) needs everyone’s trust one final time in Paramount’s first teaser for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (previously known as Dead Reckoning Part Two). The two-minute teaser for the eighth film of the franchise shows Cruise doing a lot of running, hanging off an airplane, and exploring a submarine.
The Final Reckoning, which picks up after the events of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, stars Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, and Pom Klementieff. Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, and Nick Offerman also star. Rounding out the cast are Hannah Waddingham, Angela Bassett, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, and Frederick Schmidt.
Christopher McQuarrie, director of the M:I films Dead Reckoning, Fallout, and Rogue Nation, returns to helm what’s being promoted as the final film of the franchise. McQuarrie and Cruise serve as producers, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, and Chris Brock executive producing.
Dead Reckoning opened in theaters on July 12, 2023. The Final Reckoning arrives in theaters on May 23, 2025.
“In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins,” reads Paramount’s synopsis for the seventh film of the franchise. “Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.”
The studio released this short description of The Final Reckoning: “Our lives are the sum of our choices.”
Netflix wants more of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, officially renewing the unscripted series for a second season. The series premiered in June 2024 and earned a spot on the streamer’s Top 10 U.S. TV Shows list for five consecutive weeks.
“From Emmy Award-winning director Greg Whiteley and the team behind Cheer and Last Chance U, the fan-favorite series will return to continue giving viewers unfiltered access into this iconic team and franchise,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “Season two will follow the 2024-25 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad from start to finish — kicking off at auditions and training camp and continuing all the way through the NFL season.”
Greg Whiteley serves as director and executive produces along with Adam Leibowitz, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Ross M. Dinerstein, and Rebecca Evans. The series is produced by One Potato Productions and Boardwalk Pictures in association with Campfire Studios.
Season one currently sits at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. “Freighted with family legacies, big ambitions, and uncertainty about their futures, the young women it spotlights come off as more than photogenic bodies,” writes Time Magazine’s Judy Berman. RT’s new Popcornmeter has season one at 60%, based on audience reviews.
