Blue Bloods isn’t wrapping up anytime soon. CBS officially announced the popular primetime drama has been renewed for season 14, with season 13 currently sitting in the top spot among all Friday primetime programs.
Overall, Blue Bloods ranks third among all broadcast dramas with 9.5 million viewers.
“Blue Bloods has dominated Friday nights since its premiere and remained an important anchor for CBS’ winning lineup,” stated Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “Led by the outstanding Tom Selleck and an incredible cast and creative team, viewers continue to embrace the Reagans, their law enforcement family and the series’ dramatic storytelling. We can’t wait to pull a chair up to the Reagan family dinner table for another fantastic season.”
Season 13 airs on Fridays at 10pm ET/PT and stars Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan, Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan, and Bridget Moynahan as Erin Reagan. Will Estes stars as Jamie Reagan, Len Cariou is Henry Reagan, Marisa Ramirez plays Det. Maria Baez, and Vanessa Ray is Officer Eddie Janko.
The Hollywood Reporter says in order to make season 14 happen, the stars and key producers agreed to a 25% decrease in pay.
Blue Bloods is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan is the New York Police Commissioner and heads both the police force and the Reagan brood. He runs his department as diplomatically as he runs his family, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry, during his stint as chief.
A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son, Danny, a seasoned detective, family man and Iraq War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases with his partner and new mother, Detective Maria Baez. Erin, the middle daughter, is a New York assistant D.A. who serves as the legal compass for her siblings and father, while also pursuing a run for district attorney. Jamie is the youngest Reagan, a Harvard Law graduate and the family’s golden boy.
Unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and follow in the family footsteps as a cop. He’s found a friend and ally in his wife, Eddie, who keeps him on his toes, and has very different reasons than the Reagans for joining the police force.
Netflix’s thriller The Night Agent premiered to incredible numbers, making the decision to renew the series for a second season a no-brainer. According to the streaming service, season one debuted in the top spot on the English TV chart and amassed 168+ million viewing hours over its first week of release.
Season one premiered on March 23, 2023. Netflix didn’t announce a targeted date for the 10-episode second season.
“The last week has been a whirlwind as we’ve finally been able to share The Night Agent with the world. To see the tremendous reaction to the show has been a great joy and is a credit to our cast, our writers, our directors, our crew and our partners at Sony Pictures Television and Netflix,” said series creator, showrunner, and executive producer Shawn Ryan. “We couldn’t be any prouder or more excited to get cracking on Season 2 to share the further adventures of Night Action with our newfound fans.”
Gabriel Basso leads the cast as FBI Agent Peter Sutherland. Season one also stars Luciane Buchanan, Hong Chau, Sarah Desjardins, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Eve Harlow, Enrique Murciano, Phoenix Raei, and D.B. Woodside.
“We’re proud to see The Night Agent deliver a breakout performance and become instantly embraced around the world. Shawn Ryan has created a spy thriller sensation that viewers cannot get enough of, with a stellar cast featuring Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan, and Hong Chau, and we’re here to bring them more of the action and suspense they love,” stated Jinny Howe, Vice President of Drama Series, Netflix.
MiddKid Productions’ Marney Hochman, Sunset Lane Media’s David Beaubaire, and Exhibit A’s Seth Gordon and Julia Gunn executive produced season one along with Project X’s Jamie Vanderbilt, William Sherak, Paul Neinstein, and Nicole Tossou.
The Night Agent Season 1 Plot:
Based on the novel by Matthew Quirk, The Night Agent is a sophisticated, character-based, action-thriller centering on a low-level FBI Agent who works in the basement of the White House, manning a phone that never rings — until the night that it does, propelling him into a fast-moving and dangerous conspiracy that ultimately leads all the way to the Oval Office.
Writer/director Wes Anderson has apparently subbed in two-time Oscar-winner Tom Hanks for Bill Murray in his latest film, Asteroid City. The trailer lays out the setting – America in the mid-1950s – and introduces the key players, including Hanks.
Anderson normally fills out his ensemble casts with big names, and Asteroid City‘s no exception. In addition to Tom Hanks, Asteroid City‘s got Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Margot Robbie, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, and Bryan Cranston. Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Tony Revolori, and Jake Ryan also star in the comedy.
Focus Features has set a June 16, 2023 limited release followed by a wide release on June 23.
Wes Anderson is a seven-time Oscar nominee, earning Best Animated Feature Film nominations for The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs. Anderson picked up Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay nominations for The Grand Budapest Hotel. He also earned Best Original Screenplay nominations for The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom.
Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in ‘Asteroid City’ (Photo Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions / Focus Features)
The Asteroid City Plot:
Asteroid City takes place in a fictional American desert town circa 1955.
The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.
Scarlett Johansson in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City,’ a Focus Features release. (Photo Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions / Focus Features)Steve Carell stars in director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’ (Photo Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions / Focus Features)Fisher Stevens, Jeffrey Wright, Tony Revolori, and Bob Balaban (Photo Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions / Focus Features)
Multiple medical emergencies at a spin class keep the 118 busy on Fox’s 9-1-1 season six episode 13. “New Sensation” will air on Monday, April 10, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT.
The cast is led by Angela Bassett as Athena Grant and Peter Krause as Bobby Nash. Ryan Guzman plays Eddie Diaz, Aisha Hinds stars as Henrietta ‘Hen’ Wilson, Oliver Stark is Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley, Kenneth Choi is Howie ‘Chimney’ Han, Corinne Massiah plays May Grant, Gavin McHugh is Christopher Diaz, and Jennifer Love Hewitt is Maddie Buckley.
“New Sensation” Plot: The 118 race to the rescues with emergencies at a spin class; in a hair salon and to a husband and wife in a compromising position; Buck discovers new cognitive abilities post lightning strike; Hen and Karen are concerned when they find out Denny has been seeing his biological father behind their backs; Maddie and Chimney enlist Athena and Bobby’s help with a suspicious neighbor.
Creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear reimagine the procedural drama with 9-1-1, exploring the high-pressure experiences of police officers, firefighters, and dispatchers who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives.
Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks will team up to host the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards streaming live on Prime Video on May 11, 2023 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Brooks will be making his awards show hosting debut while Parton’s handling the hosting gig for the second consecutive year.
“I am thrilled to return to host the ACM Awards, this time with my friend Garth,” stated Dolly Parton. “While I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with him throughout the years, I can’t believe we’ve never had the chance to work together. In addition to getting to see all this great new talent in country music, I am excited to have the chance to premiere the lead single from my upcoming rock album on the show!”
“Anyone with Dolly Parton makes a fantastic couple,” said Brooks.
The 2023 ACM Awards will return to Texas for the first time since the 50th ACM Awards. The show will air live from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Nominees, presenters, and performers will be announced soon.
“The ACM Awards is the world’s biggest and most groundbreaking country music awards show and the only one to stream live across the globe thanks to our partners at Prime Video, so there is no host pairing more appropriate than music’s most iconic global superstars, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks,” said Academy of Country Music CEO and ACM Awards executive producer Damon Whiteside. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring this legendary pair together for the first time ever as ‘Country Music’s Party of the Year’ heads to the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters. From exclusive superstar performances to unexpected collaborations to the industry’s most exciting emerging talent, fans are in for an unforgettable night that can only be seen on the ACM Awards stage!”
Raj Kapoor, Barry Adelman, Fonda Anita, and Academy of Country Music’s Damon Whiteside serve as executive producers. Dick Clark Productions is producing the 2023 show.
Sam Heughan in ‘Outlander’ season 7 part 1 (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
Outlander star Sam Heughan leads the cast of Starz and Channel 4’s The Couple Next Door. The six-part series, described as a dark, psychological drama, also stars Eleanor Tomlinson (The Outlaws), Jessica De Gouw (Pennyworth), and Alfred Enoch (How to Get Away With Murder).
The Couple Next Door is “loosely” adapted from the Dutch series New Neighbours. David Allison (Bedlam) wrote the series and Dries Vos (Suspect) is directing.
“I’m thrilled to be working with Eagle Eye Drama and director Dries Vos again and adding a third series with my STARZ family,” said Sam Heughan. “Dries has a unique visual flair and I’m sure we’re going to make something special.”
Filming is currently underway in Leeds and Belgium.
“Evie is an exciting challenge for me – a girl whose world is turned upside down as she navigates devastating trauma, which isn’t helped by unresolved issues from her past. We have an excellent team on board, and I am looking forward to exploring this dark and complicated world alongside Sam and our director Dries,” said Eleanor Tomlinson.
Starz and Channel 4 offered this description of the six-part thriller:
“When Evie (Tomlinson) and Pete (Enoch) move into an upscale neighborhood, they find themselves in a world of curtain twitching and status anxiety. But soon find friendship in the shape of the couple next door, alpha traffic cop Danny (Heughan) and his wife, glamorous yoga instructor Becka (De Gouw).”
The thriller’s produced by Eagle Eye Drama and distributed by Beta Film. Jen Burnet is producing, with Jo McGrath, Walter Iuzzolino, and Alison Kee executive producing.
“Sam has truly found his home at Starz as he continues to shine on our slate,” said Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming for STARZ. “This marks our third series with the brilliant actor and we cannot wait to see the chemistry he and Eleanor will ignite together in this provocative series.”
Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz plays twins Dr. Elliot Mantle and Dr. Beverly Mantle in Prime Video’s Dead Ringers, a reimagining of David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller. The just-released trailer for the limited series introduces Elliot and Beverly and sets up the world in which the twins exist.
Prime Video recently hosted a press conference with series star and executive producer Rachel Weisz and creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer Alice Birch (Normal People) in support of the trailer’s release. During the press conference, Birch and Weisz discussed updating David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers which starred Jeremy Irons in dual roles. They also talked about the logistics of filming Weisz as twins and developing two incredibly complex characters.
On the Plot of Dead Ringers:
Alice Birch: “It’s a reworking of David Cronenberg’s iconic film. It’s a twisted, darkly comedic thriller about these two dangerously co-dependent twins who are obsessed with each other.”
Rachel Weisz: “They’re both obstetricians and gynecologists, and they’re very brilliant in their field. They’re professionally at the top of their game.”
On the Decision to Switch the Main Characters from Male to Female:
Alice Birch: “It felt like it would just be really interesting to tell this story with two women at the center of it. But I don’t know that Rachel and I ever had conversations where we said, ‘Okay, well, now that they’re women, how does that change it?’
It, of course, changes everything – but it also changes nothing. That’s what I think. We wanted it to be as fun and as wild as the film and let the series go in its own direction. And then setting it against a medical background that particularly focused on obstetrics and gynecology – that felt really right for the storytelling.
It felt like that could have this tone that we wanted could really sit in that space in a really interesting way.”
On What Viewers Can Expect:
Alice Birch: “I think we wanted each episode to be quite different and we wanted the show to begin in a very grounded place in a place that we really recognize. Like, it’s two doctors are walking in and out of a hospital in Manhattan. We want it to feel like today and that they’re meeting real women with these real kinds of issues. And by the end, we’re in a more heightened, more operatic place.”
Rachel Weisz: “It’s a pretty wild ride at times. There’s a lot of mischief. It’s quite, yeah, deliciously mischievous at times. Emotional. Moving. And there is some humor, also. Some darkly, darkly humorous [moments].”
On Shooting Scenes with Rachel Weisz as Twins:
Alice Birch: “We learned a lot of things very quickly. And it really was a whole incredible team effort. Like everybody sort of became like this machine that everybody…you know, hair and makeup, like camera…all the crew knew how to do. […] When there’s a twin shot, when we have the twins together in the same frame, we would shoot an A side which was usually Elliot. She usually dictated the rhythm of the scene. And then changeover her costume and Rachel, you know, and then we would go and shoot the B side.
So, it was very technical but also like had to involve as much space as possible for Rachel’s process, you know, what she was sort of amazing at, about coming and switching so quickly.”
Rachel Weisz: “There wasn’t time to take time between characters. I was very lucky because Alice’s writing is so psychologically layered and profound that each character was completely distinct.
They were just two totally separate people on the page before I even got into hair, makeup, costume, and the way in which they might look different. They were written on the page as totally distinct characters.
So, I had Alice’s words to embody and it’s very extraordinary writing. Beverly is altruistic, thoughtful, careful, kind, has a complicated relationship to pleasure, really wants to change the way that all women birth irrespective of their economic background, you know, their wealth.
And Elliot’s very, very different. She loves Beverly, so she’ll go along with her dream to change the way that women birth, but she’s not altruistic. She is into science, and she wants to really change the world through scientific research and discovery, and she’s pushing the boundaries of what’s ethical and what isn’t. And, yeah, she’d like some prizes, I think.”
On the Challenges of Playing Two Complex Characters:
Rachel Weisz: “This was without a doubt the biggest challenge of my acting life. No question about that. But, also, the most joyous in many ways. It was hard work.
But as Alice mentioned, it was a whole crew kind of moving as one organism. It wasn’t just me. It was the effects, motion control, hair, makeup, the set dresses, props. I mean, everybody was shifting from one character to the next.
I didn’t shoot Beverly for one day and then Elliot for another day. It was within one scene. […] We would shoot one half and then shoot the other half. And we were moving as a living unit on the set. So, yeah, it was thrilling. I mean, exciting as maybe learning to walk a tightrope, which I definitely can’t do. But, you know, we all learned together. It was thrilling.”
On the Key Differences Between Elliot and Beverly:
Alice Birch: “I think Elliot is the most efficient pleasure-seeker. Like, she wants something, she gets it. It hits the spot. Then she wants something else, then she goes and gets it. And I think that’s sort of extraordinary. You know, I’m envious of that, for sure.
I think Beverly, you know, I think she’s incredibly empathetic and really genuinely cares.”
Rachel Weisz: “Elliot’s appetite for pleasure and her mischievous kind of humor was definitely fun to embody. She likes to eat a lot. I mean, she has an appetite; she has a kind of sexual appetite, a career appetite, and just a good ole appetite for food. [Laughing] She likes to eat a lot, so I enjoyed that.
And then Beverly is, as Alice said, just full of empathy and puts herself in the shoes of the other. And yes, she feels very deeply. Yeah, they were both just so beautifully written and so complicated.”
* * * * * * *
The Dead Ringers Plot, Courtesy of Prime Video:
A modern take on David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller starring Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers features Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes – including pushing the boundaries of medical ethics – in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront.
All six episodes will be released on Prime Video on April 21, 2023.
Ian Anthony Dale (The Resident) leads the cast as Jiro Tamura in Fox’s Accused season one episode 11, “Jiro’s Story.” Directed by Brad Turner from a script by Karl Taro Greenfeld, “Jiro’s Story” will air on April 4, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT.
The cast also includes Julia Chan as Sarah, Takashi Yamaguchi as Sam Tamura, Ava Louise Murchison as Sunny, and Farrah Aviva as Firuzeh Ahmadi. Brock Johnson plays Leon, Sarah Power is Ashley Krause, Russell Yuen is Jovan Black, and Jennifer Gibson is Judge Ruth Pollack.
“Jiro’s Story Plot: Jiro’s mother has taken care of his brother Sam ever since the car accident that left Sam with a traumatic brain injury. But when their mother dies, and it appears that Sam is being abused in his new group home, Jiro has to decide which is more important – his brother or his freedom.
Accused is a collection of 15 intense, topical, and exquisitely human stories of crime and punishment. Each episode is a fast-paced provocative thriller exploring a different crime, in a different city, with an entirely original cast. Based on the BBC’s BAFTA-winning crime anthology, each episode opens in a courtroom on the defendant, with viewers knowing nothing about their crime or how they ended up on trial.
Told from the defendant’s point of view through flashbacks, the show holds a mirror up to current times with evocative and emotional stories. In the end, audiences will discover how an ordinary person gets caught up in extraordinary circumstances and how one impulsive decision can impact the course of that life – and the lives of others – forever.
Justin Timberlake returns to voice Branch and Anna Kendrick’s back as Poppy in DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls Band Together, the third animated film inspired by the weird little toys. The trailer reveals Branch was once a member of a boy band and confirms audiences can expect a lot of boy band jokes and references.
The trailer dishes up this bit of groan-inducing dialogue: “Branch, we’re outta sync, we’ve gone from boys to men. And now there’s only one direction for us to go, the back streets.”
Camila Cabello, Troye Sivan, Eric André, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, Zosia Mamet, and RuPaul Charles join the franchise for Trolls Band Together.
Returning voice cast members include Zooey Deschanel as Bridget, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Gristle, Grammy winner Anderson .Paak as Prince D, Ron Funches as Cooper; Kunal Nayyar as Guy Diamond; and Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson as Tiny Diamond. Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt voice Satin and Chenille.
Walt Dohrn returns to direct and Tim Heitz (head of story, Trolls World Tour) is co-director.
Trolls Band Together opens in theaters on November 17, 2023.
Trolls Band Together Plot, Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation:
After two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy (Kendrick) and Branch (Timberlake) are now officially, finally, a couple (#broppy)! As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favorite boyband phenomenon, BroZone, with his four brothers: Floyd (Sivan), John Dory (André), Spruce (Diggs), and Clay (Kid Cudi). BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby, as did the family, and Branch hasn’t seen his brothers since.
But when Branch’s bro Floyd is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious pop-star villains — Velvet (Schumer) and Veneer (Rannells) — Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than pop-culture obscurity.
Peter (Alexander Molony) in Disney+’s ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’
Disney+ just debuted a batch of character posters from Peter Pan & Wendy starring Alexander Molony as Peter and Ever Anderson as Wendy Darling. Additional characters featured on the posters include Captain Hook, Tinker Bell, Smee, and Tiger Lily.
Described as a reimagining of the classic J.M. Barrie novel and Disney’s beloved 1953 animated adaptation, Peter Pan & Wendy is set to premiere on the streaming service on April 28, 2023.
In addition to Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson, the family-friendly fairy tale stars Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) as Captain Hook, Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish) as Tinker Bell, Molly Parker (House of Cards) as Mrs. Darling, and Alan Tudyk (Resident Alien) as Mr. Darling.
Joshua Pickering (A Discovery of Witches) plays John, Jacobi Jupe is Michael, Alyssa Wapanatâhk (Bones of Crows) plays Tiger Lily, and Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show) stars as Smee.
David Lowery (The Green Knight) directs and co-wrote the screenplay with Toby Halbrooks. Jim Whitaker serves as a producer, and Halbrooks, Adam Borba, and Thomas M. Hammel executive produce.
The Plot, Courtesy of Disney+
Peter Pan & Wendy introduces Wendy Darling, a young girl afraid to leave her childhood home behind, who meets Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. Alongside her brothers and a tiny fairy, Tinker Bell, she travels with Peter to the magical world of Never Land. There, she encounters an evil pirate captain, Captain Hook, and embarks on a thrilling and dangerous adventure that will change her life forever.
Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks will team up to host the 
