Disney+ hosted a special panel during the 2022 Television Critics Association winter press tour in support of Earth Day, announcing new movies and specials that celebrate our planet. This year’s Disney+ Earth Day content will include Disneynature’s Polar Bear narrated by two-time Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener (Capote, Being John Malkovich). National Geographic’s Explorer series heads to the Amazon with Explorer: The Last Tepui, and viewers are invited back to Apricot Lane Farms to check in on John and Molly Chester with The Biggest Little Farm: The Return.
Polar Bear, the Biggest Little Farm followup, and The Last Tepui will premiere on April 22, 2022.
Disneynature’s Polar Bear
The film tells the story of a new mother whose memories of her own youth prepare her to navigate motherhood in the increasingly challenging world that polar bears face today. Helmed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson, the directing team behind Disneynature’s Penguins, and produced by Fothergill, Wilson, Jason Roberts, Keith Scholey and Roy Conli, Polar Bear launches exclusively on Disney+ on April 22, 2022.
Explorer: The Last Tepui
The Disney+ Earth Day special Explorer: The Last Tepui, from National Geographic, follows elite climber Alex Honnold (Free Solo) and a world-class climbing team led by National Geographic Explorer and climber Mark Synnott on a grueling mission deep in the Amazon jungle as they attempt a first-ascent climb up a 1000 foot sheer cliff. Their goal is to deliver legendary biologist and National Geographic Explorer Bruce Means to the top of a massive “island in the sky” known as a tepui.
The team must first trek miles of treacherous jungle terrain to help Dr. Means complete his life’s work, searching the cliff wall for undiscovered animal species. The one-hour special is the newest installment of National Geographic’s long-running “Explorer” series. This Earth Day, learn why the tepuis – much like the Galapagos – are a treasure trove of biodiversity worth protecting.
The Biggest Little Farm: The Return
The Disney+ Earth Day special The Biggest Little Farm: The Return, from National Geographic, is based on the 2018 award-winning feature documentary film that tells the story of John and Molly Chester, who abandon their urban life in Los Angeles to live on a barren farm to grow delicious food in harmony with nature in Ventura County. The new special follows the farmers’ 10-year tireless journey as they transform the land into a magical working farm and document the whole process in this heartwarming special that is akin to a real-life Charlotte’s Web.
Apricot Lane Farms is a beautiful, complex world that reflects our planet’s biodiversity, and this special introduces audiences to animals that will quickly burrow into their hearts, like Emma the pig who welcomes her newest litter and an adorable lamb named Moe who befriends the family. This Earth Day, see how the farmers utilize the interconnectedness of nature to help build soil health, maximize biodiversity, and regeneratively grow the most nutrient-dense food possible.
Timothy Olyphant in ‘Justified’ (Photo Credit: FX)
That happy squeal you heard in the early morning hours of January 14, 2022 was Justified fans reacting to FX’s Justified: City Primeval news. Timothy Olyphant is on board to reprise his Justified role as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens in a limited series inspired by Elmore Leonard’s City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit. (Justified was based on Leonard’s Fire in the Hole novella.)
The FX limited series reunites the team behind Justified which had a six-season run on FX, concluding in April 2015. Over the course of its six seasons Justified won two Emmy Awards, two Critics Choice Awards, a Peabody, and was named TV program of the year by the AFI Awards in 2012.
Dave Andron and Michael Dinner will write, executive produce, and guide the limited series as showrunners. Dinner is also confirmed to direct. Additional executive producers include Timothy Olyphant, Graham Yost, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, Peter Leonard, writer Taylor Elmore, and writer Chris Provenzano. V.J. Boyd, Eisa Davis and Ingrid Escajeda are writers.
“Justified was one of the most critically acclaimed shows of the past decade and an adaption of Elmore Leonard’s work that was so colorfully brought to life by Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, Graham Yost and the entire team of producers, writers, directors and cast,” said Eric Schrier, President, FX Entertainment. “To have this group come together again with Tim as Raylan in a new and different Elmore Leonard story is thrilling. I want to thank our showrunners Dave and Michael, and their fellow executive producers Tim, Graham, Sarah and Carl, the Elmore Leonard estate as well as our partners at Sony Pictures Television, for making this possible.”
“When Justified concluded, the love and affection for this exceptional series only grew and left audiences craving more Raylan Givens. The iconic Elmore Leonard was one of the premier authors of our time and no one has quite captured his tone and authenticity as well as this Justified team,” stated President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, Jeff Frost and Co-President, Jason Clodfelter. “We look forward to experiencing the magic again of Tim, Graham, Dave, Michael and our preeminent executive producer team. We are so thrilled to be continuing this remarkable ride with our partners at FX.”
Justified: City Primeval is produced by Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions.
FX released the following synopsis of the limited series:
Having left the hollers of Kentucky eight years ago, Raylan Givens now lives in Miami, a walking anachronism balancing his life as a U.S. Marshal and part-time father of a 14-year-old girl. His hair is grayer, his hat is dirtier, and the road in front of him is suddenly a lot shorter than the road behind.
A chance encounter on a desolate Florida highway sends him to Detroit. There he crosses paths with Clement Mansell, aka The Oklahoma Wildman, a violent, sociopathic desperado who’s already slipped through the fingers of Detroit’s finest once and aims to do so again. Mansell’s lawyer, formidable Motor City native Carolyn Wilder, has every intention of representing her client, even as she finds herself caught in between cop and criminal, with her own game afoot as well. These three characters set out on a collision course in classic Elmore Leonard fashion, to see who makes it out of the City Primeval alive.
Disney+ has set a February 23, 2022 premiere date for the family-friendly animated comedy The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. The premiere date was announced during the Television Critics Association winter press panel which also included the debut of the official trailer.
Described as a revival of the popular Disney Channel series, the new series will feature returning voice cast members including Kyla Pratt as Penny Proud, Tommy Davidson as Oscar Proud, and Paula Jai Parker as Trudy Proud.
Additional actors reprising their roles include JoMarie Payton as Suga Mama, Cedric the Entertainer as Uncle Bobby, Karen Malina White as Dijonay Jones, Soleil Moon Frye as Zoey Howzer, Alisa Reyes as LaCienega Boulevardez, and Carlos Mencia as Felix Boulevardez. Maria Canals-Barrera returns as Sunset Boulevardez, Alvaro Gutierrez is back as Papi, Raquel Lee Bolleau voices Nubia Gross, Marcus T. Paulk is Myron, Aldis Hodge is Frankie, Aries Spears is Wizard Kelly, Cree Summer is Peabo, Patricia Belcher is Principal Hightower, and Kevin Michael Richardson is back as Dr. Payne.
The Proud Family revival features Keke Palmer, Billy Porter, Zachary Quinto, “A Boogie” Dubose, EJ Johnson, Asante Blackk, Bresha Webb, and Aiden Dodson in recurring roles.
The first season will also see dozens of big-name stars showing up as guest stars including Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Chance the Rapper, Normani, Leslie Odom Jr, Tiffany Haddish, Lena Waithe, and Anthony Anderson.
The original series’ theme song composer Kurt Farquhar composed a “reimagined a contemporary version” of the song for the 2022 show. (R&B singer Joyce Wrice sings the new version.)
Disney+ released the following synopsis:
A continuation of the acclaimed series, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder follows the adventures and misadventures of newly 14-year-old Penny Proud and her Proud Family as they navigate modern life with hilarity and heart. The 2020s brings new career highs for mom Trudy, wilder dreams for dad Oscar and new challenges for Penny, including a socially woke neighbor who thinks she has a lot to teach her, bullying social media influencers who want to cancel her and her own teenage hormones.
Penny’s friends return, including Dijonay, LaCienega, Zoey and Michael. Penny’s Suga Mama also returns, ready as ever to dispense tough love or a gentle hand whenever Penny needs it. Among the new faces are Maya and KG, new kids who not only have to deal with the struggles of being the new kid but also having two dads, a first for Smithville.
Katy Perry, Megan Wolflick, Ryan Seacrest, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie during the ‘American Idol’ Winter TCA panel. (ABC)
ABC’s 2022 winter Television Critics Association (TCA) panel for American Idol with Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Ryan Seacrest was conducted via Zoom, but showrunner and executive producer Megan Michaels Wolflick remains hopeful season 20’s live shows can be conducted in front of a studio audience.
Wolflick joined the season 20 judges and host Ryan Seacrest to discuss what fans can expect when the new season arrives on Sunday, February 27, 2022. Addressing concerns over the Covid pandemic impacting the show once again, Wolflick said, “Last year we were able to have a safe, minimal, masked audience for the artists to kind of feed off of, whereas before we were at ‘Idol at Home’ – totally virtual. So it is, of course, our goal to have the fans back in the studio because that’s what makes the atmosphere. But having had this be our third year in the pandemic, we are ready to pivot on a dime at a moment’s notice. We are ready to be innovative, to push the envelope, to do anything we can to make this show move forward into 2022.
It is our aspiration at this moment to go back to having as many fans as possible in that studio, being completely safe with L.A. County and all of that. But, of course, we are always watching and pivoting every day,” explained Wolflick.
“I think we always want to do the show closest to its normal format and delivery and execution as possible because that’s where we all excel,” added Ryan Seacrest. “Nothing can replace being up close and personal with an artist in a moment when they’ve gone through a tough break or when they’ve gone through a big break.”
When the series returns for season 20 it will be without mentor Bobby Bones who announced earlier this month he won’t be back. Instead, viewers can expect to see familiar American Idol faces popping in to help the contestants.
“There is not anyone to replace Bobby per se, but this year we will be leaning into our amazing American Idol university alum to kind of help our current idols along the way in different stages of the competition. So, lots of those familiar faces who America has kind of grown to love will be seen throughout this season, and we’re very, very excited – and our alum are excited,” revealed Wolflick.
In celebration of the show’s 20th anniversary, American Idol added a new twist to the audition process. “In each place, there were three reserved platinum tickets, because I guess if you’ve been together for 20 years or married or whatever, platinum is the key,” said Katy Perry. “We identified the best talent in each place and we basically give them this ticket, because usually all of our tickets are gold. This ticket gives them the ability to go to Hollywood Week, which we’ve already filmed and was so rigorous and survival of the fittest. They get to basically observe from the box seats at the theater one day.
They get to rest their voice, strategize, check out the competition, and select who they want a duet with. Usually, it’s either they get to select in seasons past, or lately we’ve been selecting who people can duet with. But these three ticket holders, they get to select. So, they get a tiny advantage just because they’re the cream of the crop.”
Ryan Seacrest’s been in front of the camera as host since the show’s first episode way, way back in June 2002. Seacrest’s been through the series’ ups and downs, and this 20th anniversary has special meaning to him.
“To look back at all of those moments and see some of those contestants when they first met us on the road and see the time that’s gone by and the success that they have had is impactful. It’s pretty incredible. I got emotional watching some of those great moments, and I think back to the beginning of this show. And when we started – and, Megan, you know this – it was a purely pop and more personality-driven show. It’s been navigated to become a very heartfelt, human, and artist-driven show because of what the judges have done. I think they’ve done that deliberately, and I think that that’s what you are seeing with these artists that may never have normally auditioned for American Idol in the past. I think the fact that we can audition on a computer allows us to tap into talent that has never sung in front of human beings before but yet can make it to the next level with these three superstar judges,” said Seacrest.
Music industry legends and all-star judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, along with Emmy¨-winning producer and host Ryan Seacrest, were on hand when ABC’s “American Idol” kicked off judge city auditions for the upcoming 20th season overall (ABC/Eric McCandless)
Entering into its 20th season American Idol’s set the bar high in terms of artists who’ve gone on to have incredibly successful careers after appearing on the Idol stage. Lionel Richie attributes that, in part, to the impact the judges have had on the contestants by sharing their own experiences and offering suggestions.
“I’ll speak from my side because I think there were years ago when I was first approached and they said, ‘Would you like to be a judge on American Idol?’ And I said, ‘Guys, I’m busy. I’m an artist. I have to be on the road. I want to be out where my fans are.’ And then all of a sudden, I got to a point in my life where you have all of this knowledge. You actually know a lot about what they are going through. So, when I was asked this time around, the answer was yeah. And Katy and Luke, what we have is experience. So, the difference is now we know exactly how they feel. We’ve been there before. We’ve heard nos more than we’ve ever heard yeses. And, so, to get here and to know what they are going through probably is half the game to us,” explained Lionel Richie.
“We had to overcome something to get here. So, each one of these kids now, we know what to tell them. I am now vested in the fact that what we talk to them about is our experiences and their experiences, and we relate,” said Richie. “We actually come together as mentors, as fathers and mothers because sometimes all they need is a hug just to understand what it’s all about – and that’s what we do as far as the judges. That’s why this show changed to what it is.”
Katy Perry agreed and added, “It’s not really necessarily about us. We are just kind of guiding them and supporting them and giving them cues and all of this knowledge that we’ve been able to cultivate over the decades. I think we really, really care because we’ve been in their shoes. We want to set them up for success.
We are hard on them because in the real world it is hard, but we are still doing it with grace. It’s about the 12 contestants. On this iteration of American Idol on ABC, it’s also really about singer-songwriters and artists and authentic talent. It’s not so much a singing competition. It’s like you’ve got to check a little bit of a bunch of boxes, and then, from there, we build.”
Ryan Seacrest believes American Idol does a great job of finding people across America who might not have the means to leave their hometowns. They locate talented people with, as Seacrest describes it, a “ferocious hunger” to make it. “And once that door opens, they are not going to let it go. And I think that there’s a hunger in all of that,” explained Seacrest.
Interest in auditioning for American Idol hasn’t waned and in fact, as Megan Michaels Wolflick pointed out, signups for this season’s auditions were higher than season 19’s. “It’s only going up. And I feel like it’s almost like contestants now are training like you would for the NFL as a child playing football, and they’ve been training for American Idol their whole life,” said Wolflick.
“The average age of our finalists this year is 20. So, it is the exact age that the show started, a full-circle moment,” added Wolflick. “And these three in the room this year, I would call it an extreme vocal makeover. They actually would help people, and, literally, you could see the before and after of where they came in. And after a couple of quick tips, they were transformed. And so, it’s that moment of really caring and being authentic that I think America subscribes to.”
Luke Bryan believes it’s the fact American Idol offers audiences the opportunity to get to know each of the contestants’ backstories that sets it apart from other competitions. “What people don’t realize, fans love the music of the artist but they love the story of the artist too. I think when you find out this person can sing, not only can they sing, but they’ve also navigated so many challenges of life… And when Idol tells those stories so beautifully, it makes the fans gravitate to that person even more which sets them up to go on and be a superstar because that person is so relatable right off the bat,” said Bryan.
Caitlin Bassett as Addison and Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Seong in ‘Quantum Leap’ (Photo by: Serguei Bachlakov/NBC)
There have been talks for years about giving Quantum Leap a fresh look, but now it appears those talks have turned into action. NBC confirmed they’ve given Quantum Leap a pilot order (a good first step), and the network even went as far as releasing an updated synopsis.
Per NBC: “It’s been 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now a new team has been assembled to restart the project in the hopes of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.”
The synopsis indicates this Quantum Leap‘s actually a sequel, which leaves open the possibility of Scott Bakula’s return at some point. The original series aired on NBC from 1989 to 1993 with Bakula starring as Sam Beckett and Dean Stockwell co-starring as Al.
Writer Steven Lilien, writer Bryan Wynbrandt, Don Bellisario (creator of the original series), Deborah Pratt, and Martin Gero are on board as executive producers. The sequel’s a Universal Television production.
In addition to the Quantum Leap sequel, NBC announced they’ve given a pilot order to Found. The one-hour drama comes from writer and executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll, showrunner of The CW’s All American. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden of Berlanti Productions will executive produce along with Rock My Soul Productions’ Lindsay Dunn.
Berlanti Productions and Rock My Soul Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television are producing.
NBC released the following description of Found:
“In any given year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing in the U.S. More than half that number are people of color that the country seems to forget about. A public relations specialist — who was once herself one of those forgotten ones — and her crisis management team now make sure there is always someone looking out for the forgotten missing people. But unbeknownst to anyone, this everyday hero is hiding a chilling secret of her own.”
NBC’s This Is Us continues its sixth and final season with episode three, “Four Fathers,” airing January 18, 2022. The promo video teases the episode will focus on dads, with a flashback to Jack’s first attempt at taking the Big 3 to the movie theater by himself. A grown-up Kevin is shown missing out on milestones, and Randall gives Déjà a driving lesson during which a secret’s revealed. (That side-eye from Randall means Déjà should prepare to be lectured!)
The sixth and final season stars Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson, Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson, Sterling K. Brown as Randall, Chrissy Metz as Kate, Justin Hartley as
Kevin, Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth Pearson, and Chris Sullivan as Toby.
The Plot, Courtesy of NBC:
Everyone has a family. And every family has a story. This Is Us chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their kids (the big three), Kevin (Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day along with Toby (Sullivan) and Beth (Kelechi Watson).
This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who we become, and how the connections we share with each other can transcend time, distance and even death.
Milo Ventimiglia as Jack, Kaz Womack as Kevin, Isabella Rose Landau as Kate, Ca’Ron Jaden Coleman as Randall, and Mandy Moore as Rebecca in ‘This Is Us’ season 6 episode 3 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Justin Hartley as Kevin in season 6 episode 3 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Sterling K. Brown as Randall and Lyric Ross as Deja in season 6 episode 3 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Mandy Moore as Rebecca, Milo Ventimiglia as Jack, Isabella Rose Landau as Kate, Ca’Ron Jaden Coleman as Randall, and Kaz Womack as Kevin in season 6 episode 3 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Auden Thornton as Lucy and Blake Stadnik as Jack Damon in season 6 episode 3 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Chris Sullivan as Toby and Chrissy Metz as Kate in season 6 episode 3 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth and Sterling K. Brown as Randall in season 6 episode 3 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
A new video starring Will Arnett (embedded below with new photos) explains what viewers can expect from Netflix’s Murderville season one. Described as a procedural crime comedy, Murderville stars Will Arnett as Terry Seattle, a homicide detective who’s joined by celebrity guests to figure out the hows, whats, and whys of specific murder cases.
The celebrities willing to improvise their way through season one episodes include Conan O’Brien, Ken Jeong, ex-NFL star Marshawn Lynch, Sharon Stone, Annie Murphy, and Kumail Nanjiani. Joining Arnett as series regulars are Haneefah Wood as Chief Rhonda Jenkins – Seattle, Lilan Bowden as Medical Examiner Amber Kang, and Phillip Smithey as Detective Darren ‘Daz’ Phillips.
The six-episode season is set to premiere on February 3, 2022.
Murderville‘s based on the award-winning BBC3 series Murder in Successville and is executive produced by Arnett, Marc Forman, Jonathan Stern, Peter Principato, Brian Steinberg. Tom Davis, Andy Brereton, and James De Frond. Krister Johnson writes, executive produces, and serves as the showrunner, with Anna Drezen, Chadd Gindin, Craig Rowin, Jack Kukoda, Marina Cockenberg, Kerry O’Neill, Hannah Levy, and Adriana Robles also writing the first season’s episodes. Iain Morris and Brennan Shroff directed.
Murderville is an Electric Ave, Abominable Pictures, Artists First, and Sony Pictures Television production.
Netflix released the following synopsis for season one:
“Meet Senior Detective Terry Seattle (Arnett), Homicide Division. For Terry, every day means a new murder case and a new celebrity guest star as his partner. But here’s the catch: each episode’s guest star isn’t being given the script. They have no idea what’s about to happen to them.
Together, the guest star and Terry Seattle will have to improvise their way through the case… but it will be up to each celebrity guest alone to name the killer. Join them as they punch a one-way ticket to Murderville.”
Production’s begun on the second season of Netflix’s popular fantasy series Shadow and Bone and today the streaming service announced the addition of four series regulars to the cast. Anna Leong Brophy is set to play “Tamar Kir-Bataar” and Patrick Gibson’s on board to play “Nikolai Lantsov.” The new additions also include Jack Wolfe as “Wylan Hendriks” and Lewis Tan as “Tolya Yul-Bataar.”
The newcomers join a cast that includes Jessie Mei Li as “Alina Starkov,” Archie Renaux as “Malyen Oretsev,” Freddy Carter as “Kaz Brekker,” Amita Suman as “Inej,” Julian Kostov as “Fedyor,” Sujaya Dasgupta as “Zoya,” and Kit Young as “Jesper Fahey.” Ben Barnes reprises his role as “General Kirigan” for the much-anticipated second season.
In addition, returning cast members Danielle Galligan (“Nina Zenik”), Daisy Head (“Genya Safin”), and Calahan Skogman (“Matthias Helvar”) have been promoted to series regulars.
According to Netflix, the second season will consist of eight one-hour episodes – just like season one.
Shadow and Bone is based on Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling book series and Bardugo remains involved in the series as an executive producer. Eric Heisserer and Daegan Fryklind serve as writers, executive producers, and co-showrunners. Additional executive producers include Shawn Levy, Josh Barry, Dan Levine, and Dan Cohen for 21 Laps Entertainment along with Pouya Shahbazian (Loom Studios), and Shelley Meals.
Second season directors include Bola Ogun (episodes 1 and 2), Laura Belsey (episodes 3 and 4), Karen Gaviola (episodes 5 and 6), and Mairzee Almas (episodes 7 and 8).
A Look Back at Season 1, Courtesy of Netflix:
“Based on Leigh Bardugo’s worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, Shadow and Bone finds us in a war-torn world where lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. With the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha. But as she struggles to hone her power, she finds that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. There are dangerous forces at play, including a crew of charismatic criminals, and it will take more than magic to survive.”
Steve Harvey stars in ABC’s unscripted courtroom comedy ‘Judge Steve Harvey’ (ABC/Danny Delgado)
Steve Harvey lays down the law in ABC’s new unscripted series Judge Steve Harvey which premiered on January 4, 2022. Harvey serves as executive producer and stars in the courtroom comedy that finds real people presenting their cases and agreeing to accept whatever verdict he hands down. The fact Steve Harvey doesn’t have a legal background doesn’t matter; Harvey relies on common sense when dishing out decisions.
Harvey joined showrunner and executive producer Myeshia Mizuno for ABC’s virtual TCA winter presentation and talked about the origin of his new series which airs on Tuesdays at 8pm ET/PT.
“I came up with this idea about 12 years ago and I just never told anybody. I’ve never sat in a pitch room about it. I never met with a network about it. I never discussed it with my team, my production company. Nothing. I just had this idea,” explained Harvey. “We were on a Zoom call during COVID with ABC and it was about, I guess, eight execs from ABC and they were very high-level people. They had got on the phone to pitch a scripted show for me, a sitcom. They got through talking and it was a great idea, but I wasn’t that enthusiastic about doing a sitcom anymore. And so the president of ABC said to me, ‘Well, Steve, what would you like to do if you could do anything?’”
“I said, ‘Well, I always wanted to be a judge on TV.’ The Zoom got kind of quiet because they went like, ‘A judge?’ Everybody’s looking at me, trying to figure out where that came from. And when I told them I wanted it to be funny…I wanted to be insightful…I wanted it to be not about the verdict but about the story…the next day they greenlit it,” said Harvey.
The next step was to find an executive producer for the project, and a friend of Harvey’s suggested Myeshia Mizuno. Harvey reached out to Mizuno and after speaking with her for 15 minutes, he knew he’d found the right person to guide the series as showrunner.
“Once she talks, you have to listen,” said Harvey. “And I was paying attention because it was like talking to my sister. She reminds me a lot of my sister. She’s very authoritative and when she got through with that conversation, I started and ended the search right there. I never interviewed another person. I never talked to another executive producer. I never took another meeting. I knew that she was the one, and I was 100% correct and here she is.”
Mizuno believes the role of judge is a natural progression for Harvey. “One of the wonderful things about Mr. Harvey is him being able to speak on so many things and being able to relate to all types of people. And that’s why we know this show is going to be a success – the combination of what Mr. Harvey brings and just the plethora of stories that real people have,” said Mizuno.
“You know, reality is stranger than fiction and we see that coming into the courtroom with so many stories and the things these people say and believe and understand or think. And it’s all very relatable,” added Mizuno. “The biggest thing is, I think, people can enjoy watching it and watching it as a family and relate to the stories, relate to the people, see themselves or Aunt Becky or Uncle Bob or whomever in these litigants.”
Asked about his favorite case thus far, Steve Harvey said he’s intrigued by every case that’s been presented before him on the series. “There’s a level of excitement with all of them. I think the two things that stick out for me are when family comes to court and when friends come to court. That’s always kind of like, ‘Wow.’ I become fascinated and caught up in the how we got here.
And that’s the crazy part of this show because I think that’s what makes it different from most shows. I’m so intrigued by the story that I allow the litigants to say things that I know no other court show would allow them to say. ‘That has nothing to do with it.’ Well, to me, it has everything to do with it, so let’s hear it,” said Harvey.
Steve Harvey and Myeshia Mizuno attend the ‘Judge Steve Harvey’ winter TCA panel via Zoom (ABC)
Mizuno’s vast experience as a producer on legal series includes working on Judge Judy, Divorce Court, Paternity Court, and Couples Court. She also created Money Court for CNBC, so when Mizuno claims court is in her blood, you can believe it’s true. Mizuno knows how to present a court show and explained it begins with a good case.
“You need the litigants who have a good story and you want someone to have a defense. I think the difference here is, as Mr. Harvey said, allowing them to tell their story. Something like Judy, Judy doesn’t care about your story. She wants the facts – get to the point and get out. And that’s what makes her Judy.
Here, the difference is we take the time to understand the story which I think a lot of times explains why these people get into the situations they get into it. And that, along with Mr. Harvey being able to weave how they’re telling the story and then come to a summation and verdict, is what’s going to set Judge Steve Harvey apart from everything else,” explained Mizuno.
The format and the fact it’s a primetime network show also set Judge Steve Harvey apart from other unscripted courtroom series. “It’s never been done before. We do three cases in an hour, never been done before. But we’re able to hold your attention, and each case has something different. So, it’s a fun hour for everybody to watch,” said Mizuno.
Season four episode 12 of NBC’s New Amsterdam found Helen making the right decision about her second in command while Max connected with patients in need of his services. After a fairly upbeat episode, the promo for episode 13 – “Family” – teases the death of someone Max, Helen, and the New Amsterdam team hold dear. But who is it? We won’t discover the answer until episode 13 airs on January 18, 2022.
The cast of season four is led by Ryan Eggold as Medical Director Max Goodwin. Janet Montgomery returns as Dr. Lauren Bloom, Freema Agyeman stars as Dr. Helen Sharpe, Jocko Sims plays Dr. Floyd Reynolds, and Tyler Labine is Dr. Iggy Frome. Michelle Forbes guest stars as Dr. Fuentes.
“Family” Plot: Max and Helen adjust to sharing their lives and their problems, including the challenge of Helen’s mother. Bloom and Reynolds treat a family after their horrific car accident lands them in the ED. Iggy and Trevor reach a new understanding in their business relationship.
The Season 4 Plot, Courtesy of NBC:
After a turbulent year of sacrifice and hardship, Medical Director Max Goodwin and the team at New Amsterdam begin a well-deserved new chapter in their lives. The opening episode, titled “More Joy,” reflects both the drive of characters and the tone of season four. More joy: How can we find it, and how can we hold on to it?
For Max that means acknowledging and surrendering to his long-simmering feelings towards Dr. Helen Sharpe. While this new relationship brings its own set of challenges, Max continues his optimistic – and quixotic – quest to improve our nation’s healthcare system.
Continuing to navigate their own personal journeys – including Dr. Bloom’s relationship with Dr. Leyla Shinwari, who is now her resident, Dr. Frome’s new career and Dr. Reynolds’ personal entanglements – the doctors will strive to embrace the joy and successes in their lives.
But there is a surprise in store for our heroes. Dr. Veronica Fuentes is joining the New Amsterdam team to help turn around the overburdened and underfunded hospital. Her first order of business will be to tear down every progressive program Max has erected. Max will have his work cut out for him if he is going to outwit this calm, poised and fearless fixer.
Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin in ‘New Amsterdam’ season 4 episode 13 (Photo by: Heidi Gutman/NBC)Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe and Jenny Jules as Serwa Sharpe in season 4 episode 13 (Photo by: Heidi Gutman/NBC)Sandra Mae Frank as Dr. Elizabeth Wilder and Garrett Young as Adam Wilder in the “Family” episode (Photo by: Zach Dilgard/NBC)Jocko Sims as Dr. Floyd Reynolds and Shiva Kalaiselvan as Leyla in season 4 episode 13 (Photo by: Eric Liebowitz/NBC)Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe and Jenny Jules as Serwa Sharpe in season 4 episode 13 (Photo by: Heidi Gutman/NBC)Jocko Sims as Dr. Floyd Reynolds in season 4 episode 13 (Photo by: Barbara Nitke/NBC)Sandra Mae Frank as Dr. Elizabeth Wilder, Connor Marx as Ben and Tyler Labine as Dr. Iggy Frome (Photo by: Barbara Nitke/NBC)
