TV News Roundup for Week 1 of 2019
Welcome to the first weekly TV news round-up of 2019, where we go into the latest TV news regarding renewals, cancellations, and pick-ups. This week we have a sort of cancellation and trailers. So many trailers.
Cancelled
History and MGM have announced that their hit series Vikings will come to a natural end with Season 6. The series told the tale of legendary Viking Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons. It’s not all bad news as Deadline reports that History, MGM and writer/creator Michael Hirst (The Tudors) are already busy with developing a sequel series.
Picked up
Deadline has learned that Legendary Television is developing Simply Halston. A limited series starring Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Christopher Robin), who will also be executive producer. Written by Sharr White (The Affair) and directed by Dan Minahan (American Crime Story) the series will tell the biographical story of Halston, the first American celebrity fashion designer. His rise and fall is set in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s. No broadcaster is currently known.
Other developments
The CW has ordered a pilot episode from DC Comics and Warner Bros. TV for Batwoman. The “Elseworlds” crossover between Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl introduced us to Gotham City vigilante Kate Kane/Batwoman, played by Ruby Rose (The Meg, John Wick: Chapter 2). There is a very good chance we will see the series on our screens in the 2019-2020 season, as David Nutter is directing. The man has an impressive resume, with almost every pilot episode directed by him going to series. Among these are Millennium, Smallville, Supernatural, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Arrow, and The Flash. He has also directed episodes of Game of Thrones, including Season 2’s infamous “The Rains of Castamere”, and Season 5’s “Mother’s Mercy” for which he received the 2015 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.
Trailers
Netflix has released a date announcement video for Marvel’s The Punisher Season 2. The presumably final season, if the trend of Marvel series being cancelled at Netflix continues, will be released on Friday, January 18. After it, only Marvel’s Jessica Jones Season 3 is coming up.
Another date announcement video from Netflix was for Stranger Things Season 3. Eight new episodes will be released on Thursday, July 4. Independence Day in the USA.
US cable channel BBC America also joined in on the announcement videos with Killing Eve. Season 2 of the hit series will start in the US on Sunday, April 7.
Netflix also released a trailer for Sex Education. The comedic drama stars Asa Butterfield (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) as a socially awkward college student whose mother (The X-Files’s Gillian Anderson) is a sex therapist. Season 1 drops on Friday, January 11.
Friends From College Season 2 has received a trailer and a release date from Netflix. The Keegan-Michael Key (The Predator), Cobie Smulders (The Avengers), and Fred Savage (Once Upon A Deadpool) starring comedy series will return with eight new episodes on Friday, January 11.
Comedy Central has released a trailer for Season 2 of Corporate. The workplace comedy returns on Thursday, January 15 in the US.
A first trailer of Netflix’s reboot of Carmen Sandiego has been released. The new series will have Sandiego as its protagonist, unlike previous shows in which she was the antagonist. The character is voiced by Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin). Season 1 of the animated series will drop Friday, January 18.
Asian Netflix addition Kingdom also received another trailer. The historic zombie horror series will be released on Friday, January 25.
And finally from Netflix another trailer for DC Comics series Titans Season 1. Which also will be released on Friday, January 11. Those in the US will have to get a subscription to DC Universe to watch it.
That’s it for this week, but join us next time when we round-up the TV news of that week.
