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Exclusive: Non-profit Humanitas on Friday announced the five fellows selected for its 2024 New Voices Fellowship, and the awardees of its Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Award and the David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Award.

Recipients of the New Voices Fellowship, a six-month mentorship program for emerging television and screenwriters, include Aj Currie, Lucas Miller, George Pérez, Mads Summerfield, and Kim Lee Winslow. As fellows, they will each be paired with acclaimed screenwriters for one-on-one mentorship focused on polishing a script submitted for fellowship consideration. Past mentors have included Jenny Bicks, Scott Z. Burns, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Steven Canals, Marissa Jo Cerar, Robb Chavis, Tom Fontana, Hart Hanson, Winnie Holzman, Jason Katims, Bill Lawrence, David Shore, Charise Castro Smith, Robin Swicord, and many more.

Fellows will also each receive a $7,500 stipend, a three-month membership to MasterClass, headshots and a free course from UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, and take part in a...

Zendaya and Zac Efron both sing in The Greatest Showman, showcasing their talent as actors and singers. Both actors appear on multiple songs in the film, with their duet "Rewrite the Stars" being a standout moment. Zendaya and Efron's chemistry and their heartfelt performance in "Rewrite the Stars" contribute to being the best part of The Greatest Showman.

Both Zendaya and Zac Efron appeared in the 2017 feature film musical The Greatest Showman which also starred Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, and Rebecca Ferguson. The film, directed by Michael Gracey and written by Jenny Bicks, divided critics while winning over many audiences with its star-studded cast and impressive musical numbers. The film takes a deep dive into the world of real-life nineteenth-century entertainer P.T. Barnum, who created a popular traveling circus that became famous as The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

While Jackman's lead role as Barnum was based on a real person,...

Fox will not be moving ahead with “Welcome to Flatch” Season 3.

“While audience response was not as strong as we had hoped, we were thrilled with the creativity of the enormously talented Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, as well as the outstanding, dedicated cast and crew they assembled,” a Fox spokesperson told TheWrap. “We look forward to collaborating with them again in the future and are thankful for all of our partners at Lionsgate, Jenny’s Perkins Street Productions, Paul’s Feigco Entertainment, BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson and Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper.”

Shortly after the WGA strike started in May, Fox announced updates for its scripted series. The only two series the network hadn’t made an announcement about were “Welcome to Flatch” and “HouseBroken,” both of which were up for a third season.

“You can expect some announcements as soon as the strike ends,” president of scripted...

Fox is further paring down its live action comedy roster.

The network has canceled Welcome to Flatch after two seasons. The mockumentary series, created by Jenny Bicks and based on the BBC series This Country, finished its second season in February. The series also counts Paul Feig among its executive producers.

“While audience response was not as strong as we had hoped, we were thrilled with the creativity of the enormously talented Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, as well as the outstanding, dedicated cast and crew they assembled,” Fox said in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with them again in the future and are thankful for all of our partners at Lionsgate, Jenny’s Perkins Street Productions, Paul’s Feigco Entertainment, BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson, and Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper.”

Welcome to Flatch follows the eccentric residents of a small Ohio town, centered on two cousins...

Fox has canceled the comedy series “Welcome to Flatch” after two seasons, Variety has learned.

The mockumentary series aired its final episode on Fox on Feb. 2, with that now serving as the series finale. The show was inspired by the British format “This Country.”

“The comedy ‘Welcome to Flatch’ will not be returning to Fox for a third season,” Fox said in a statement. “While audience response was not as strong as we had hoped, we were thrilled with the creativity of the enormously talented Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, as well as the outstanding, dedicated cast and crew they assembled. We look forward to collaborating with them again in the future and are thankful for all of our partners at Lionsgate, Jenny’s Perkins Street Productions, Paul’s Feigco Entertainment, BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson, and Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper.”

The logline for Season 2 states, “The documentary crew...

Flatch is no longer a welcoming place.

Fox has canceled comedy Welcome To Flatch after two seasons.

“While audience response was not as strong as we had hoped, we were thrilled with the creativity of the enormously talented Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, as well as the outstanding, dedicated cast and crew they assembled. We look forward to collaborating with them again in the future and are thankful for all of our partners at Lionsgate, Jenny’s Perkins Street Productions, Paul’s Feigco Entertainment, BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson, and Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper,” a Fox spokesperson said.

It’s not a surprise given that the U.S. remake of cult British comedy This Country was on the bubble.

The series followed a documentary crew that sets out to explore the lives of residents in the small American town of Flatch.

It starred Holmes, who plays Kelly Mallet, Sam Straley,...

When it comes to the road to blockbuster glory, some projects are willed, some happen instantaneously, while others go through a long development hell. That’s just what happens when you’re working toward what’s hopefully a billion-grossing title.

In the case of Mattel’s Barbie, it was a 14-year journey that began at Universal. It stands to reason that the toy company would be fiercely protective about a feature take on its 64-year-old doll that generates a reported $3 billion annually in revenue. The product first conceived as America’s Sweetheart has evolved with changing times, switching up her stereotypes and outfits from prom queen to flight attendant to Mad Men secretary to astronaut. A doll that was deemed iconic in the 1970s-era of pinups like Loni Anderson and Farrah Fawcett endured a backlash when critics deemed her an inappropriate role model for young girls. This, despite Mattel pushing...

Barbie is looking like a box office beauty, racking up the strongest preview night numbers of the year and heading for a weekend gross that could top $100 million — that could buy Warner Bros. a whole lot of dream houses.

But the Mattel icon’s pink Corvette took a very long road to the big screen, and before writer-director Greta Gerwig, writer Noah Baumbach and star Margot Robbie, there were other top creatives attached to the on-again, off-again project.

Below is a brief history of Barbie’s journey from one of the most popular toys in the world to theaters:

1959. The Barbie fashion doll, created by Ruth Handler, is launched.

Literally 50 years pass.

2009: Mattel, the makers of Barbie, sign a deal with Universal Pictures to make a film about the iconic doll. That deal fell through.

2014: Sony acquired the rights to Barbie. The project saw a series of writers...

Things aren’t looking great for Fox comedy Welcome To Flatch.

The series, which is a remake of British comedy This Country, was the only live-action series that the network hasn’t made a decision on and it take a while.

Michael Thorn, President of Scripted Programming, Fox Entertainment, said that “launching our next great live action comedy is a top priority, so you can expect some announcements as soon as the strike ends”.

Welcome To Flatch, which comes from Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, has aired for two seasons on Fox with its second season finishing in February.

The series, which stars Sean William Scott, Holmes, Sam Straley and Aya Cash, is produced by Lionsgate, BBC Studios’ LA production arm and Fox Entertainment.

When asked about a renewal decision on Flatch, Thorn pointed to the renewal of Joel McHale-fronted Animal Control for a second season. “Right now we...

Exclusive: Seann William Scott has signed on to star in The Last Bachelor, a romantic comedy from director Luke Greenfield.

Greenfield co-wrote the script and will also produce alongside Jason Benoit, with XYZ Films producing and financing with investment funding from Ipr.Vc. Lee Kim of Resolute Films and Entertainment is also producing. XYZ Films are handling world rights and will introduce the pic to buyers and the upcoming Cannes market.

Billed as a “big romantic comedy in the tone of Judd Apatow and Jerry Maguire,” the pic follows eternal bachelor Tommy Kriffman (Seann William Scott), who, after realizing all his friends have settled down and gotten married, goes from never wanting to get married to becoming obsessed with finding his wife and having a family Asap. But when he falls in love with a stunning, younger woman,...

Sebastian Stan and Maria Bakalova, both veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, are attached to star in a new spy comedy for Paramount Pictures with Paul Feig attached to produce and potentially direct, TheWrap has confirmed.

Jenny Bicks, a screenwriter known for “The Greatest Showman” and “Rio 2,” is writing the script based off of an original pitch. Plot details are currently unknown.

Feig is probably best known for directing “Bridesmaids,” which began a string of profitable, high-concept, female led comedies like “The Heat” and “Spy.” In 2016 he directed the all-female “Ghostbusters” reboot, which became a cultural flashpoint, cutting short a potential franchise and leaving Sony to quickly revert to a more traditional approach with the release of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” in 2021.

Since “Ghostbusters,” Feig directed the delicious dark comedy “A Simple Favor,” “Last Christmas” and most recently “The School for Good and Evil” for Netflix. Feig is currently in production on “Grand Death Lotto,...

Paul Feig already has one intriguing upcoming comedy with “Grand Death Lotto,” starring John Cena, Awkwafina, and Simu Liu — now it’s time to add another to the list. Deadline reports that Feig is set to direct an upcoming spy comedy over at Paramount, with Sebastian Stan and Maria Bakalova to star.

Read More: ‘Grand Death Lotto’: John Cena, Awkwafina & Simu Liu To Star In Paul Feig’s Upcoming Action-Comedy On Prime Video

Exact plot details are under wraps, but “Welcome To Flatch” writer Jenny Bicks pens the script, and its pitch is about a failed double agent who somehow becomes an unlikely success.

Continue reading Sebastian Stan & Maria Bakalova To Star In Spy Comedy At Paramount With Paul Feig Directing at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Sebastian Stan (Pam & Tommy) and Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) are attached to star in an untitled spy comedy in very early development at Paramount, Deadline has learned.

Jenny Bicks (Welcome to Flatch) is set to pen the script, which is said to involve a failed double agent who becomes an unlikely success, based off an original pitch. Paul Feig (The School for Good and Evil) is eyeing to direct and will also produce alongside Laura Allen Fischer for Feigco Entertainment, as well as Stan (A Different Man) and Emmy winner Emily Gerson Saines.

Stan landed his first Emmy, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award nominations for his turn as Tommy Lee in Hulu’s acclaimed miniseries Pam & Tommy, also recently starring in Apple’s thriller Sharper opposite Julianne Moore, and in Mimi Cave’s horror-thriller Fresh with Daisy Edgar-Jones. The actor is otherwise...

The world is fascinated by reality TV. From the Kardashian family, to the Real Housewives, viewers love to see the lives of interesting people captured on screen. Welcome to Flatch is like watching a reality-show, inside a show. The premise of this half-hour comedy series is that there is a documentary crew that is looking to explore the lives of the residents in a small American town called Flatch.

Out of the 1,526 people residing in the small town of Flatch, Ohio, there are two residents, in particular, that stand out to the documentary crew. They are cousins, Shrub and Kelly Mallet. The two are quite the troublemakers, but that’s to be expected as they search for creative ways to entertain themselves in their small, sleepy town.

While Shrub and Kelly remain the main focus of the documentary and of Welcome to Flatch, we are introduced to some of the...

A plan to preview Dan Harmon’s new animated comedy Krapopolis on Nov. 27 has been delayed.

The single-cam Welcome to Flatch will now air immediately following the NFL doubleheader. Fox says the Krapopolis preview will be rescheduled to a later date, closer to its planned series premiere.

Fox has already given Krapopolis a second season renewal. The original plan was to give viewers a look-see this month ahead of its full season launch in 2023. Krapopolis is set in mythical ancient Greece and tells the story of a dysfunctional family of humans, gods and monsters that try their hand at running the world’s first cities – without trying to kill each other, that is. It features the voices of Hannah Waddingham, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Pam Murphy and Duncan Trussell.

Created and exec produced by Rick and Morty co-creator Harmon, the series is Fox Entertainment’s first wholly own animated series...

Cheryl Dolins has been tapped as the new senior vice president of comedy programming and development at Fox Entertainment, replacing Julia Franz, who had held the post for three years.

The executive shuffle has been in the works for some time and is not related to Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier’s surprise departure to Roku last week. Franz will remain at the company as a consultant on comedies “Animal Control” and “Welcome to Flatch” in a network and studio creative capacity, as well as stay on until the former wraps production next spring.

Based in Los Angeles and reporting to president Michael Thorn, Dolins will be responsible for overseeing the development and production of the company’s growing comedy slate, which includes the upcoming single-cam “Animal Control,” Fox’s first wholly-owned live-action comedy; “Welcome to Flatch,” from executive producers Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig and multi-cam comedy “Call Me Kat,...

Exclusive: There is a change at the helm of Fox’s comedy department. Julia Franz is stepping down as SVP and Head of Comedy for Fox Entertainment after three years. She will be succeeded in the role by former 20th Television head of comedy development Cheryl Dolins, who will be based in Los Angeles, reporting to Fox Entertainment President Michael Thorn.

The changeover had been in the works for a while and is not related to Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier’s surprise exit on Thursday to join Roku.

I hear Franz’s exit from her executive role was a mutual decision. It comes at the end of her three-year contract. Franz will remain at the network in a consulting role, focusing on Fox’s newest show, Animal Control, the network’s first fully owned live-action comedy. She will serve as both network and studio creative on Animal Control until...

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Don’t Look Up, Black-ish and Pachinko were among the winners of the 46th annual Humanitas Prizes announced Friday from a luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

The awards, honoring the craft of screenwriting, featured winners in nine juried categories spanning film and television. These included Don’t Look Up from writer Adam McKay for comedy feature film, The Starling from Matt Harris for drama feature film and Encanto from Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush for family feature film.

On the TV side, Black-ish writer Robb Chavis prevailed for comedy teleplay, Pachinko creator Soo Hugh won for drama teleplay and Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar was tops for limited series, TV movie or special.

Larry Wilmore hosted the event, and presenters included Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Humanitas board president Jenny Bicks. Also honored were...

Retiring ABC series “Black-ish” picked up one more honor on Friday, a Humanitas Prize for comedy teleplay, while Apple TV+’s “Pachinko” and ABC’s “Women of the Movement” also were recognized at the event.

Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and hosted by comedian Larry Wilmore, the 46th annual Humanitas Prize event centered on awards and 10,000 cash prizes to screenwriters across ten categories. In addition, Humanitas board president Jenny Bicks presented Filmmakers for Ukraine with the Kieser Award “in recognition of their work to connect the Ukrainian film and TV community impacted by the Russo-Ukrainian War with resources, jobs, and funding to meet basic needs.”

And Jasmine Cephas Jones presented Starz with Voice for Change Award for its #TakeTheLead initiative. Starz president/CEO Jeffrey Hirsch accepted the prize on the network’s behalf. Nkechi Okoro Carroll oversaw the New Voices Fellowship and College Screenwriting Award presentations.

Here are this...

Anne Heche was a showrunner’s dream. She was a strong and empathetic leader who always showed up ready to do the work. She knew what her job was as No. 1 on the call sheet. She knew how important it was to set the right tone of inclusion and happiness on the set. She was able to give generously and voluminously to her fellow actors.

This is the Anne Heche that I will remember when I think of my friend and collaborator on the dramedy series “Men in Trees,” which ran on ABC from 2006-08. It is hard for me to reconcile the Anne that I knew with the circumstances of her death, which came Aug. 14, nine days after a fiery car crash in West Los Angeles that made headlines around the world.

She was used to headlines. “Men in Trees” came together at a pivotal point in Anne’s life.

My Name Is Earl alum Jaime Pressly is heading to the fictional town of Flatch, Ohio, as the Emmy-winner has been cast in the upcoming second season of Fox‘s Welcome to Flatch. According to Variety, Pressly will play Barb Flatch, a realtor who returns to her hometown after a messy divorce. “She believes in second chances and wants to give Flatch the glow up it deserves, one margarita at a time,” reads the logline description of the character. Season 2 is set to premiere on Thursday, September 29 at 9 pm Et. Welcome to Flatch was developed by Jenny Bicks (The Big C) and is a mockumentary focused on the eccentric residents of the small Ohio town. It stars Chelsea Holmes, Sam Straley (The Dropout), Seann William Scott (American Pie), Aya Cash (You’re The Worst), Justin Linville, Taylor Ortega (Succession), and Krystal Smith. Pressly is best known for playing Joy Turner on...

Emmy winner Jaime Pressly (Mom) has joined the cast of Fox’s comedy series Welcome To Flatch as a series regular for its upcoming second season. She will play a new character named Barb Flatch.

Pressly’s casting stems from the Season 2 pitch by showrunner Jenny Bicks for a major new character to be played by a big-name talent who would join Welcome To Flatch‘s established star, Seann William Scott, as well as the series’ up-and-coming cast. That pitch, along with a restructuring of lead studio Lionsgate TV’s original deal for the show, clinched Welcome To Flatch a Season 2 renewal despite modest linear ratings.

Barb Flatch (Pressly) grew up a Flatch, in Flatch. She has returned to her hometown after a bad divorce to start a new chapter as the town’s realtor. She believes in second chances and wants to give Flatch the glow up it deserves,...

Emmy winner Jaime Pressly (“My Name is Earl”) is moving into another small TV town. Pressly has been added to the cast of Fox’s “Welcome to Flatch” as it returns for a second season. She will play Barb Flatch, a Realtor who returns to her hometown after a bad divorce.

“She believes in second chances and wants to give Flatch the glow up it deserves, one margarita at a time,” per the logline description of Pressly’s character. “Welcome to Flatch” returns for its Season 2 on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. Et.

Pressly joins a cast that includes comedian Holmes, Sam Straley (“The Dropout”), Seann William Scott (“American Pie”), Aya Cash (“You’re The Worst”), Justin Linville, Taylor Ortega (“Succession”) and Krystal Smith. “Welcome to Flatch” is a mockumentary that revolves around the quirky and eccentric citizens of the small Midwestern town Flatch, Ohio.

Pressly most recently starred as Jill...

More than 400 prominent female writers and showrunners sent a letter today to the heads of the major studios expressing their “grave concerns” about the companies’ “lack of specific production protocols” to protect their workers in anti-abortion states.

The letters, which state that “it is unacceptable to ask any person to choose between their human rights and their employment,” also demanded that the companies “pledge to discontinue all political donations to anti-abortion candidates and political action committees immediately.”

Deadline has obtained a copy of the letter to Netflix, which organizers say was sent to top executives at Amazon Studios, AMC Networks, Apple, Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, , and Warner Bros. Discovery.

The letters, whose signers include Ava DuVernay, Shonda Rhimes, Amy Schumer, Marta Kauffman, Callie Khouri, WGA West vice president Michele Mulroney and WGA West secretary-treasurer Betsy Thomas, said that “this situation raises basic matters of equality, health, and safety in the workplace.

Eleven of the TV industry’s top comedy creators and showrunners came together to talk about the so-called return of the broadcast sitcom, the daunting task of reshaping and adhering to beloved IP and why the workplace comedy is still a tried-and-true format during Variety‘s “A Night in the Writers’ Room” event Thursday.

During the comedy roundtable, TV editor Michael Schneider chatted about these topics and more with Jenny Bicks (“Welcome to Flatch”), Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), Dave Burd (“Dave”), Greg Daniels (“Upload”), Chris Miller (“The Afterparty”), Tracy Oliver (“Harlem”), Saladin K. Patterson (“The Wonder Years”), Joe Port (“Ghosts”), Issa Rae (“Insecure”), Meredith Scardino (“Girls5eva”) and Hayden Schlossberg (“Cobra Kai”).

Brunson, who said in a recent Variety cover story that she does not want credit for the “return” for broadcast comedy to go to her and ABC’s “Abbott Elementary”, elaborated on that opinion by saying, “I only think...

Ever since the demise of indie powerhouse Carsey-Werner, there has been no studio focused on broadcast comedy series. Surprisingly, another indie, Lionsgate Television, has found itself carrying the C-w mantle. In a tough economic environment, Lionsgate managed to go 3-for-3 with its existing broadcast series — CBS’ Ghosts, ABC’s Home Economics and Fox’s Welcome to Flatch — all of which were renewed for next season. All of them are single-camera comedies — a genre whose financials have become partially challenging under the increasingly fragile broadcast model — and the tally, three, matches the bulk of Lionsgate’s entire previous broadcast haul of Fox’s Running Wilde, ABC’s Nashville and NBC’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

The pickups cap an impressive streak of 16 renewals for 15 shows and no cancellations for Lionsgate series across various platforms that started in July 2021. And while Lionsgate just reported a quarterly earnings miss, the company’s TV Production...

Kelly, Shrub, and the other residents of a certain small town are getting a second chance. Fox has renewed the low-rated  Welcome to Flatch TV series for a second season. The first season will conclude on May 26th.

A mockumentary comedy series from Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, the Welcome to Flatch TV show stars Seann William Scott, Chelsea Holmes, Sam Straley, Taylor Ortega, Krystal Smith, Aya Cash, and Justin Linville. When a documentary crew sets out to explore the lives, dreams, and concerns of residents in a small American town, they stumble upon the midwestern town of Flatch. The community is made up of many eccentric personalities that include Joseph "Father Joe" Binghoffer (Scott), Kelly Mallet (Holmes), Lloyd "Shrub" Mallet (Straley), Nadine Garcia-Parney (Ortega), Mandy Matthews (Smith), Cheryl Peterson (Cash), and Mickey St. Jean (Linville). It's a...

The residents of Flatch will remain on Fox. The network has picked up a second season of comedy Welcome to Flatch, which comes from Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig.

It’s a slight surprise given the linear ratings of the show, which is based on British format This Country. Deadline understands that Lionsgate was keen to make a deal and made it appealing to Fox. There are thought to be plans for some new cast for season two.

Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier said that the network “bets on creators” and called Bicks and Feig “incredible” partners.

Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment at the network, added that there was a real “passion” for the show at the network. “We decided to do what you always ask us to do, focus on the passion projects,” he added. “We see great promise in the show.”

Welcome to Flatch has been somewhat of a test case for Fox.

The Paul Feig-produced comedy “Welcome to Flatch” has been renewed for Season 2 at Fox, Variety has learned.

Inspired by BBC Studios’ BAFTA-winning BBC format “This Country,” “Welcome to Flatch” is told through the lens of a documentary crew exploring the lives of residents of the midwestern town of Flatch. The crew finds worthy subjects in young-adult cousins and best friends Kelly Mallet and Lloyd “Shrub” Mallet (Sam Straley) who let the production in on their lives and local current events.

The rest of the key players in “Welcome to Flatch” include Joseph “Father Joe” Binghoffer (Seann William Scott), the local minister who tries to guide Kelly and Shrub, and his former girlfriend, Cheryl Peterson (Aya Cash), who is the editor of the local newspaper, the Flatch Patriot, as well as Shrub’s obsessive friend Mickey St. Jean (newcomer Justin Linville), Kelly’s frenemy and the head of the Flatch Historical Society,...

Fox has given the greenlight for more of comedies “Call Me Kat” and “Welcome to Flatch.”

The news comes shortly before Fox is scheduled to give its presentation to advertisers at Upfronts on Monday afternoon. “Call Me Kat” will head into Season 3 for the 2022-2023 television season, while “Welcome to Flatch” gets a Season 2.

“Call Me Kat” is based on the British series “Miranda,” which was created by Miranda Hart. It stars Mayim Bialik as an optimistic and fun-loving woman continuously defying societal expectations, and her mother’s wishes, to prove she can live a happy and fulfilling life on her own terms. Her first move? Using her entire savings to open a cat café in Louisville, Ky.

“Call Me Kat” is produced by That’s Wonderful Productions, Sad Clown Productions and BBC Studios’ Los Angeles production arm in association with Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment.

Alissa Neubauer is the showrunner and executive producer.

Two very different Fox shows each persevered against all odds to make it to air. The comedy Welcome to Flatch survived the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown and the drama The Cleaning Lady adapted its story when they cast Élodie Yung. Talent from each show spoke on a panel for Deadline’s Contenders TV on Saturday.

The Cleaning Lady creator Miranda Kwok said she imagined her show would end up on cable. The show stars Yung as Thony, a Cambodian doctor who has to work as a maid in the U.S. Thony gets embroiled in a life of crime to provide for her son.

Contenders TV: Deadline’s Complete Coverage

“Originally I thought I would pitch this to cable and streaming because that’s where stories like this normally land,” Kwok said. “Warner Bros. said, ‘Let’s try network first because there’s a greater appetite for diverse stories.’ Fox was...

Thursday primetime finally broke free of four-way ties for the top spot after three consecutive weeks. The latest episode of NBC Law & Order: Svu led the charge in both demo ratings and audience among non-sports titles.

Helping to break the weeks-long tie was CBS’ coverage of March Madness Round 1 games. Among the victors of Thursday’s games were the Arkansas Razorbacks, the UCLA Bruins and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Ratings for the live sports event have yet to come in, but Deadline will note those numbers when they become available. When it comes to the non-March Madness content, Law & Order: Svu topped fast affiliates with a 0.6 demo rating and 4.53 million viewers. The drama was steady from the previous week.

While Svu escaped the ratings stalemate, there was another four-way tie for the second-highest rated program on Thursday between Law & Order, Station 19, Grey’s Anatomy and Law & Order: Organized Crime...

If you ask Holmes, being funny is just about the only thing she/they are good at. The comedian, who stars in Fox’s “Welcome to Flatch,” has wanted to make people laugh since they first saw Jim Carrey star in “Liar, Liar” in the fifth grade.

“I feel like deep down I always knew that I wanted to be a performer, but it’s like a really embarrassing thing to say out loud because so a few people get to do it,” Holmes told TheWrap.

Of course, the path to here and now hasn’t been without its ups and downs. In fact, when Holmes first arrived at Florida State University ready to pursue art, Holmes quickly became convinced they weren’t actually very good at comedy at all.

“I actually auditioned for this sketch comedy troupe, and they like called me back and then they didn’t let me in,...

At this point, it’s pretty well understood that developing American TV adaptations of British comedies is essentially playing with fire. There’s an approach to comedy across the pond that often gets lost in translation — not just in colloquialisms but also in execution and rhythms. It’s why a U.K. to U.S. adaptation like “Coupling” (which was adapted by NBC in 2003) was such a colossal failure, despite certain episodes being a near word-for-word remake of the original British series. And why the American version of “The Office” took a full season to find its footing.

Fox’s new comedy “Welcome to Flatch,” an American adaptation of the British mockumentary “This Country,” is nowhere near the misfire that a show like NBC’s “Coupling” was, but it’s also definitely nowhere near the success that the American version of “The Office” came to be.

Developed by executive producer Jenny Bicks,...

The most interesting thing about the new comedy “Welcome to Flatch” just might be the way in which Fox is rolling it out. While the pilot episode will premiere March 17 on the broadcast network before airing weekly, the first seven (7!) episodes will also be available to stream on FoxNow and Hulu earlier that same day, thus giving curious viewers a chance to marathon half the season well before those who keep tuning in the traditional way.

It might seem an odd approach at first glance, but the vast majority of comedies have always needed a few episodes to figure out the particular rhythms of their dialogue and cast chemistry — something “Welcome to Flatch” director Paul Feig knows well enough, having come in to “The Office” at the beginning of Season 2, right as the eventual smash hit was really beginning to gel. So if Fox wants to find a new way...

Fox hopes to greet a big audience with its new small-town docu-comedy “Welcome to Flatch” when the Paul Feig and Jenny Bicks-produced show launches later this week. But if “Flatch” doesn’t bring in the viewers with its linear premiere on Thursday at 9:30 p.m., Fox execs won’t be talking about cutting the mockumentary from the network’s midseason lineup Friday morning.

That’s because the broadcast network is launching the first half of the 14-episode Season 1 via Hulu and other digital platforms at midnight on Thursday, and promises it’s not going to be giving much weight to “Welcome to Flatch’s” Live + Same Day Nielsen ratings over those first seven weeks of airing, when the episodes will all be available for streaming well before they rollout weekly on Fox. The network hopes its patience and the rollout’s risk will be rewarded with “Welcome to Flatch...

Fox is launching mockumentary comedy Welcome To Flatch on March 17 and will drop the first seven episodes on Hulu.

It’s an unusual move for a linear broadcast network and something that director and exec producer Paul Feig called “unbelievable”. “To come up with this idea for a network show is unheard of. People don’t latch on to a show until they can binge it,” he said during a Deadline moderated panel session at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

The series, which comes from showrunner and exec producer Jenny Bicks and Feig, is based on BBC Three comedy This Country and follows a documentary crew that sets out to explore the lives of residents in the small American town of Flatch.

Michael Thorn, president of Fox Entertainment, said that the team behind the series, which is produced by Lionsgate, BBC Studios and Fox Entertainment, was up for a new approach.

“There’s not a lot going on in Flatch,” says star Seann William Scott, who plays minister Joseph “Father Joe” Binghoffer. And he’s not wrong. The Midwestern town at the center of Fox’s new Welcome to Flatch, premiering Thursday, March 17, is purposely uneventful, though. The show is the perfect portrait of that sometimes idyllic small-town life and includes all of that life’s colorful characters. And they are indeed colorful. In the exclusive clip above, meet the eccentric Flatchians, who have agreed to appear in a documentary about their midwestern lives in the half-hour comedy inspired by BBC Studios’ BAFTA-winning This Country. This series, from Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City) and Paul Feig (Freaks and Geeks), centers around destructive best friends and cousins—confident Kelly Mallet (Chelsea Holmes) and artistic Lloyd “Shrub” Mallet (Sam Straley)—who actually find the town of Flatch to be endlessly fascinating. “To some people,...

“Shang-Chi” headliner Simu Liu has joined the cast of Warner Bros’ “Barbie” film, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.

Greta Gerwig is directing “Barbie,” in which Ferrera will star opposite Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie. Robbie will play Barbie and Gosling will play Ken, but it is not yet known which role Ferrera will play.

Gerwig wrote the screenplay, along with her partner Noah Baumbach, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap. This will be Gerwig’s third feature film following her debut, “Lady Bird,” and her adaptation of “Little Women,” both of which scored Best Picture nominations at the Oscars.

Executive producers are Josey McNamara for LuckyChap Entertainment. Robbie will also produce with Tom Ackerley for LuckyChap Entertainment alongside Mattel executive producer Robbie Brenner, who heads the toy company’s film division.

The film moved from Sony — where it was slated for a June 29, 2018 release and was...

America Ferrera has joined the cast of Warner Bros’ “Barbie” film, TheWrap confirmed.

Greta Gerwig is directing “Barbie,” in which Ferrera will star opposite Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie. Robbie will play Barbie and Gosling will play Ken, but it is not yet known which role Ferrera will play.

Gerwig wrote the screenplay, along with her partner Noah Baumbach, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap. This will be Gerwig’s third feature film following her debut, “Lady Bird,” and her adaptation of “Little Women,” both of which scored Best Picture nominations at the Oscars.

Executive producers are Josey McNamara for LuckyChap Entertainment. Robbie will also produce with Tom Ackerley for LuckyChap Entertainment alongside Mattel executive producer Robbie Brenner, who heads the toy company’s film division.

The film moved from Sony — where it was slated for a June 29, 2018 release and was to be produced by Amy Pascal, Walter F. Parkes,...

“The Masked Singer” will premiere its seventh season on March 9, Fox announced Wednesday.

Host Nick Cannon and panelists Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke and Jenny McCarthy will return to the show, which will include a new cast of celebrity competitors who perform in elaborate costumes that conceal their identities. Last season featured Todrick Hall, Honey Boo Boo and Toni Braxton and was ultimately won by singer Jewel, who performed as the “Queen of Hearts.” The first episode of the new season will air at 8 p.m. Et. Moira Ross, Craig Plestis and Nick Cannon serve as executive producers, and Ross also serves as showrunner.

Immediately following the “Masked Singer” will be the premiere of new competition series “Domino Masters.” Hosted by actor Eric Stonestreet, the show will follow sixteen teams of domino enthusiasts as they compete for a cash prize and the title of the country’s most talented domino topplers.

Fox’s new comedy Welcome to Flatch will stream its first seven episodes on-demand on the same day of its linear launch.

The linear network will premiere the comedy, which is based on British mockumentary This Country, on Thursday March 17 at 9:30pm. The show, which comes from Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, will roll out its first seven episodes via Hulu as well as Fox Now.

It marks the first time that Fox has done this.

Michael Thorn, president of entertainment at Fox, said, “It’s obvious right now that it’s incredibly hard to launch any TV show in this marketplace and we want to do everything we can to set the show up for success. What we wanted to do was take advantage of our own air and give it the impactful launch that we give to all of our shows but also try something different and...

Fox will debut the first half of Season 1 of its new Paul Feig-produced comedy series “Welcome to Flatch” on digital platforms hours ahead of the show’s linear debut on the broadcast network.

Episodes 1-7 of the half-hour docu-comedy will become available for streaming on Hulu, Fox Now and On Demand at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, March 17. That same day, the series premiere of “Welcome to Flatch” will air at 9:30 p.m. on Fox.

The first season of “Welcome to Flatch” consists of 14 episodes, which have already wrapped production. So Fox’s decision to put the first seven episodes up on digital platforms on Day 1 means that viewers will have the ability to binge the first half of the entire season before it even premieres, an unprecedented programming move by the broadcaster.

Per the show’s logline, “When a documentary crew sets out to explore the lives...

Greta Gerwig will direct the “Barbie” movie starring Margot Robbie, in addition to writing the screenplay along with her partner Noah Baumbach, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap.

Though Gerwig became attached to “Barbie” in 2019, Robbie revealed in a new interview with British Vogue that Gerwig would also be stepping into the director’s chair on the film.

In discussing the film with British Vogue, Robbie said that playing Barbie comes with “a lot of baggage” and a lot of “nostalgic connections,” but it’s not quite the movie you’re expecting.

“People generally hear ‘Barbie’ and think, ‘I know what that movie is going to be,’ and then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they’re like, ’Oh, well, maybe I don’t,’” Robbie said.

This will be Gerwig’s third feature film following her debut, “Lady Bird,” and her adaptation of “Little Women,...

Joining the ranks of hit British shows to be turned into American hits such as “The Office” and “Queer As Folk,” Fox will present a new comedy “Welcome to Flatch,” inspired by the BAFTA-winning hit BBC comedy “This Country.” Sporting less theatrical “Waiting for Guffman” vibes with a healthy dose of “Trailer Park Boys,” the half-hour comedy will attempt to take the TV mockumentary by storm. Find the newly released first trailer below.

Here is the official synopsis from Fox: “When a documentary crew sets out to explore the lives of residents in a small American town – their dreams, their concerns – they stumble upon the midwestern town of Flatch, which is made up of many eccentric personalities. It’s a place you want to visit and maybe even stay. If there was a decent motel. Which there is not.”

“Welcome to Flatch” is written and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner...

Fox has announced its 2021-22 schedule, and it includes a string of new shows.

We already know the network's plans for next season, and now we have some trailers to get an early look at some of the new shows.

We have two dramas and two comedies for you to check out!

The Big Leap

The Big Leap is a modern tale about second chances, chasing your dreams, and taking back what’s yours.

From creator/executive producer Liz Heldens, director/executive producer Jason Winer (Modern Family), and executive producer Sue Naegle (The Plot Against America), the show revolves around a group of diverse, down-on-their-luck characters attempting to change their lives by participating in a potentially life-ruining reality dance show that builds to a live production of Swan Lake.

Inspired by a U.K. reality format, The Big Leap is an innovative show-within-a-show that takes viewers on a journey of...

Fox is bucking the trend of franchise lineups. On the heels of NBC unveiling One Chicago Wednesday and Law & Order Thursday on their fall schedule and following the success of ABC’s pairing of Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 and CBS’ block of FBI and FBI: Most Wanted, Fox has opted to (temporarily) split its 9-1-1 series.

Flagship 9-1-1 will remain the Monday 8 Pm anchor but offshoot 9-1-1: Lone Star, which has followed it this season, will not be part of Fox’s fall schedule; it will fill in for the mothership in midseason. Here is the lineup, followed by a brief analysis and description of Fox’s new scripted and unscripted series for next season.

Fox Fall 2021 Schedule

(New programs in Upper Case)

(All Times Et/Pt)

Monday

8-9 Pm — 9-1-1

9-10 Pm — The Big Leap

Tuesday

8-9 Pm — The Resident

9-10 Pm...

Fox has released some of the first trailers for its new comedies and dramas as part of its series orders for the 2021-22 season. You can watch above and below. We’ll update as more come in.

The Big Leap – Drama

The Big Leap is a modern tale about second chances, chasing your dreams and taking back what’s yours. From creator/executive producer Liz Heldens, director/executive producer Jason Winer (“Modern Family”) and executive producer Sue Naegle, the show revolves around a group of diverse, down-on-their-luck characters attempting to change their lives by participating in a potentially life-ruining reality dance show that builds to a live production of “Swan Lake.” Inspired by a U.K. reality format, The Big Leap is an innovative show-within-a-show that takes viewers on a journey of self-acceptance and empowerment at any age. The series stars Scott Foley, Teri Polo, Piper Perabo, newcomer Simone Recasner,...

This week, broadcast networks and their streaming counterparts are showing advertisers and the general public what they’ve got for the upcoming season. While it’s far too early to judge the actual shows, a sense of promise — or of doubt — can be picked up from these early looks out of the upfronts presentations.

Here’s a look, in rough descending order, of how this critic is feeling about each show’s potential, first from NBCUniversal’s Peacock (trailers for NBC proper have yet to be released), then Fox.

Peacock

“The Lost Symbol”

NBCUniversal’s trailers for its Peacock dramas tended towards a polish and professionalism. “The Lost Symbol” is impressive simply because of the names involved alone — an adaptation of the work of Dan Brown, produced, as were the Tom Hanks movies including “The Da Vinci Code,” by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. And the trailer pushes a moody...

Fox has shared trailers for its new comedies and dramas for the 2021-22 TV season, including the Scott Foley-led “The Big Leap” and Paul Feig’s “Welcome to Flatch.”

The trailers were unveiled at the network’s annual upfront presentation to advertisers on Monday, alongside information about returning favorites “9-1-1,” “The Masked Singer” and “The Resident.”

The new shows teased Monday also include the long-gestating mob drama “The Cleaning Lady” and the ensemble comedy “Pivoting,” starring Eliza Coupe, Maggie Q and Ginnifer Goodwin. The network has not yet shared trailers for its other new shows, including “Alter Ego,” Gordon Ramsey’s “Next Level Chef,” Lee Daniels’ “Our Kind of People” and the “Fantasy Island” reboot starring Roselyn Sanchez.

“The Big Leap”

The Big Leap is a modern tale about second chances, chasing your dreams and taking back what’s yours. From creator/executive producer Liz Heldens, director/executive producer...