The Jay Hernandez-led reboot of the 1980s procedural will wrap its run with its upcoming 10 episodes on NBC. The news comes as the options on the cast were due to expire June 30, forcing NBC — whose studio sibling Universal TV co-produces the series alongside CBS Studios — to make a decision on either extending those deals or wrapping up the show. The network, which has recently passed on a number of pilots and canceled nearly all of its bubble shows, opted to let the show conclude with its remaining 10 episodes rather than to spend the money to extend the show’s stars as it’s unclear when production will resume amid the ongoing Writers Guild strike.
Magnum P.I. was canceled in May 2022 after four seasons on CBS. The series ranked as one of the highest shows on broadcast television at the time of its cancellation, prompting NBC to step in and save the show from cancellation with a two-season, 20-episode pickup less than two months later.
NBC is calling the 20-episode order a split season, a loophole that allows networks, studios and streamers to avoid giving cast, creators and crew annual salary increases in a practice that has been widely used by basic cable networks and streamers.
Eric Guggenheim serves as showrunner and exec produces alongside Justin Lin, John Davis and John Fox. Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Tim Kang and Amy Hill round out the cast of the series, which streams in-season on Showmax and otherwise on Paramount+.
A live-action film is in development based on the classic arcade game character with an endless appetite, Pac-Man.
The project hails from Bandai Namco Entertainment — the company behind Pac-Man, as well as games like Galaga and Tekken — and Wayfarer Studios, the production company founded by Justin Baldoni and Steve Sarowitz.
First introduced in the U.S. in 1980 — and originally called Puck Man in Japan — Pac-Man became a coin-operated staple. The game is set in mazes where Pac-Man has to eat pellets while being pursued by colorful ghosts as the mazes get progressively more difficult.
Pulse is streaming overseas
BET+ has picked up the U.S. streaming rights to South African-produced sci-fi survival thriller “Pulse.”
“Pulse” tells the explosive story of an electromagnetic pulse that disables a secure building and disrupts the bio-electric signals in everyone’s minds, trapping a group of video game designers and turning each floor into a psychotic battlefield. The show questions whether the modern human race can really survive without the technology that defines our way of life today.
The series shot in South Africa as well as Mauritius.
Doom Patrol and Titans have not been cancelled
DC fans were sent into a flurry the past day as a Variety report circulated that Doom Patrol and Titans, two refugee shows from the DC Universe streaming service, were expected to be cancelled.
But now, it has been updated that piece to reflect that a decision has not been made and that “like all shows,” their renewal will depend on the performance of the upcoming seasons that will be out later this year. I think fans were freaked out about maybe even those seasons being not allowed to air, given that anything seems possible after WB killed its finished Batgirl movie in order to take the tax writedown. Nothing feels safe, even if so far, Batgirl and one Kevin Smith project appear to be the only confirmed casualties under the new WB Discovery management.
But even if Titans and Doom Patrol are safe for now, I would be somewhat surprised if that continued into the future, and for me personally, I do expect probably Doom Patrol, and possibly Titans to be canceled as WB tries to rein in its variety of DC universes they have running, whether that’s deserved or not.
Paramount+ and Nickelodeon tagged on another project
Chris Miller is set to direct Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation’s untitled Smurfs musical movie. The announcement will be made during the Paramount and Nick presentation at Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
South Park‘s Pam is writing the LAFIG Belgium and IMPS production which is set for release on Dec. 20, 2024.
More Paramount+ for viewers
Sylvester Stallone is making the jump to streaming. Paramount+ has released the first teaser for “Tulsa King,” the new crime drama from “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, featuring Stallone in the central role.
Stallone, in the first regular TV role of his career, plays Dwight Manfredi, a New York Mafia head who finally gets out of jail after a 25-year sentence. Upon his release, he’s unceremoniously relocated by his boss to Tulsa, Okla. to establish criminal operations there. Stuck in a new location with zero existing connections and with no support from his Mafia family, Manfredi slowly builds a crew of unlikely allies to establish his own criminal empire.
“Tulsa King” premieres with its first two episodes Nov. 13, followed by weekly episode drops.
The Real Housewives is expanding to Cape Town
It began over 16 years ago in the affluent Californian enclave of Orange County, and since then, The Real Housewives franchise has gone on to achieve global success with 21 series internationally.
Locally, we've been introduced to wealthy wives and their lavish lifestyles in the RHOD (Real Housewives of Durban) and the RHOJ (Real Housewives of Johannesburg).
So it's really no surprise that The Real Housewives of Cape Town would follow.
From 10 July on Mzansi Magic fans of the show will be introduced to the seven 'housewives' who front the Cape Town series.
A while back, I did a story on Can Love Become Money's Turkish counterpart As Die Skoen Pas and the point I made in all of this it's not about hating a duplicate but more on awareness to one's surroundings and as mentioned not everyone will like the same things or at least in a certain structure.
On today's agenda we have Mucize Doctor (Miracle Doctor known to South Africans as Dokter Ali) is a 2019 medical drama that follows the antics of a doctor who suffers from autism. As a child, he was discovered to have a genius-level memory and keen spatial skills which gave him the title of Miracle Doctor.
But the story was inspired by none other than KBS's The Good Doctor (Gut Dakteo) which won many accolades during its run in 2013 for Best Actor, Best Couple, Best Drama and even got plaque of recognition for creating awareness about autism and how socially challenged individuals can contribute to society.
The success lead to several regional adaptations including America's The Good Doctor from ABC which is one of the longest adaptations currently in its fifth season with a sixth scheduled for release in future. This version was produced by David Shore who went on to create the medical drama, House.
Other adaptations include the one currently seen on eExtra, the Japanese adaptation Guddo Dokuta and most recent Hong Kong series, The People I Have Loved for the character Dr. Koo Hei-sun.
In the end, The Good Doctor's legacy lives on with these regional versions and it doesn't seem like the journey for this autistic doctor will be stopping anytime soon.
Until Further Notice DStv customers have until the end of May to tune into Dokter Ali on eExtra thereafter they'll either have to get Openview or wait to view them on e.tv. As far as replacements go HONEY and Via duplicate channel could be added on Family and Access packages.
As mentioned earlier, eExtra's offering is regarded as local at this point if MultiChoice were to redirect audiences to kykNET and Mzansi Wethu for something "similar".
Rowan Atkinson and Netflix partner up on new series
Netflix has teamed up with the legendary Mr Bean star Rowan Atkinson for a mini-series titled Man vs. Bee. The streaming giant shared the first poster of the highly anticipated series, which will feature the British comedy giant in the lead, and it is set for global release on June 24, 2022. The series will also reunite Atkinson with William Davies as writers; the two have previously worked together in Atkinson’s Johnny English trilogy.
The series has been directed by David Kerr, who was also the director of Johnny English Strikes Again. His other directorial credits include Fresh Meat, Inside No. 9, Webb Look and That Mitchell.
The series’ synopsis reads: “A man finds himself at war with a bee while housesitting a luxurious mansion. Who will win, and what irreparable damage will be done in the process?” The 10-part mini-series will have a runtime of only 10 minutes per episode.
Lionsgate reportedly rebooting Blair's Witch
One of the most iconic horrors of the last half-century, 1999's The Blair Witch Project kick-started the ever-creepy found-footage genre and redefined movie marketing strategies while it was at it.
Grainy, hand-held videotaping aside, most terrifying of all about The Blair Witch Project was that it was promoted as being real-life footage left behind by missing film students, meaning 90s audiences thought what they were witnessing in cinemas was 100% real.
What’s more, the hair-raising flick was filmed on a budget of around $20,000 but recouped approximately $250,000,000.
As is often the way, later Blair Witch reboots were less successful, with both 2000’s Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 and 2016’s Blair Witch being panned by critics.
The Goldbergs shocking renewal
The Goldbergs, which recently hit the 200-episode mark, will keep going as ABC has renewed the family comedy for a 10th season.
The renewal caps a trying year for The Goldbergs, which follows the challenges, ups, downs, twists and turns in the life of the chaotic but loving titular family during the Reagan era. In the past 13 months, the comedy lost two core cast members: George Segal, who died in March 2021 of complications from bypass surgery, and Jeff Garlin, who exited in December following multiple misconduct allegations and HR investigations.
The Goldbergs opened its current ninth season with the TV family paying tribute to late Albert “Pops” Solomon, who was played by Segal.
One chapter of the NCIS franchise may be closing, with the LA team possibly set to suspend operation . Currently nearing the end of its 13th season, fans hoping for a Season 14 renewal for NCIS: Los Angeles may be left upset, as series star Eric Christian Olsen recently revealed on social media that the hit CBS series is in its "final season."
Olsen, who has starred as LAPD-NCIS Liaison Officer Martin "Marty" Deeks since 2010, shared the shocking revelation back on Dec. 31, just days ahead of the show's return from a brief holiday hiatus. Sharing a screenshot of his character in action, Olsen hyped up the episode, writing, "we about to get back into it." However, a closer look at the caption revealed potentially concerning news for NCIS: Los Angeles , the actor adding in a string of hashtags, "the final season," seemingly suggesting that NCIS: Los Angeles has been canceled and will not return for another season.
NCIS: Los Angeles premiered back in 2009 as the first spinoff in the NCIS franchise. The series follows the Los Angeles-based Office of Special Projects (OSP), an elite division of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that specializes in undercover assignments.
Currently in production, The Little Prince and Friends will air on France Télévisions, WDR (Germany), RAI (Italy) and Gloob (Brazil) in 2023.
The 52 x 11-minute series is aimed at four- to seven-year-olds and will see the Little Prince set off on a spaceship with two kids from Earth to explore the universe and its inhabitants. The concept was created by Simon Nicholson (PJ Masks) , and Bidibul Productions is producing the series with ON. The Little Prince and Friends was announced as part of ON’s new slate earlier this year , and it’s one of the prodco’s first development projects since former WarnerMedia France head of kids channels Julien Borde joined as EVP, head of television and chief content officer.
ON and the Saint-Exupéry-d’Agay Estate have worked together in the past on 3D-animated movie The Little Prince, which was released in French theaters in 2015. The novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was first published in 1943, and has since sold 140 million copies worldwide in 301 languages, making it one of the bestselling and most translated books ever published.
Leon Schuster brings the bones back to the big screen
South Africans are laughing their heads off as the new trailer for blockbuster film Mr. Bones 3: Son of Bones, has just released. Featuring the beloved comedy pair Leon Schuster and Alfred “Shorty” Ntombela, the sidesplitting trailer shows the popular duo return, this time defending Kuvukiland from unscrupulous oil-diggers and treasure hunters. The film features a stellar cast including Tumi Morake, Sans Moonsammy, Daniel Janks, Sthandile Nkosi, Jay Anstey, and Jerry Mofokeng. Tobie Cronje and Bouwer Bosch feature in delightful cameo appearances.
Sixty years ago, in an obscure corner of Africa, the only survivor of a light aircraft crash was a baby boy. Perhaps it was the miracle of his survival that gave him the gift of “sight”, and he became a Sangoma, the seer of the Kuvuki tribe, interpreting the wishes of The Great One through the throwing of the bones. Hence his name, Bones (Schuster). Today, at an advanced age but still fit in mind and body, his mission is to pass on his wisdom to his son, Mathambo (Ntombela), and guide him into manhood, a mission doomed to fail because of both of their obsessive personalities.
The storyline of Mr. Bones 3: Son of Bones begins at the turn of the last century when we witness the burying of the Kruger millions by two Boer soldiers, who then kill each other through idiotic greed, leaving the Kruger millions hidden in a graveyard in Kuvukiland. Now, in the present, a scrawny businessman named Alvin (Moonsammy) and his Texan engineer partner named Jack (Janks), together with their beautiful guide, Gabrielle (Anstey) are plotting to mine for oil in the pristine land which would leave it an oily mess. Bones and Mathambo must devise a way to outsmart the opinionated Westerners. Of course, as their plan unfolds, so do many other unexpected twists and turns, with hilarious effect.
Mr. Bones 3: Son of Bones was produced in collaboration with M-Net and Film Chrome, with support from the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition and the National Empowerment Fund. The film is locally distributed by Filmfinity Pty (Ltd.) and will be released in South African cinemas on April 15th, 2022.
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Next Level Chef: Fifteen chefs compete in a series of timed cooking challenges, divided into three teams under the guidance and judgment of Ramsay, Arrington, and Blais. In each episode, chefs are assigned to cook in one of three kitchens stacked on top of each other.
The Cleaning Lady: Thony De La Rosa, a Cambodian medical doctor, whose son Luca is diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening immunodeficiency disorder. Leaving her husband Marco back in the Philippines, Thony goes to the United States in search of urgent medical treatment for her son, but when the only matching bone marrow donor backs out and her visa expires, Thony finds herself trapped in Las Vegas, forced to support her son by working as a cleaning lady alongside her Filipino sister-in-law Fiona.
Pivoting: After the death of their friend Colleen, three friends, Amy, Jodie and Sarah decide that life is short and they must "pivot" their lives in new directions. As they each make impulsive choices in an attempt to find happiness, it strengthens their friendship.
Good Sam: Heart surgeon Dr. Samantha Griffith (Sophia Bush) becomes the top surgeon at Lakeshore Sentinel Hospital after her boss and father, Dr. Rob Griffith (Jason Isaacs), falls into a coma. Her life becomes complicated when he awakens and wants to resume surgery, which means Samantha would be supervising him.
How I Met Your Father: The 10-episode series tells the story about how Hilary Duff's character Sophie tells her son about how she met dad in the year 2021.
Promised Land: It revolves around two Latino families looking for wealth and power in the Sonoma Valley wine country.
The Gilded Age: Set in 1882, Young Marian Brook moves from rural Pennsylvania to New York.
March: An eight-episode docu-series featuring the Prairie View A&M University marching band, The Marching Storm.
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