"Winning Time" renewed / Whoopi Goldberg joins "Anansi Boys" / UK's Channel 4 for sale / Apple grabs "The White Darkness"

Plus the weekend calendar, Dern joins "Lonely Planet," "The Crown" prequel series, "Russian Doll" S2, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network April 08, 2022

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HBO renewed the sports drama series "Winning Time," chronicling the Los Angeles Lakers franchise during the 1980s, for a second season. The first season is currently airing on HBO and streaming on HBO Max. More: Season 1 follows new team owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) in 1979 and 1980, the rookie season of his star recruit, Earvin "Magic" Johnson (Quincy Isaiah). The show is based on Jeff Pearlman's book "Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s." HBO has optioned Pearlman's follow-up book, "Three Ring Circus," about the Lakers' Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal era, should the show run that long. Max Borenstein ("The Terror") co-created the series and serves as showrunner; Adam McKay executive produces and directed the pilot. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Whoopi Goldberg joined the cast of Amazon's upcoming "Anansi Boys" adaptation as Bird Woman. The series is based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, about a young man named Charlie Nancy who discovers that he has a long-lost twin brother, and that their estranged father was the trickster god, Anansi. More: Malachi Kirby will star in the series as both Charlie Nancy and his brother, Spider; Delroy Lindo plays Anansi. In the novel, "Bird Woman" is the God of Birds, and the embodiment of birdkind, who was long ago betrayed by Anansi. Other actors cast as the series' line-up of animal gods include Hakeem Kae-Kasim as Tiger; Emmanuel Ighodaro as Lion; Cecilia Noble as Elephant; Ayanna Witter-Johnson as Snake; and Don Gilet as Monkey. VARIETY

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WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, APRIL 8 ALL THE OLD KNIVES: 2022 thriller film, based on the novel by Olen Steinhauer, starring Chris Pine as a former CIA intelligence officer who reunites with an old colleague and lover (Thandiwe Newton) in Vienna, hoping to finally determine whether or not she was a double agent. Laurence Fishburne and Jonathan Pryce co-star; Janus Metz Pederson ("Borg vs. McEnroe") directed. [Amazon] DO, RE & MI – BIRDIE BOWL CONCERT: Animated musical special spun off from the Prime Video kids series. The voice cast includes Kristen Bell, Jackie Tohn, and Luke Youngblood. [Amazon] A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW: The comedy series returns for a third season on Friday. The core cast includes creator Robin Thede, Gabrielle Dennis, Ashley Nicole Black, and Skye Townsend; Season 3 guests include Ava DuVernay, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Raven-Symoné, Wanda Sykes, David Alan Grier, and many others. [HBO Max] THE NIGHT HOUSE: 2021 horror drama from director David Bruckner ("The Ritual"), starring Rebecca Hall as a recent widow who experiences strange, inexplicable phenomena while staying in the remote lake house designed by her late husband. Sarah Goldberg, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Evan Jonigkeit co-star. [HBO Max] HBO LATINO SHORT FILM COMPETITION WINNERS: Three films that won the annual HBO competition will debut on HBO Max today. The dark comedy "Crabs in a Barrel" stars Ashley Alvarez as a jaded writer who attends a congratulatory event for a frenemy. "When You Clean a Stranger's Home" stars Katy Atkinson as a first-generation high school student who works part-time cleaning homes with her mother. The third selection is titled "Mi Casa." [HBO Max] WOKE: Lamorne Morris stars in the satirical Hulu comedy series as Keef Knight, a Black cartoonist who once shied away from political controversy, but becomes an activist following a violent run-in with the police. Blake Anderson, T. Murph, Sasheer Zamata, and J.B. Smoove co-star. Season 2 debuts today. [Hulu] iCARLY: The "iCarly" revival series -- starring Miranda Cosgrove as a former internet star returning to her dormant video channel -- is back for a second season. Jerry Trainor, Nathan Kress, Laci Mosley, and Jaidyn Triplett co-star. Cosgrove's former "Drake & Josh" co-star Josh Peck makes guest appearances this season. [Paramount+] GREEN EGGS AND HAM: The animated comedy series is based on the beloved Dr. Seuss book of the same name, and stars Adam DeVine as a relentlessly upbeat lover of the titular dish who befriends a frustrated failed inventor (Michael Douglas). The new second season was loosely inspired by Seuss' "The Butter Battle Book." The voice cast also includes Keegan-Michael Key, Diane Keaton, Ilana Glazer, Patricia Clarkson, Darren Criss, and Rita Moreno. [Netflix] METAL LORDS: 2022 coming-of-age comedy film from writer D.B. Weiss ("Game of Thrones") and director Peter Sollett ("Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"). Jaeden Martell and Adrian Greensmith star as two metal-loving teens who recruit a skilled cello player (Isis Hainsworth) to join their band. [Netflix] BARBIE: IT TAKES TWO: Debut animated series, based on the iconic Mattel toy line, and following up on the 2021 movie "Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams." The show follows the adventures of two best friends -- both named Barbie -- as they attend performing arts school together in New York City. [Netflix] ÉLITE: The Spanish teen drama series -- set at a prestigious private Madrid high school -- returns for a fifth season on Friday. The cast includes Itzan Escamilla, Omar Ayuso, Claudia Salas, Goergina Amorós, and Carla Díaz. [Netflix] TIGER & BUNNY 2: Season 1 of the popular Japanese anime series aired on TV in 2011; the long-awaited second season comes to Netflix today. The action is set in a world where superpowered individuals are celebrities who compete on TV for the title "King of Heroes." [Netflix] YAKSHA: RUTHLESS OPERATIONS: 2022 action thriller film from South Korea, about a morally upstanding prosecutor (Sol Kyung-gu) on assignment in China who finds himself in conflict with a deadly covert operative (Park Hae-soo). [Netflix] DANCING ON GLASS (LAS NIÑAS DE CRISTAL): Dramatic thriller from Spain about two ballerinas (María Pedraza and Paula Losada), both under immense pressure, who escape into their own fantasy world, free from the demands and expectations of others. Jota Linares ("Unbridled") wrote and directed. [Netflix] DIRTY LINES: Period Dutch-language drama series, set in 1980s Amsterdam, set at an early phone sex business operated by two very different brothers. Pieter Bart Korthuis ("Vechtershart") created the series and wrote the scripts. [Netflix] PINECONE & PONY: Debut animated kids series from DreamWorks, based on writer and artist Kate Beaton's 2015 book "The Princess and the Pony," about the fantastical adventures of "two independent warriors." Beaton is on board as a producer; "Go Away, Unicorn!" and "Gary and His Demons" vet Stephanie Kaliner serves as showrunner. [Apple TV+] SATURDAY, APRIL 9 THE REPAIR SHOP: The BBC reality series follows furniture restorer Jay Blades and his team as they work on beloved family heirlooms and antiques. Season 5 comes to Discovery+ in the US today. [Discovery+] AMERICAN SICARIO: 2021 direct-to-VOD crime drama starring Philippe Haddad as an American gangster who makes a number of dangerous enemies by entering the drug business in Mexico. Maurice Compte, Maya Stojan, and Danny Trejo co-star. [Hulu] MY LIBERATION NOTES: Debut drama series from South Korea about three siblings (Lee Min-ki, Kim Ji-won, and Lee El) who dream of escaping their drab and meaningless lives, and the mysterious perpetually-drunk stranger (Son Suk-ku) who helps them to find their purpose. [Netflix] OUR BLUES: Ensemble drama series, also from South Korea, relating the intersecting stories of everyday people whose chaotic lives have, for various reasons, led them back to Jeju Island. [Netflix] SUNDAY, APRIL 10 61st STREET: Debut AMC legal drama series from creator Peter Moffat ("Your Honor") starring Tosin Cole as a promising Black high school athlete who becomes the target of corrupt Chicago police and prosecutors after being arrested as a supposed gang member. Courtney B. Vance, Bentley Green, Holt McCallany, and Aunjanue Ellis co-star; actor Michael B. Jordan executive produced. [AMC+ and ALLBLK] WOULD I LIE TO YOU?: Debut American remake of the long-running British comedy game show, in which competing panels of celebrities and comedians attempt to separate true claims, anecdotes, and facts from fiction. Matt Walsh and Sabrina Jalees serve as "team captains"; Aasif Mandvi hosts. Episodes air on CW on Saturdays and hit the website and app on Sundays. [CW] MASTERS OF ILLUSION: The unscripted series features theatrical performances by magicians and illusionists, in front of a live crowd. Season 8 debuted Saturday night on CW. Dean Cain hosts. [CW] THE HATING GAME: 2021 romantic comedy feature, based on the novel by Sally Thorne, starring Lucy Hale as an ambitious and cutthroat publishing executive who's determined to score a big new promotion. But as her competition with her chief rival (Austin Stowell) heats up, she frustratingly starts finding him more attractive. [Hulu]

Deadline names ITV, Comcast, Discovery, and Paramount as the most likely potential buyers of the UK broadcaster Channel 4. The UK government is in the midst of an effort to privatize the network, which was originally established in 1982. More: It's presently unclear whether or not purchasing Channel 4 will transfer the rights to all of its programming, dating back to 1982, to the new owner. Vivendi was also named by Deadline as a dark horse candidate to scoop up the network. The government has valued Channel 4 at around $1.3 billion, though the privatization plans have proved somewhat controversial. ITV is currently the UK's largest commercial broadcaster; Comcast already owns the European media conglomerate Sky. DEADLINE

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Apple ordered a limited series based on the best-selling non-fiction book "The White Darkness" by author David Grann. Tom Hiddleston will star as adventurer Henry Worsley, a former British Army officer who embarked on an epic 2009 expedition, retracing Ernest Shackleton's footsteps in the Antarctic. More: Grann's book is based on Worsley's own firsthand account of his journey. The series was developed by Soo Hugh ("Pachinko"), who will executive produce and serve as showrunner. Hiddleston will also star in the Apple TV+ limited series "The Essex Serpent," based on the novel by Sarah Perry, which debuts on May 13. TV LINE

Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth will co-star in the Netflix romantic comedy feature "Lonely Planet." The film comes from writer/director Susannah Grant, who collaborated on the Netflix limited series "Unbelievable" and wrote the Oscar-nominated script for "Erin Brockovich." More: Though no specific plot details were released, the film is described as "a love story set in Morocco." Dern won her first Oscar in 2020 for her supporting role in the Netflix drama "Marriage Story." 3dot Productions, which developed the project, also produced the upcoming Netflix thriller series "Anatomy of a Scandal," which debuts next week. DEADLINE

Deadline reported that Netflix and producers Left Bank have entered early discussions about a potential "The Crown" prequel series. The royal drama series' 5th season will debut later this year; it's expected to end with Season 6. More: According to Deadline, a potential prequel series would likely cover the reign of Queen Victoria, the UK's longest-serving monarch prior to Queen Elizabeth. Season 5 will star Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth, Dominic West as Prince Charles, and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. Netflix declined to comment on the news, which was first reported by the UK newspaper The Daily Mail. DEADLINE

Netflix released a new trailer for the second season of the sci-fi comedy-drama series "Russian Doll." The new episodes find Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) and Alan (Charlie Barnett) slipping chaotically through different time periods, after escaping the time loop from Season 1. More: Lyonne executive produces the series, and also stepped into the role of showrunner this year. New Season 2 cast members include Sharlto Copley, Annie Murphy, and Carolyn Michelle Smith. The new episodes arrive on April 20. POLYGON

Peacock ordered a new unscripted series based on the book "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning" by Margareta Magnusson. The series will feature an advisor helping people to organize their homes, thoughts, and relationships as they prepare for the end of their lives. More: The goal apparently is for people to declutter their lives and legacies, so they leave only valued mementos and personal stories behind for their families, friends, and loved ones. During the process, subjects are also encouraged to revisit highlights from their lives, recall who they once were, and think about how they'd like to be remembered. The show's "Swedish death cleaner" has not been cast. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

QUICK HITS Angela Bassett joined the cast of the Netflix fantasy film "Damsel," starring Millie Bobby Brown as a princess who discovers that her kingdom plans to sacrifice her to a sacred cave dragon. This week's episode of "The Simpsons" includes the show's first-ever on-screen use of American Sign Language, and features its first-ever deaf voice actor, John Autry II. Showrunner Liz Meriwether spoke with Entertainment Weekly about writing the concluding episode of Hulu's "The Dropout," and teased the Burning Man sequence we never got to see. "Pen15" vet Maya Erskine will take over the lead role in Amazon's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" reboot that was vacated by Phoebe Waller-Bridge; the show's star and co-creator Donald Glover discussed the casting change in a new feature in Interview. Fox renewed the freshman drama series "The Cleaning Lady" -- starring Elodie Yung as an undocumented immigrant who takes a job for a crime syndicate -- for a second season. The next installment of Netflix's true-crime "Conversations with a Killer" franchise -- dedicated to John Wayne Gacy -- arrives on April 20. FX ordered an untitled half-hour comedy pilot from "American Auto" vet Lauren Ludwig, about a group of queer twenty-somethings who are forced by an unlikely figure to finally unpack their emotional baggage. Carla Woodcock ("Free Rein") and Callum Kerr ("Monarch") will co-star in the one-hour Hulu musical drama pilot "History of a Pleasure Seeker," based on the novel by Richard Mason. Netflix released a trailer for its first-ever Nigerian original series, the four-part crime thriller "Blood Sisters." Netflix dropped a new trailer for "365 Days: This Day," a sequel to the 2020 Polish erotic thriller "365 Days" from directors Barbara Białowąs and Tomasz Mandes; the new film arrives on April 27.

Lon Harris is the writer and editor of Inside Streaming and was the very first person to ever write an Inside newsletter. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and also writes about TV and film for Fandom, Screen Junkies, Rotten Tomatoes, Gamma Ray and others. Plus he has a Game of Thrones podcast called "Casterly Talk" and competes on The Movie Trivia Schmoedown as "The Professor." Editor Jonathan Harris is a writer and editor who lives in Los Angeles.

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