‘Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl’ Special to Premiere on Disney+ in December (TV News Roundup)
Disney+ announced that new original special “Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl,” with an introduction by Lin-Manuel Miranda, will launch Wednesday, Dec. 28, on the streamer. The two-night concert event will take place at the Hollywood Bowl on November 11 and 12. The special comes from Disney Branded Television and will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions.
The original voice cast of “Encanto” will reunite at the Bowl, including Stephanie Beatriz (as Mirabel), Adassa (as Dolores), Carolina Gaitán (as Pepa), Jessica Darrow (as Luisa), Diane Guerrero (as Isabela), Mauro Castillo (as Félix), Angie Cepeda (as Julieta) and Olga Merediz (as Abuela Alma). The event will also feature special guests, including Colombian stars Carlos Vives and Andrés Cepeda. The live-to-film concert experience, including an 80-person orchestra, 50 dancers and special effects, will center on the characters and songs of Disney Animation’s “Encanto.”
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“Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl” will be directed by Chris Howe and Jamal Sims with production design by Misty Buckley. Sally Wood is Fulwell 73 Productions’ creative showrunner, with Gabe Turner, Emma Conway and Lou Fox serving as executive producers. The Hollywood Bowl’s visual transformation into the Casita is handled by NorthHouse. The concert event is produced by Fulwell 73 Productions, Live Nation-Hewitt Silva and Disney Concerts, along with AMP Worldwide.
Conductor Anthony Parnther will lead the full orchestra performing the film’s score and songs live-to-picture, along with the cast and special guest artists performing the film’s songs live. A Colombian band, featuring musicians from the original soundtrack, will accompany the orchestra.
Also in today’s television news:
DATES
The premiere date for the Showtime drama series “Your Honor” has been pushed back a month and into 2023, with its new premiere date set for Sunday, January 13. The 10-episode second season of the Bryan Cranston-led courtroom drama follows his character Michael Desiato, a New Orleans judge whose career is called into question when his teenage son kills the son of a crime boss in a hit-and-run. Michael Stuhlbarg plays crime boss Jimmy Baxter, with Hope Davis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Andrene Ward Hammond, Keith Machekanyanga, Lilli Kay, Jimi Stanton and Benjamin Flores Jr. rounding out the cast. Slated guest stars for season two include Rosie Perez, Margo Martindale and Amy Landecker.
The show is executive produced by Robert and Michelle King and Liz Glotzer, with Joey Hartstone serving as showrunner and executive producer for season two. Cranston and James Degus (“All the Way”) executive produce the series for Moonshot Entertainment. CBS Studios produces the show in association with King Size Productions. Rob Golenberg, Alon Aranya, Ninio, Mashiach, Ram Landes, Ron Eilon and Danna Stern also serve as executive producers.
EXECUTIVES
BET announced that Simone Oliver has joined the company as senior VP of digital content and Jason Odom as senior VP of digital operations. Both will report to Kimberly Paige, exec VP and chief marketing officer of BET.
As senior VP of digital content, Oliver will lead content across BET’s digital platforms, including BET.com and the company’s social channels, as well as oversee the BET editorial, video, branded solutions, digital creative and social teams. She will be responsible for honing BET’s voice across all platforms.
Odom joins BET as the senior VP of digital operations and in his role, will oversee content monetization opportunities, audience growth and BET’s digital platforms. He will work closely with Oliver and Paige to identify new revenue and content streams.
FIRST LOOKS
Fox and Sony Pictures Television have shared a first look for their upcoming drama anthology series “Accused,” which stars Michael Chiklis, Abigail Breslin and others. Each episode of the series will explore a different crime in a different city.
Additional cast in the series includes Rachel Bilson, Whitney Cummings, Jack Davenport, Margo Martindale, Molly Parker, Rhea Perlman, Wendell Pierce and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Marlee Matlin, Billy Porter, Tazbah Rose Chavez and Chiklis were all tapped to direct episodes for the show. The series is based on the BBC’s crime anthology of the same name, and comes from Howard Gordon, who has been behind shows like “24” and “Homeland.” There will be 15 episodes for the show’s initial run, each telling stories of crime and punishment. The series will premiere on the network on January 22, 2023.
Check out the first look below.
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Fox has shared a teaser for upcoming crime series “Alert,” from executive producers Jamie Foxx and John Eisendrath. Starring Scott Caan and Dania Ramirez, the procedural drama centers on the Philadelphia Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit where every episode chronicles a new missing persons case. The series stars play a divorced couple who, throughout the series, uncover the truth about their long-lost son.
Additional cast for the series includes Adeola Role, Ryan Broussard and Graham Verchere. Eisendrath serves as showrunner while additional executive producers include Datari Turner, J.R. Orci, Adam Kane and Michael Offer. Sony Pictures Television and Fox Entertainment co-produce the series.
The series premiere is set for January 8, following Fox’s NFL football programming. Check out the teaser below.
CASTING
Grace Duah has been upped to a series regular for season two of “Gossip Girl,” HBO Max announced. Duah plays Shan Barnes, a free-spirited best friend to Zoya. Season 2 will reveal pivotal details about her character as well as romances and missed connections,
Outside of acting, Duah previously worked as a staffer behind the scenes for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” She is represented by Seven Summits and Buchwald.
Season 2 of the series will premiere on December 1.
INITIATIVES
The CW debuted a new public service announcement in honor of Vote Early Day as part of its ongoing CW Vote Ready campaign in partnership with Vote.org.
The new video spot features on-screen talent across different CW shows encouraging the audience to go to Vote.org and get registered to vote, check if they are registered to vote in their state and obtain a mail-in ballot, if applicable. The spot will run on the network’s digital and social media platforms, including The CW App and CWTV.com.
PODCASTS
Apple TV+ announced a new podcast series titled “Little America: The Official Podcast,” hosted by Kumail Nanjiani. Complementing the upcoming second season for the Apple TV+ series of the same name, the podcast will be a nonfiction exploration of the immigrant experience in America, premiering Thursday, November 3.
Each episode will feature a different journalist who shares their unique story. Planned guests include journalists Shereen Marisol Meraji, Avery Trufelman, Hannah Kingsley-Ma, Albert Samaha and more, with subjects including a Vietnamese mentalist, a Yugoslavian wedding officiant, a Japanese food engineer, an Ethiopian dog trainer and State Representative Angelica Rubio, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, among others.
“Little America: The Official Podcast” is produced in conjunction with the Vox Media Podcast Network. Executive producers are Nishat Kurwa and Josh Bearman.
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