‘First Wives Club’ Season 2 to Premiere in July on BET Plus (TV News Roundup)
The second season of “First Wives Club” will launch July 15 on BET Plus.
In the second season, the pressures of new jobs and news loves are introduced as Bree (Michelle Buteau) and Gary (RonReaco Lee) deep dive into rekindling their marriage, which is complicated by Bree’s big promotion and the introduction of a sexy hospital administrator. Meanwhile, Ari (Ryan Michelle Bathé) struggles with trying to balance working in Los Angeles temporarily and her long-distance relationship with David (Mark Tallman) as he’s busy fulfilling his first term as State Senator. And after starting her own record label, Hazel (Jill Scott) attempts to sign her first artist while returning from her world tour with a sexy plus one. At Ari’s request, Hazel and Bree welcome a new friend, Jayla (Michelle Mitchenor), into their clique.
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Season 2 finds the newly minted quartet navigating the pressure of their professional lives and evolving romantic relationships through the enviable bonds of their friendship. The 10-episode season will also star Essence Atkins, Gary Dourdan, Jordan Carlos and Mikhail Keize. “First Wives Club” is executive produced and written by Tracy Oliver.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
DATES
Peacock announced that its upcoming eight-episode limited series “Dr. Death” will stream July 15. Based on Wondery’s podcast, the series is inspired by the true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a former neurosurgeon accused of injuring, maiming or maiming 33 patients in two years and later sentenced to life imprisonment in one such case. Joshua Jackson stars in the titular role and is joined in the cast by Alec Baldwin, Christian Slater and AnnaSophia Robb as two fellow doctors and a Dallas prosecutor, respectively, who work to bring Duntsch to justice. Grace Gummer also stars in the series from showrunner Patrick Macmanus. Macmanus executive produces via his Littleton Road Productions banner, while odd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Taylor Latham executive produce via Escape Artists, and Hernan Lopez and Marshall Lewy executive produce for Wondery. (This series is under Macmanus’ overall deal with UCP.) Directors on the series include Maggie Kiley, who also executive produces the first two episodes, Jennifer Morrison and So Yong Kim. Watch a new trailer below.
The CW Network announced its Fall 2021 slate: “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” returns on Oct. 1 at 8 p.m., with “Nancy Drew” Season 3 premiering on Oct. 8 at 9 p.m. New episodes of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” will premier with back-to-back episodes on Oct. 9 beginning at 8 p.m., followed by the second season premiere of “World’s Funniest Animals” at 9 p.m. “Legends of the Hidden Temple” will debut on Oct. 10 at 8 p.m., followed by the Season 2 premiere of “Killer Camp” at 9 p.m. Season 7 of “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” will premiere Oct. 13 at 8 p.m., with the third season premiere of “Batwoman” airing Oct. 13 at 9 p.m., while “Legacies” Season 4 premieres on Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. A few weeks later, “All American” Season 4 premieres on Oct. 25 at 8 p.m., followed by the series premiere of the “4400” reimagining at 9 p.m. Finally, Season 2 of “Walker” will debut on Oct. 28 at 8 p.m.; the eighth season of “The Flash” and the sixth season of “Riverdale” both start their new seasons on Nov. 16, at 8 and 9 p.m., respectively.
FIRST LOOKS
Apple TV Plus released a trailer for Season 2 of “Central Park,” premiering on June 25. In the animated musical comedy series’ second season, the Tillerman family continues living in and caring for Manhattan’s biggest park. Molly (now voiced by Emmy Raver-Lampman) navigates adolescence, Cole (Tituss Burgess) is embarrassed by a humiliating moment at school, Paige (Kathryn Hahn) continues to pursue the mayor’s corruption story and Owen (Leslie Odom Jr.) juggles managing the park, his staff and his family. Bitsy (Stanley Tucci) makes progress in her evil plot to claim Central Park as her own, with Helen (Daveed Diggs) by her side, still wondering whether she’s made it into Bitsy’s will. Meanwhile, the friendly, fumbling narrator Birdie (Josh Gad) guides the audience along the way. “Central Park” is written and executive produced by Loren Bouchard alongside Gad and Nora Smith. Sanjay Shah, Halsted Sullivan, Janelle Momary-Neely, Jon Liebman, Marc Gurvitz and Robin Schwartz also executive produce. The series is produced for Apple by 20th Television. Watch the trailer below.
Paramount Plus released a teaser for the new animated comedy series “The Harper House,” premiering this fall. The 10-episode series follows an overconfident matriarch as she navigates moving her family from the rich side to the poor side of a small town in Arkansas. “The Harper House” stars Rhea Seehorn, Jason Lee, Tatiana Maslany and Ryan Flynn, with VyVy Nguyen, Lance Krall, Roberta Colindrez, Tessa Skara, John “Spud” McConnell, Chris Diamantopoulos, Joanna Hausmann, Gabourey Sidibe, Nyima Funk and Gary Anthony Williams also voicing characters in the series. Created by Brad Neely, who executive produces Katie Krentz, the series is produced by CBS Eye Animation Productions in association with 219 Productions.
Fox released a clip of “9-1-1”’s Jennifer Love Hewitt’s appearance on an earthquake-themed episode of “Lego Masters,” airing tonight at 8 p.m. Hosted by Will Arnett, the show tests contestants’ Lego-building skills throughout a series of unique challenges. Hewitt will join Arnett to determine which designs perform the best and will pass the Lego “brickster scale” rating system. Watch the clip below.
AWARDS
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced that they will induct award-winning journalist Lester Holt into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame for his contributions to broadcast television. He will accept the honor at the 2021 Nab Show’s welcoming event on Oct. 11 at 9 a.m. Holt currently serves as the anchor and managing editor of NBC’s flagship news broadcast “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.” He has also served as principal anchor of “Dateline NBC” since September 2011 and leads special reports, breaking news and primetime political coverage for NBC News. He also anchors the “Nightly News Kids Edition,” a digital newscast launched at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to inform and inspire children. Before joining NBC News in 2000, Holt worked at local broadcast stations WCBS-TV in New York, KCBS-TV (then KNXT) in Los Angeles and WBBM-TV in Chicago as the afternoon and evening news anchor. In 2016, he was named “Journalist of the Year” by the National Association of Black Journalists.
PRODUCTION
Sinking Ship Entertainment and Scott Brothers Entertainment announced that an animated spin-off series of the HGTV series “Property Brothers” is in active development. Titled “Builder Brothers’ Dream Factory,” the 3D-animated series will air on Corus Entertainment’s Treehouse in Canada in 2022. It will follow animated versions of the popular twin renovation experts Drew and Jonathan Scott as 8-year-old boys trying to solve neighborhood problems. Along with their dog Moose and best friends, Mel, Cee-Cee and Aiden, the Builder Brothers will navigate the highs and lows of trying to make the world a better place – one big dream at a time. Sinking Ship’s Carla de Jong and Scott Brothers Entertainment’s Amory Millard will serve as executive producers.
LATE NIGHT
Salma Hayek, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Jessie Ware will appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” while Owen Wilson, Betty Gilpin and Spice featuring Sean Paul and Shaggy will be on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” will have on Dr. Sanja Gupta and Rita Moreno; “Late Night With Seth Meyers” will feature Wendy Williams, Paul Rabil and Stevie Nistor; and Gov. Gavin Newsom and Migos will appear on “The Late Late Show With James Corden.”
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