News

This article contains spoilers for Outer Range season 2.

Many shows in TV history have lived and died by their mysterious nature. Ongoing storylines in classics such as The X-Files, Lost, and Fringe had fans theorizing about main characters’ fates, the creative team’s intentions, or the deeper meaning of it all. Recently, shows such as From, Severance, and Yellowjackets have the same kind of devout following, and the same overarching enigmas that keep audiences coming back for answers.

When looking back at Outer Range’s first season, it’s easy to understand why the show was picked up for a second, and why the show had to come back – to unravel some of those riddles that season one left behind. While the sophomore season might have created more questions than answers, at least some of the puzzles have been solved. But don’t worry, if you’re still feeling out of the loop,...

If the facts don’t rattle you, then surely Painkiller, the new Netflix miniseries about the sketchy rise of OxyContin and the alarming opioid crisis it spawned will. Let’s start with the facts: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 44 people died each day in 2020 “from overdoses involving prescription opioids, totaling more than 16,000 deaths.” Additionally, prescription opioids were involved in nearly 24% of all opioid overdose deaths that year, which was a 16% increase in prescription opioid-involved deaths from 2019 to 2020.

Now, on to Painkiller, the miniseries with director Peter Berg and editor Geofrey Hildrew at the helm. The outing is a fictionalized retelling of the origins and aftermath of America’s opioid crisis, shining the spotlight on the victims, perpetrators, and justice-seekers whose lives were forever altered by the birth of OxyContin.

This might be yet another outing that looks so glaringly at billionaire Richard Sackler,...

Painkiller finally has its arrival date. The limited drama was first announced by Netflix in 2021 with the reveal of its cast. Six episodes were produced for the series, which arrives on August 10th.

Starring Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny, John Rothman, Clark Gregg, Jack Mulhern, Sam Anderson, Ana Cruz Kayne, Brian Markinson, Noah Harpster, John Ales, Johnny Sneed, Tyler Ritter, and Carolina Bartczak, the series tells the story of the opioid crisis.Read More…...

The trailer for Netflix’s new limited series “Painkiller” has arrived.

Inspired by real events based on America’s opioid crisis, the look-ahead clip sees an investigator with the US attorney’s office (Uzo Aduba) look into “how something so legally prescribed could be killing so many people.”

Read More: Uzo Aduba Expecting Her First Child With Husband Robert Sweeting: ‘I Am Beyond Excited’

Uzo Aduba as Edie in episode 102 of “Painkiller”. — Photo: Keri Anderson/Netflix

The official synopsis reads: “A fictionalized retelling of events, ‘Painkiller’ is a scripted limited series that explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin.”

Taylor Kitsch as Glen Kryger, Carolina Bartczak as Lily Kryger in episode 101 of “Painkiller”. — Photo: Keri Anderson/Netflix West Duchovny as Shannon Shaeffer in episode...

Netflix has dropped the official trailer for the new series Painkiller. Starring Matthew Broderick and Uzo Aduba, the series is inspired by the real-life opioid crisis that has plagued America in recent years. The limited series will premiere on Netflix on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. For now, you can get a sneak peek at the show by watching the brand new trailer below.

Per the synopsis, Painkiller is a fictionalized retelling of events that "explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin. [It is an] examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans."

Painkiller is based on the book Pain Killer by Barry Meier and the New Yorker Magazine article "The Family That Built the Empire of Pain" by Patrick Radden Keefe. The...

Painkiller, Netflix’s anticipated and upcoming new limited series about the U.S. opioid crisis, has dropped its first trailer.

The six-episode series releasing Aug. 10 from the EP team of Eric Newman (Narcos, True Story) and director Pete Berg (Friday Night Lights, Spenser Confidential) is inspired by real events amid the country’s opioid crisis and features a cast including Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch (marking a Fnl reunion with Berg), Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny and John Rothman.

Alex Gibney (The Crime of the Century, Going Clear) also executive produces with creators, showrunners and writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood).

The trailer introduces Aduba’s character as Edie, the investigator leading the case against Purdue Pharma, with Broderick playing Richard Sackler, a scion of the billionaire family that controls Purdue and a senior executive at the company.

Sackler explains that human behavior is...

Netflix’s upcoming limited series “Painkiller” is lifting the veil on America’s opioid crisis, investigating the role of one family in making OxyContin “the No. 1 opioid in the country.”

“All of human behavior is essentially comprised of two things: run from pain, run toward pleasure; pain, pleasure,” Matthew Broderick’s Richard Sackler said in the series’ official trailer. “If we place ourselves right there between pain and pleasure, we will never have to worry about money again.”

As the Sackler dynasty’s Purdue Pharma recruits a batch of fresh-faced sales workers who they claim will convince doctors to “take pain seriously,” an investor from the U.S. attorneys office (Uzo Aduba) is determined to take the family responsible for countless deaths down.

“You lie, you hurt people, you go down,” Aduba said. “They are doing the exact same thing as crack dealers but they are getting rewarded it.”

Also...

Netflix has just released an exclusive first look at the new limited series drama that’s due to hit the service later this summer. Painkiller features an all-star cast and deals with one of the many crises that currently plagues our world — the opioid epidemic. The series will feature six episodes that clock in at an hour an episode. It stars an ensemble that includes Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny, and John Rothman.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads,

“A fictionalized retelling of events, Painkiller is a scripted limited series that explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin. An examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans, Painkiller is based on the...

Netflix has unveiled the first look images for “Painkiller,” a new series that explores the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America through a fictional retelling of events.

The six-part limited series, which stars Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, John Rothman and West Duchovny, will premiere on Netflix Aug. 10.

Billed as an “examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans,” the series will spotlight stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin,” per the official logline.

Courtesy of Keri Anderson/Netflix

The scripted series is based on the book of the same name by Barry Meier as well as Patrick Radden Keefe’s article in the New Yorker Magazine titled “The Family That Built the Empire of Pain,” which exposes the Sackler Dynasty’s pivotal role in the opioid epidemic.

Johnny Sneed (13 Reasons Why) and Brenna D’Amico (Descendants) have booked series regular roles in ABC's untitled single-camera comedy pilot from My Name Is Earl executive producer Bobby Bowman, Condé Nast Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment and ABC Studios. Written by Bowman and directed by Ian Fitzgibbon, the Untitled Bobby Bowman Project is inspired by Bowman's childhood growing up with a father with mental illness. The uplifting comedy features a dysfunctional family…...

Recently, CBS served up the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Criminal Minds" episode 5 of season 11. The episode is entitled, "The Night Watch," and it turns out that we're going to see some very interesting stuff take place as a Detroit Graffiti Art crime, prompts the Bau to take investigative action, and more. In the new, 5th episode press release: When Victims Are Incorporated Into Detroit Graffiti Art, The Bau Suspects An Elusive Street Artist Is The Culprit, On "Criminal Minds," Wednesday, Oct. 28. Press release number 2: When the Bau investigates incidents of bodies being incorporated into macabre graffiti art in Detroit, they are going to suspect an elusive-yet-notorious street artist could be the UnSub. Also, Dr. Lewis will struggle to balance her relationship with her fiancé and her work. Guest stars feature: Johnny Sneed (William Cochran), Martina Benedict (Ellen Clark), Tom Wright (Chief Palmer), Mark Meir (Stuart Wallace...

The Stateside Independent film series and the Texas Independent Film Network are co-hosting the Austin premiere of the understated comedy Far Marfa, on Monday, February 25, at the Stateside Theatre. The 7 pm screening is already sold out, but tickets are still available for the 9:30 pm slot. This 2011 Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (Tfpf) recipient film project features original music by local composer Graham Reynolds (Bernie, Before Midnight). Filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.

Writer/director Cory Van Dyke currently resides in Marfa, Texas, the west Texas town where this movie is set. Carter Frazier (Johnny Sneed) is just barely hanging onto an existence in a town where not much is needed much to get by. Without money or a job and a girlfriend who's recently moved out, Carter is desperately in need of a wake-up call, which comes from a brief but life-altering encounter with a stranger...

Carter (Johnny Sneed) is an aspiring music producer who is struggling to establish a career in Marfa, Texas. Well, "struggling" might be too strong of a word to describe Carter -- it is more like he is waiting for his career to establish itself. For now, at least he has beer... On one fateful and dreadfully hungover morning, Carter finds himself in need of a ride home from a party. Enter Steve (Steve Holzer). The proverbial black dog is already at Steve's door, so he is ready to pass along a large painting to someone else...and that lucky someone turns out to be Carter. When Steve turns up dead moments later, Carter becomes the one and only suspect. As part of their investigation, the local police want to see the painting that Steve purportedly gifted to Carter. As luck would have it, that painting has gone missing. It seems...

Supernatural Review, Season 7, Episode 7: “The Mentalists”

Written by Ben Acker & Ben Blacker

Directed by Mike Rohl

Airs Fridays at 9pm (Et) on the CW

This week, on Supernatural: The Universe just won’t let Sam and Dean quit each other, Ellen makes her voice heard, and pretenders shouldn’t play with Ouija boards.

Supernatural has been on a bit of a run, smartly balancing horror and comedy, and that trend continues this week. However, “The Mentalists” succeeds where most of the other episodes this season have failed, with its emotion and look at the Sam and Dean relationship. It also manages to succeed despite the absence of Bobby; Jim Beaver has long been one of the strongest assets to the series, and it’s easy for episodes without him to feel somehow lacking. It’s not a particularly standout episode, but it’s one that feels increasingly solid upon further reflection.

A tourist on a tour bus finds a dressed up skeleton. First on the scene is Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) with lame joke in tow and Mac (Gary Sinise). Stella "How long was that soda?" That was meant to be funny. Mac on the other hand comments it's a "new take on a bitch ride to hell." Wouldn't expect to hear something like that from Mac. Stella thinks perhaps it's an urban legend or a joke shop gag to scare tourists and the skeleton was probably bought from a store. Mac has to describe to her the difference between store bought and an actual skeleton and she's come across how many skeletons during her career that she can't tell the difference. A store bought skeleton would be bleached, have drill marks when assembled. This is brown with no such marks. Mac: "This is a joke I'm not laughing. These bones are real.

After spending untold amounts of cash on hundreds of dramas and comedies — most of which will never make it to your living rooms — the five broadcast networks will begin announcing in New York next week which projects are good enough to earn a coveted fall pickup. (NBC and Fox will present their fall schedule to advertisers on Monday, followed by ABC on Tuesday, CBS on Wednesday and the CW on Thursday).

Buzz is already strong for several projects (for more on the hot ones, click here). But every year, we always wonder what diamond-in-the-rough was left on the cutting room...

And they’re off! Casting is all but completed and production has already begun on scores of pilots for the five broadcast networks. But not every comedy and drama will go the distance. Which project has the right stuff? What pilot already has you feeling like you popped a Lunesta? Check out the mammoth slate for fall consideration. (And remember, all projects are whittled down in late April/early May before the nets present their fall slates to advertisers in New York):

CBS

The Doctor (Rina Mimoun, David Nutter). A mother (Christine Lahti) reconnects with her adult children when...

Comedian Jo Koy has joined the pilot Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea from Warner Bros. Television.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the multicamera comedy is based on Chelsea Handler's autobiographical book about her pre-fame life as a cocktail waitress.

Laura Prepon (That '70s Show) is set to play the lead. Jo Koy will play the bartender at the club where Laura Prepon's character works.

Also, Bonnie Somerville has closed a deal to star in the ABC comedy pilot Other People's Kids, about a middle-aged slacker who gets an insta-family when he falls for a divorced mom (Bonnie Somerville).

Johnny Sneed has already closed a deal to play the ex-husband. And Claire Engler has been cast as one of the kids.

Bonnie Somerville (Cashmere Mafia) has been cast as the female lead in ABC's comedy pilot Other People's Kids. Johnny Sneed (Unhitched) has also been cast in in the pilot, which centers on Adam, a 32-year-old guy with no responsibilities who suddenly finds himself with an insta-family when he falls in love with the little older Michelle (Somerville) who has 2 kids, an ex-husband (Sneed), and ex-in-laws. Julie White has joined the ABC multi-camera comedy pilot Smothered, from Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen. The project centers on young couple Zack (Kyle Howard) and Gillian who find themselves smothered by their two very different sets of parents. White will play Gillian's scrappy mom who is a real mother hen. The Tony winner, repped by Paradigm and Himber Entertainment, will next be seen recurring on Damages and in Transformers 3. Beverly D'Angelo has joined NBC's untitled Whitney Cummings comedy pilot. The project, written by Cummings,...

"The Pacific" standout Jon Seda has been tapped to co-star opposite Roselyn Sanchez in ABC's dramedy pilot "Cutthroat," Lindsay Price has been cast as a lead in ABC's comedy pilot "Who Gets the Parents?" and "Scrubs" star Eliza Coupe will co-star on ABC's comedy pilot "Happy Endings."

Meanwhile, Jesse Bradford has joined NBC's untitled John Eisendrath drama pilot for NBC, Jason Behr and Merle Dandridge have been added to ABC's drama pilot "The Matadors," Missi Pyle and Johnny Sneed have landed leads on ABC's comedy pilot "How to Be a Better American" and Diedrich Bader and Jessica Gower have boarded NBC's comedy pilot "Outsourced."

In other pilot news, CBS has pushed the untitled Redlich/Bellucci drama because of difficulties casting the lead.

"Cutthroat" centers on Nina Cabrera (Sanchez), an upscale Beverly Hills widow and soccer mom who runs an international drug cartel. Seda, repped by Icm and A Management, will...

Emmy winner Christine Lahti and Johnny Sneed have joined the cast of USA Network's 90-minute pilot "Operating Instructions," directed by "Hitch" helmer Andy Tennant.

The project, from Conaco Prods. and Universal Cable Prods., centers on Lt. Rachel Scott (Emily Rose), a former Marine who returns from a tour as a Navy surgeon to take a post at a military hospital.

Lahti will play Cmdr. Helen Keller, the hospital's chief administrator, who butts heads with Rachel almost from the get-go.

Sneed will play Capt. Will McKay, who might share a history with Rachel. He is the hospital's chief medical officer and arranged for her to take the job there.

Lahti and Sneed join the previously cast Rose, Nick Zano and Diana Maria Riva.

"Instructions" marks Lahti's return to the medical genre after her Emmy-winning turn on the CBS drama "Chicago Hope."

The actress, repped by Icm and Management 360, next...

Mike Sikowitz has been tapped as executive producer/showrunner on "The Rules for Starting Over", Fox's midseason comedy series from Peter and Bobby Farrelly.

He will take the reins of the 20th Century Fox TV/Conundrum Entertainment/Watson Pond Prods. show while also developing under a pre-existing premium blind script deal with Sony Pictures Television.

"Rules", written by Chris Pappas, Mike Bernier and Kevin Barnett, stars Craig Bierko as a thirtysomething who, with his fellow newly single buddies, jumps headfirst into the dating scene. Rashida Jones, Johnny Sneed and Shaun Majumder co-star.

Also serving as executive producers on the comedy are Peter and Bobby Farrelly, Bradley Thomas and Brad Johnson. Pappas and Bernier are co-exec producing, and Barnett is supervising producer.

Sikowitz most recently was co-executive producer/writer on the CBS comedy "The Class". He also wrote and executive produced "Grown Men", an SPT-produced pilot for WB Network, and was showrunner on WB's "Twins" and "Grounded for Life".

Sikowitz is repped by ICM and attorney Michael Gendler.

UPN has given a last-minute pilot presentation order to an untitled comedy from former Late Night With Conan O'Brien writer Andrew Secunda. Charisma Carpenter and Tyler Labine topline the project, from Paramount Network TV, the Littlefield Co. and Nervous Properties. The show, written by Secunda, centers on an uptight, career-minded woman (Carpenter) and her fun-loving brother (Labine). Adam Chase and Warren Littlefield are exec producing, with Secunda serving as co-exec producer. Veteran helmer James Widdoes is on board to direct. Meanwhile, another UPN comedy pilot presentation, I Do, I Did, Now What? is not going forward. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel alumna Carpenter is repped by the Gersh Agency and manager John Carrabino. Labine, whose series credits include That Was Then, Dead Last and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, is repped by UTA and Characters Talent Agency in Vancouver. In other pilot casting news, Tobin Bell (In the Line of Fire) has joined NBC's drama pilot Revelations, while Johnny Sneed (NBC's American Dreams) has been added to ABC's comedy Earthquake. Bell is repped by Saffron Management and attorney Bill Jacobson.