News

Canada’s CBC is the latest network to give a greenlight to unique interview format The Assembly, as the pubcaster rolled out its 2025/26 slate.

The Canadian version of the show, which began life on France 2 in 2022, will run to six parts and comes from Small Army Entertainment. In each episode, one of Canada’s most popular celebrities and public figures will face a group of 30 atypical interviewers, all on the autism spectrum.

Jann Arden, Allan Hawco, Howie Mandel, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan will all face the music in the series, with more names to be announced.

This is the latest version of French series Les Rencontres du Papotin, which launched in 2022 on France 2 with guests including Killing Eve star Camille Cottin and President Emmanuel Macron. Further international versions have since featured the likes of Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen and Sam Neil.

Executive producers for CBC’s show are Sean De Vries and Stephen Sawchuk.

Rub a little Vaseline on your teeth, fire up a hot latte, do a few mouth stretches and whisper, “It’s showtime!” That’s how the most powerful people in the podcasting business — a mix of hosts, executives and reps featured on THR‘s annual power list — ready themselves before recording their widely-heard shows. As part of this year’s survey, the group, which also includes Call Her Daddy‘s Alex Cooper, Bill Simmons, Ben Shapiro and My Favorite Murder co-hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, reveals its dream guests and guilty pleasure listens as well.

My pre-recording podcasting routine entails…

Bill Simmons, The Bill Simmons Podcast Big bottle of water, put my phone on silent, remind myself not to say anything dumb.

Karen Kilgariff, My Favorite Murder I feed the dogs, gather up all of my beverages (usually 4, 1 hot and 3 colds), rub some Vaseline on my teeth and as I log onto Zoom,...

The Tribeca Film Festival, which has expanded into music, virtual reality, TV, video games and other verticals during its two-decade run, now plans to showcase podcasts.

Festival organizers have unveiled the first Tribeca podcast slate, calling it the first set of official selections at any major festival. It will run alongside film screenings and other events during the 20th edition of Tribeca, which is set for June 9 to 20. The fest will represent an industry milestone as the first major North American event to feature in-person screenings since the onset of Covid-19 in early 2020.

The debut Tribeca Podcasts lineup (see it in full below) will feature world premieres of fiction and nonfiction stories. Special events, including live recordings, discussions and more, include a conversation between Radiolab co-creator and host Jad Abumrad and filmmaker and podcaster Jason Reitman. Ear Hustle, co-founded by Bay Area artist Nigel Poor along with Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams,...

Now hear this: The 2021 Tribeca Festival announced its inaugural official podcast selections and special events, the first time a major fest is welcoming podcasts into its lineup.

The first Tribeca Podcasts lineup features world premieres of 12 fiction and nonfiction podcasts from emerging creators (listed below), as well as panel discussions and other special events.

The festival’s 20th anniversary celebration will take place June 9-20 across New York City — the first major film festival to return to in-person events since the pandemic first hit last year. The 2021 Tribeca Festival also will mark the first time it will feature video games as official selections.

“The past few years have seen an explosion in the popularity of podcasts, making this the perfect time to introduce our inaugural Tribeca Podcast Program,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises and the Tribeca Festival. “We look forward to welcoming the creative forces behind...

Official selections include I’ll Never Be Alone Anymore – The Story Of The Skala Eressos Lesbian Community, from France.

In what Tribeca Festival heads are calling the first move of its kind by a major festival, the event will premiere official selection podcasts this summer.

The inaugural programme will include world premieres and discussions with creators and takes place during the 20th anniversary festival that runs as an outdoors-only event across New York from June 9-20.

Special podcast events include live recordings and discussions with influential names in audio including Jad Abumard in conversation about his work on his work on Radiolab,...

A new podcast, Spotify and Gimlet’s How to Save a Planet, is set to explore ways to solve the ongoing climate crisis and what we need to do to implement these necessary changes. The series will also examine topics like disaster prep, Europe’s Green New Deal and the similarities between the climate movement and the Black Lives Movement.

“Does climate change freak you out? Want to know what we, collectively, can do about it? Us too,” Spotify and Gimlet said of the podcast.

“How To Save A Planet...

The first season of Homecoming was deliberately claustrophobic, set largely in the Homecoming Transitional Support Center with nods to All the President’s Men and The Parallax View. Season 2 of the Amazon Prime Video drama is a little bit less Alan Pakula and a little more Brian De Palma, according to director/executive producer Kyle Patrick Alvarez.

“One of the draws to me was, having loved Season 1 so much, and having loved Sam [Esmail]’s aesthetic approach, the challenge was how do we translate that feeling when so much of that feeling was the Homecoming facility set,” Alvarez said during Deadline’s Contenders Television virtual event. “That was so meticulously designed to fit that tone, but now we’re going to be in forests and lakes so we have to re-conceive how to technically approach the scenes so that it felt like Homecoming but on a larger canvas. Sam was digging...

In today’s TV News Roundup, Amazon released the trailer for Season 2 of “Homecoming,” and Netflix announced the premiere date for the final episodes of “Fuller House.”

Dates

Netflix has announced that the second half of the fifth and final season of “Fuller House” will debut on the streamer on June 2. The first nine episodes of the season premiered on Dec. 6, 2019 and the final nine lead to a series finale. The show picks up immediately upon DJ (Candace Cameron Bure), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Kimmy’s (Andrea Barber) triple engagement. Jeff Franklin, Thomas L. Miller, Robert L. Boyett, Steve Baldikoski, Bryan Behar and John Stamos serve as executive producers.

CNBC has announced that Season 5 of “Jay Leno’s Garage” will premiere on May 20 at 10 p.m. Upcoming guests include Kelly Clarkson, Matt LeBlanc, Blake Shelton and Norm Macdonald. The series comes from Original Productions, a Fremantle company, and Kit & Kaboodle. Leno,...

Amazon has dropped a new teaser for Season 2 of “Homecoming,” and it opens to find star Janelle Monáe alone in a rowboat in the middle of a lake — with no oars.

In the new season, which premieres May 22, Monáe’s character has no memory of how she wound up in the middle of a lake — or even who she is. “Her ensuing search for identity will lead her into the heart of the Geist Group, the unconventional wellness company behind the Homecoming Initiative,” according to Amazon.

Stephan James reprises his role as Walter Cruz, “who is trying to build a new life following the traumas of war and the Homecoming Initiative, when he begins to realize that there’s an even more insidious version of the program underway — if only he can remember,” Amazon adds.

Also Read: Amazon Prime Video to Stream Titles From Canceled 2020 SXSW Film Festival For Free...

The second season of Amazon drama Homecoming will be more expansive than the first with much of the action taking place outside of the Homecoming Transitional Support Center.

The cast and crew of the psychological thriller, including new star Janelle Monáe, talked up the differences between season one of the show, which starred Julia Roberts, and the forthcoming season, which airs later this spring, at the Winter TCA press tour.

In the second season, Monáe’s character wakes in a rowboat adrift a lake, with no memory of how she got there — or even who she is. Her ensuing search for identity will lead her into the heart of the Geist Group, the unconventional wellness company behind the Homecoming Initiative.

Co-creator and exec producer Eli Horowitz admitted that the team, which also includes co-creator Michael Bloomberg, Kyle Patrick Alvarez and exec producer Sam Esmail learned a number of lessons between the two seasons.

Joan Cusack (In & Out) and Mary Holland (Veep) are set for recurring roles on the second season of Amazon’s psychological thriller drama series Homecoming, from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail.

Homecoming‘s second season will deviate from the popular Gimlet Media’s podcast which Season 1 was based on and will introduce new characters.

Cusack will portray Francine Bunda, an Army officer with an unconventional approach to the job. Holland will play Wendy, an ambitious executive in Geist’s R&d department.

Created by Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg, Homecoming is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Ucp. The season is directed and executive produced by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, executive produced by Sam Esmail through his production company Esmail Corp; as well as Mr. Robot executive producer Chad Hamilton of Anonymous Content; Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg; Kyle Alvarez; and Chris Giliberti, Alex Blumberg and Matt Lieber of Gimlet Media. Julia Roberts...

The upcoming second season of Amazon’s “Homecoming” has cast Oscar winner Chris Cooper in a key role.

Cooper will play Leonard Geist, an eccentric botanist, more at home in his greenhouse than in the boardrooms of the company he created. He joins previously announced “Homecoming” Season 2 stars Janelle Monáe, Stephan James, and Hong Chau.

Cooper won the Oscar and Golden Globe for best supporting actor for his role in the 2002 film “Adaptation.” His other film roles include “American Beauty,” “The Horse Whisperer,” “Seabiscuit,” and “The Bourne Identity.” He also recently starred in the Hulu limited series “11.22.63.” He will next be seen in the Tom Hanks-led Mr. Rogers biopic “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” and Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women.”

He is repped by CAA and Authentic Talent and Literary Management.

“Homecoming” is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Universal Content Productions and is based on the podcast of the same name.

Oscar winner Chris Cooper (Adaptation) is set to star opposite Janelle Monáe in the second season of Amazon’s psychological thriller drama series Homecoming, executive produced by Sam Esmail.

Season 2 of Homecoming will deviate from the popular Gimlet Media’s podcast on which Season 1 was based on and will introduce new characters, including those played by Monáe and Cooper. Returning from Season 1 are Stephan James and Hong Chau.

Cooper will play Leonard Geist, an eccentric botanist who is more at home in his greenhouse than in the boardrooms of the company he created. Monáe plays a woman who finds herself floating in a canoe, with no memory of how she got there — or even who she is.

Kyle Patrick Alvarez will direct all episodes, taking over from Esmail, who helmed all episodes in Season 1.

Created by Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg, Homecoming is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Ucp. The...

Stephan James and Hong Chau are coming back for more, as far as “Homecoming” is concerned.

James, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in season 1 opposite Julia Roberts, will reprise the role of Walter Cruz, while Chau will return to play Audrey Temple for the Amazon series’ sophomore outing.

The show has also enlisted Kyle Patrick Alvarez to direct all episodes of season 2. Alvarez, who previously directed the Ezra Miller and Tye Sheridan feature “The Stanford Prison Experiment,” will also serve as an executive producer.

News emerged in July that Janelle Monáe will take over the lead spot for Roberts in season 2. Monáe’s character is described as a tenacious woman who finds herself floating in a canoe, with no memory of how she got there or who she is.

“We’re so lucky to have Kyle Alvarez on board to direct season 2, his enthusiasm and relentless...

Exclusive: Kyle Patrick Alvarez (The Stanford Prison Experiment) is set to direct and executive produce the second season of Amazon’s psychological thriller drama series Homecoming, from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail. Additionally, Stephan James, who received a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Walter Cruz last season, will return to reprise the role, along with Hong Chau, who plays Audrey Temple. James and Chau will star alongside Janelle Monáe, who is joining the series this season, succeeding Julie Roberts who toplined Season 1 in a one-year deal.

Alvarez will direct all episodes, taking over from Esmail, who helmed all episodes in Season 1. Homecoming is heading into a second season that will deviate from the popular Gimlet Media’s podcast which Season 1 was based on and will introduce new characters.

Monáe’s character provides a glimpse into the potential Season 2 mystery — she plays a woman who finds herself floating in a canoe,...

“Moonlight” and “Hidden Figures” alum Janelle Monae has been tapped to star in the second season of Amazon’s “Homecoming,” the studio announced on Tuesday.

Monae will succeed Julia Roberts in the Sam Esmail-created drama series, playing “a tenacious woman who finds herself floating in a canoe, with no memory of how she got there — or even who she is.”

An adaption of Gimlet Media’s podcast of the same name, “Homecoming” Season 1 centered on Roberts’ character, Heidi Bergman, a caseworker at a support center helping soldiers transition back to civilian life. Roberts, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for her depicition, remains on board as an executive producer for Season 2.

Also Read: 'The Boys' Gets Early Season 2 Renewal at Amazon; Aya Cash Joins Cast as Stormfront

Few plot details for Season 2 have been released thus far, but the show is expected to deviate further from its...

Janelle Monáe has been tapped to star in the second season of “Homecoming.”

Monáe’s character is described as a tenacious woman who finds herself floating in a canoe, with no memory of how she got there or who she is.

Monáe takes over the top spot on the Amazon series from Julia Roberts, who starred in Season 1, based on the podcast of the same name. Roberts remains attached to the series as an executive producer under her Red Om Films banner.

Monáe first became known to the world through her music, for which she has received widespread acclaim and been nominated for eight Grammys. She has branched out into acting in recent years, starring in critically-acclaimed films like “Moonlight” and “Hidden Figures.” She will also lend her voice to the upcoming “Lady and the Tramp” remake and will next be seen in the Harriet Tubman biopic “Harriet.”

She is repped by Wme,...

Hidden Figures and Moonlight star Janelle Monáe is set to headline the second season of Amazon’s psychological thriller drama series Homecoming, from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail.

The description of her character provides some clues about the premise of Season 2. The actress/musician plays a tenacious woman who finds herself floating in a canoe, with no memory of how she got there — or even who she is.

As a leading lady, Monáe succeeds Julie Roberts who toplined Season 1 in a one-year deal. Roberts is continuing as an executive producer on the series, a co-production between Amazon Studios and Ucp.

Homecoming, which is in the middle of a two-season initial order from Amazon, is heading into a second season that will deviate from the popular Gimlet Media’s podcast which Season 1 was based on and will introduce new characters.

It has not been confirmed yet who from the original cast would come back,...

The Amazon drama “Homecoming” will see another big change going into its second season.

In addition to Julia Roberts not returning to star, Sam Esmail will not direct any episodes for Season 2, Variety has learned. Both Esmail and Roberts will remain on the show as executive producers, however.

Amazon declined to comment.

Esmail directed all 10 episodes of the show’s first season, helping to define the show’s unique visual style as he did on the USA Network show “Mr. Robot.” Esmail is also credited as a co-creator of “Homecoming” along Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg, who created the podcast on which the show is based and serve as co-showrunners.

The show received considerable critical praise upon its release, holding a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In her review for Variety, Caroline Framke wrote that Esmail “uses his signature long takes and off-center framing shots to disquieting effect, adding Hitchcockian angles...

With a view to becoming the world’s leading audio platform, Spotify has acquired Gimlet Media as well as startup Anchor. This is the first big content move by the music streamer under Dawn Ostroff, the TV industry veteran who came aboard as Chief Content Officer in June. It follows word earlier this month that Spotify was in talks for Gimlet, the company behind popular podcasts “Homecoming,” “StartUp,” “Reply All” and “Crimetown.” Terms of today’s deals were not disclosed, but Spotify says it is not stopping there and could spend $400M-$500M on multiple acquisitions in 2019.

Reporting Q4 2018 results this morning, Spotify said it has reached 96M premium subscribers and 207M monthly active users. It also netted its first-ever quarterly operating profit with 94M euros ($107.1M).

Increasing podcast listening on Spotify is an important strategy for driving growth, the company said in a statement. “We intend to lean into...

Spotify is in discussions to acquire Gimlet Media, the company behind popular podcasts “Homecoming,” “StartUp,” “Reply All” and “Crimetown.” Deadline confirmed that talks were underway, and if a deal makes it would be the first big content move by the music streamer under Dawn Ostroff, the TV industry veteran who came aboard as chief content officer in June. She began the new job in August.

Spotify, which went public in April 2018, has been looking to expand its offering in podcasting though it already has some content on its platform.

In January 2018, Brooklyn-based Gimlet Media — formed in 2014 by former This American Life producer Alex Blumberg and Matt Lieber — launched Gimlet Pictures, a film and TV arm headed by Chris Giliberti. That formalized Gimlet’s forays into TV, most recently Amazon’s Homecoming starring Julia Roberts, and the in-the-works Annapurna Pictures movie Man of the People, with Robert Downey Jr attached. All are based on Gimlet podcasts.

Julia Roberts will not be starring in “Homecoming” Season 2 at Amazon, Variety has confirmed.

The Oscar-winning actress will remain on the show as an executive producer, however. “Homecoming” was picked up for two seasons when it was initially ordered at Amazon, but Roberts only had a one-year deal to star on the show, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation.

The role marked the first series regular role of Roberts’ career. Other cast members include Bobby Cannavale, Stephan James, Sissy Spacek, Shea Whigham, and Alex Karpovsky.

“Homecoming” is an adaptation of the fiction podcast of the same name from Gimlet Media. It is about staffers at a secret government agency where some are desperate to rejoin civilian life. Written by “Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail, the political thriller centers on a caseworker (Roberts) at a secret government facility, her supervisor and a soldier.

The show hails from Anonymous Content and Universal Cable Productions,...

When in 2017 Julia Roberts signed on to star in her first series, Homecoming, she made a one-year acting deal for the project, from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail and Universal Cable Prods. It has been the case for many big stars who have ventured into television over the past couple of years, and the storyline of her character was crafted with that in mind.

Homecoming, which has a two-season order from Amazon, is currently breaking stories for the upcoming second season, which will deviate from the popular Gimlet Media’s podcast Season 1 was based on. It is unclear exactly who from the original cast would come back, but I hear Bobby Cannavale will likely return, breakout star Stephan James also will probably be back, along with Hong Chau and maybe Shea Whigham.

The series is expected to introduce new characters and cast members next season.

Roberts, who remains an executive producer,...

Nina Jacobson knows a lot about TV and film, but in a recent interview, she explained how she also knows when a project might be doomed.

Speaking with Alex Blumberg on the new Gimlet podcast “Without Fail,” Jacobson talked about her experiences producing Wes Anderson’s 2004 “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.” After working on “The Royal Tenenbaums,” she soon got swept up in the director’s next movie.

“When Wes Anderson gave me the script for ‘The Life Aquatic,’ it was a bigger budget and I was so in love and I was so blinded by my love that I went to battle to get considerably more money to make this movie than what we had spent on his earlier movies,” Jacobson said. “I will always remember at our first big screening of the movie afterwards people would come up and congratulate me on what a brave movie it...

Brooklyn-based Gimlet, the media company behind hit podcasts such as Homecoming, Reply All and Crimetown, has set its fall slate, with three new original series for premiere in October.

They include Gimlet’s first scripted fiction horror series, The Horror of Dolores Roach, starring Daphne Rubin-Vega and Bobby Cannavale; The Cut on Tuesday, Gimlet’s first women’s podcast, a new weekly series in partnership with New York Magazine’s The Cut; and Without Fail: Conversations with Alex Blumberg, hosted by Gimlet co-founder Blumberg, in the company’s first interview series. In addition, hit series Heavyweight from host and creator Jonathan Goldstein, returns for its third season on Thursday, October 4, with an episode featuring comedian Rob Corddry.

“We developed our fall slate to reach and bring in new audiences across the board, both in Gimlet’s fiction and non-fiction programming. These are three very different shows,...

At first glance, “Homecoming” seems to be a cocktail of buzzwords. Take one part transmedia origin story (“based on the popular Gimlet Media podcast…”), add one part movie star trying her hand at television (Julia Roberts), mix well with an established TV auteur (“Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail), and serve. In practice, however, those ostensibly disparate elements come together to make sharp slices of truly eerie drama. Even when it gets a little too mesmerized by its own stylistic trickery, it’s hard not to get sucked in by “Homecoming’s” haunting mission creep.

The new Amazon series from podcast creators Micah Bloomberg and Eli Horowitz follows the shady practices of a mysterious center that advertises itself as a resource for helping combat veterans assimilate to civilian life. Counselor Heidi Bergman (Roberts) appears to have a genuine interest in helping her patients, most especially amiable newcomer Walter Cruz (Stephan James...

Television is taking over film festivals, and Tiff has been part of the trend since 2015. That’s when the Toronto International Film Festival first launched its Primetime program, and since then attendees have been treated to premieres like “Black Mirror,” “Casual,” “The Girlfriend Experience,” “The Deuce,” “Transparent,” and more.

In 2018, the TV slate includes big brand names and movie stars — including Julia Roberts and Elizabeth Olsen — as well as a number of lesser known series looking to make their mark. Tiff has seen similar names in the past, but not all of the TV shows debuting at the festival made the impression their distributors, producers, and stars hoped when they landed on TV. Just like the buzziest films may not break the box office, the festival may not elevate TV enough in this peak TV era.

Still, it’s a publicity boon and a helpful prestige play. Amazon, for instance,...

You can thank “Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail for finally getting Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney together. Fictionally speaking, that is, as the two-time co-stars will be playing lovers on Amazon’s upcoming thriller series “Homecoming.” And it only took them three projects, over two decades, and the help of Esmail, to officially hook them up on screen.

“This is our third time working together,” Roberts told reporters during the show’s panel at the Television Critics Association press tour Saturday, of teaming up with fellow “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “August: Osage County” alum, once more.

“But this is the ‘reunion,'” Esmail, who is directing “Homecoming,” chimed in. “Like, ’cause the second time you guys weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Also Read: 'Homecoming': Julia Roberts Is Ready to 'Get Started' in First Teaser for Amazon Series (Video)

“Well, we weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend the first time,...

Amazon Studios used its big Comic-Con presentation today to unveil the premiere date for Homecoming, its psychological thriller starring Julia Roberts in her TV series-starring debut and directed by Mr. Robot‘s Sam Esmail. The half-hour series will bow Friday, November 2, on Prime Video.

The streaming service also showed fans a first-look teaser from the series, which is based on the popular Gimlet Media podcast. (Check out the video above and the teaser art below.) It acquired rights to the project a year ago with a two-season pickup.

Roberts plays Heidi Bergman, a caseworker at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center, a Geist Group facility helping soldiers transition back to civilian life. Walter Cruz (Stephan James) is one of these soldiers, eager to begin the next phase of his life. Overseeing Heidi and the facility is Colin Belfast (Bobby Cannavale), an ambitious company man whose manic demands point to questionable motives.

“Shall we get started?”

Amazon revealed the first teaser trailer for “Homecoming,” its upcoming psychological starring Julia Roberts, during the Prime Video panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2018 on Friday. And though it only gives us a tiny glimpse of Roberts in character as caseworker Heidi Bergman we’re already entranced by her calm, collected mannerisms. Luckily, Amazon also revealed that you won’t have to wait much longer, as “Homecoming” will premiere this November on the streaming service.

The rest of the one-minute clip promoting the mind-bending drama directed by “Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail, explores the abandoned halls of what we can safely assume is the titular Homecoming Transitional Support Center where Heidi workers, a Geist Group facility helping soldiers transition back to civilian life.

Also Read: 'My Best Friend's Wedding' Reunion: Dermot Mulroney Joins Julia Roberts on Amazon's 'Homecoming'

Walter Cruz (Stephan James) is one of these soldiers,...

Amazon has released the first look at Julia Roberts in the upcoming drama series “Homecoming.”

See the first photo above and the second photo below.

In the series, Roberts plays Heidi Bergman, a caseworker at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center. The center is a Geist Group facility helping soldiers transition back to civilian life. Walter Cruz (Stephan James) is one of these soldiers, eager to begin the next phase of his life. Overseeing Heidi and the facility is Colin Belfast (Bobby Cannavale), an ambitious company man whose manic demands point to questionable motives.

Four years later, Heidi has started a new life, living with her mother (Sissy Spacek) and working as a small-town waitress, when a Department of Defense auditor (Shea Whigham) comes to her with questions about why she left the Homecoming facility. Heidi begins to realize that there’s a whole other story behind the story she’s been telling herself.

During the first half of the 2017-18 television season, only one new comedy premiered on ABC -- The Mayor -- which earned such low ratings, that it was cancelled mid-season. Now that spring is in the air, the Alphabet Network is lightening up a bit, with some more new chances to laugh, but the shows they're introducing feature fan-favorite familiar faces. In addition to the Roseanne TV series revival, The Office vet, Jenna Fischer is back, in Splitting Up Together, too. Enter Zach Braff, in his new Alex, Inc. TV show. Is the Scrubs alum just what the doctor ordered? Will Alex, Inc. be cancelled or renewed for season two? Stay tuned.   *Status update below.A family sitcom, based on the "StartUp" podcast by Alex Blumberg, Alex, Inc. centers on Alex Schuman (Braff). In addition to Braff, the ABC TV series cast also includes Tiya Sircar,...

Network: ABC. Episodes: 10 (half-hour). Seasons: One. TV show dates: March 28, 2018 — May 16, 2018. Series status: Cancelled. Performers include: Zach Braff, Tiya Sircar, Hillary Anne Matthews, Michael Imperioli, Audyssie James, and Elisha Henig. TV show description: Based on the "StartUp" podcast by Alex Blumberg, the Alex, Inc. TV show was developed for television by Matt Tarses. The family sitcom centers on Alex Schuman (Braff). In addition to being a husband and father of two, Alex is a successful radio journalist. One day, he decides to toss his career and fortune to the wind. He quits his job in order to found his own company. Read More…...

James Corden, Oprah Winfrey and RuPaul Charles are among the top nominees for the 22nd annual Webby Awards, the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences announced Tuesday. All nominees are eligible to win the two most prestigious awards: The Webby Award, selected by the Academy, and The Webby People’s Voice Award, voted on by Internet fans around the world through online balloting through April 19. Academy judges selecting Webby winners include Lyft CEO Logan Green, Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani, Gimlet Media CEO Alex Blumberg, Instagram’s Eva Chen, social entrepreneur Van Jones, internet inventor Vint Cerf and Playmatics CEO...

Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek has been cast in a recurring role in the upcoming Amazon series “Homecoming.”

The series stars Julia Roberts, Bobby Cannavale and Stephan James and is described as a psychological thriller that centers on a caseworker at a facility treating soldiers returning from war, and a veteran eager to rejoin civilian life. It is based on the hit podcast from Gimlet Media.

Spacek will play Ellen Bergman, the mother of Roberts’ character Heidi. Ellen is said to be no-nonsense, somewhat crabby, but fiercely protective of her daughter.

Spacek is one of the most respected actresses in Hollywood with a career spanning four decades. She is best known for playing the title role in Brian De Palma’s “Carrie,” based on the Stephen King novel, as well as for her roles in “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Badlands,” “The Straight Story,” “In the Bedroom,” and the upcoming film “Old Man and The Gun.

Amazon’s upcoming TV series Homecoming has added a second Oscar-winning actress, with Sissy Spacek (Carrie) set to recur opposite Julia Roberts in the project from Universal Cable Productions, Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail and Anonymous Content. The half-hour drama, which also stars Bobby Cannavale and Stephan James, has a two-season straight-to-series order.

Based on Gimlet Media’s breakout fictional podcast, Homecoming is written by the podcast’s creators Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg and directed by Esmail. It is a psychological thriller that centers on Heidi (Roberts), a caseworker at a secret government facility, and a soldier (James) eager to rejoin civilian life.

Spacek will play Ellen Bergman, Heidi’s (Roberts) mother, who is no-nonsense, somewhat crabby, but fiercely protective of her daughter.

The series is produced by Esmail through his production company Esmail Corp; as well as Mr. Robot executive producer Chad Hamilton of Anonymous Content; the podcast...

A sitcom about a guy who podcasts seems like a randomly generated punchline to a joke about media in 2018 — perhaps like one of the white cards in the game Cards Against Humanity, a phrase just waiting to fit the blank space of a setup. In this case, the white card is “Alex, Inc.,” and the setup is something snarky about increasingly Balkanized media demographics. No one laughs.

“Alex, Inc.” is an adaptation of Alex Blumberg’s popular 2014 podcast “StartUp,” a real-time chronicle of how he worked to get a media company off the ground. Blumberg brought listeners into every detail of the process — pitching a billionaire, negotiating an equity split with his business partner, and sharing his anxieties with his wife. The podcast is now poised to launch Season 7, and Blumberg’s company Gimlet Media is now not just valued at $70 million but also the home of several beloved podcasts.

Zach Braff ain’t no scrub in his return to primetime.

Alex, Inc., a new family comedy which debuted on Wednesday, is based on the life of Alex Blumberg, a former This American Life producer who left his job to launch the highly successful StartUp podcast, backed by venture capitalist/frequent Shark Tank panelist Chris Sacca.

Here, Braff plays Alex Schuman, a veteran radio producer who quits his job to launch his own podcast company, and does so without consulting his beloved wife Rooni (The Good Place‘s Tiya Sircar). She’s not exactly thrilled, but agrees to support her...

Brooklyn-based podcast network Gimlet Media, which creates popular audio narratives like Reply All and Crimetown, is officially moving into the film and TV world.

The company has launched a new division, Gimlet Pictures, as three of the its podcasts are currently being developed into series and features. These include an Amazon show based on the psychological thriller Homecoming, starring Julia Roberts; ABC’s Alex, Inc. -- starring Zach Braff and based on Gimlet founder Alex Blumberg’s own entrepreneurial journey, as well as an episode of StartUp; and the Robert Downey Jr.-starring feature Man Of The People from Annapurna Pictures, which takes its inspiration from an episode of Reply All. That film will be directed by Richard Linklater.

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ABC has released a trailer for the upcoming comedy series Alex, Inc., which is notable in that it marks Scrubs actor Zach Braff’s return to a series regular TV role for the first time since that beloved sitcom came to a close in 2010. Alex, Inc. is based on a podcast called StartUp, which tracked Alex Blumberg’s attempt to launch his own company with Gimlet Media. In Alex, Inc., Braff plays Alex Schuman, a radio journalist, husband, and father who decides to quit his job and launch his own company. He documents the experience via podcast. Matt Tarses, …...

From Zach Braff and Matt Tarses–the team that brought you Scrubs–comes a new ABC single-camera comedy Alex, Inc. Inspired by the podcast StartUp, it stars Braff in the role of radio journalist Alex Schuman, who quit his job to start his own company and podcast his way through the experience. "This is inspired by a very true story of a man named Alex Blumberg who left This American Life, because he had this idea that no one had quite yet mastered how to monetize a…...

Ahead of its TCA presentation today, ABC has unveiled its midseason scheduling plans, slating its new mdseason series: Grey’s Anatomy spinoff, For the People, The Crossing, Deception, Alex, Inc. and Splitting Up Together and setting a series finale date for Scandal. Additionally, the network has announced that American Idol, whose ABC debut had been announced for March 11, will air on Sunday and Monday, resembling the singing competition’s air pattern early in its run on Fox, before it reverted to one outing a week. ABC also has set is a premiere date for the next, all-athlete cycle of Dancing with the Stars, which will follow Idol on Monday on April 30, and the return of Quantico. On Sunday, Idol will be used to launch new crime procedural Deception. There, the show will continue to air throughout the season, while on Monday it will have a seven-week run.

As expected, the Grey’s Anatomy...

“2 Dope Queens,” one of the headline shows for Wync Studios, is planting its flag in new territory.

HBO announced on Thursday that they are partnering with podcast hosts Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson on a series of four “2 Dope Queens” specials, set to air next year on the network.

Williams and Robinson have co-hosted the podcast since early 2016, covering topics from relationships to race to their home city of New York. They’ve also welcomed guests from Carrie Brownstein to Jon Hamm to Michael B. Jordan.

Read More:The 50 Best Podcast Episodes of 2017 (So Far)

Best known for her stint as a correspondent on “The Daily Show,” Williams recently starred in the Netflix film “The Incredible Jessica James.” Robinson, the host of her own podcast “Sooo Many White Guys,” also played a supporting role in the debut season of the Jill Soloway series “I Love Dick.”

No word yet on where these specials will be taped,...

Universal Cable Productions and Anonymous Content to produce.

Amazon Studios has prevailed in the race to secure global rights to the upcoming psychological thriller series Homecoming starring Julia Roberts.

Sources confirmed to Screen that Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail will direct and serve as executive producer on the half-hour drama being produced by Universal Cable Productions and Mr. Robot producer Anonymous Content.

Amazon is understood to have ordered two seasons of Homecoming, which is based on a fiction podcast by Gimlet Media about caseworker at a top secret government facility and a soldier.

Roberts would play the caseworker in what has become another TV project on her to-do list after HBO made a development deal last month for Annapurna Television’s limited series Today Will Be Different.

Podcast creators Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg are adapting the screenplay from the source material, which starred Catherine Keener and Oscar Isaac.

Esmail is producing via his Esmail Corp alongside...

A series based on the thrilling fiction podcast “Homecoming” and starring Julia Roberts has been picked up for a two-season order at Amazon. “Homecoming” is a six-party political thriller centering on a caseworker at a secret government facility. Roberts will play that caseworker’s supervisor. Catherine Keener, Oscar Isaac and David Schwimmer starred in the original podcast, which was produced by Gimlet Media and launched in Nov. 2016. Sam Esmail of “Mr. Robot” fame helped develop the series and is serving as an executive producer, alongside Chad Hamilton of Anonymous Content, Horowitz, Bloomberg and Alicia Van Couvering. Chris Giliberti, Alex Blumberg...

Sometimes, you’ve got to go big or go homeless.

That’s what Alex Schulman (Zach Braff) is risking in ABC’s new comedy “Alex, Inc.” The accomplished radio journalist has it all: respect, a loving wife and two kids … and a burning desire to change it all. When he decides to quit his job to pursue his dream of starting his own company, he soon realizes that it’s not easy as it may have seemed.

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The series is inspire by Gimlet Media’s “StartUp,” a podcast that delves into what it’s really like to get a business off the ground and stay off the ground. It’s co-hosted by Lisa Chow, previously senior editor at FiveThirtyEight, reporter at NPR’s Planet Money and Wnyc.

Braff joins fellow cast members Tiya Sircar as Rooni,...

Shark Tank‘s frequent “guest shark” venture capitalist Chris Sacca will make his acting debut in ABC’s untitled Start Up comedy pilot (formerly known as Start Up). Sacca will guest star as himself in the single-camera pilot, based on Alex Blumberg’s Gimlet Media podcast Start Up, whose first season chronicled the launch of Gimlet. The role likely will turn into recurring if the project is picked up to series. Sacca is an actual investor in Gimlet Media. Written by Matt…...

Stay in the loop on industry and casting news with our weekly write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles! “Start Up”Zach Braff is getting ready to ditch his old digs and pick up a podcast gig. The once scrubs-clad comedian will play a man who gives it all up to be an entrepreneur. The pilot from ABC focuses on a devoted husband and father who quits his job and starts his own business, hoping for a quality-of-life improvement for his family. The show’s premise pulls from the real life of “StartUp” podcast creator Alex Blumberg, who proved successful in his bid to “be your own boss.” Joining Braff on the Dorian and Sibby–cast project are Tiya Sircar and Michael Imperioli. The comedy is slated to start shooting later this month in Los Angeles. “Unit Zero”What if your knack for being completely...

The Sopranos alum Michael Imperioli has been cast opposite Zach Braff in ABC’s untitled single-camera startup comedy pilot (formerly known as Start Up) toplined and directed by the Scrubs star. It hails from Sony TV and studio-based Davis Entertainment.

Written by Tarses, the comedy is based on Alex Blumberg’s podcast Start Up. It is a show about all the things that happen — the good, the bad and the ugly — when Alex (Braff), a guy in his mid-30s with a wife and two kids, makes the crazy decision to quit his good job and dive into the brave new world of starting a business.

Imperioli will play Eddie Cirillo, Alex’s fast-talking, slick, confident and currently unemployed cousin. When Alex decides to branch out on his own, he partners up with Eddie because “he went to business school and can sell anything.”

Tarses and Braff executive produce with...

The Sopranos alum Michael Imperioli has been cast opposite Zach Braff in ABC’s untitled single-camera startup comedy pilot (formerly known as Start Up) toplined and directed by the Scrubs star. It hails from Sony TV and studio-based Davis Entertainment. Written by Tarses, the comedy is based on Alex Blumberg's podcast Start Up. It is a show about all the things that happen — the good, the bad and the ugly — when Alex (Braff), a guy in his mid-30s with a wife and two…...