Apple TV+ has unveiled the trailer for “The New Look,” a new historical drama series starring Ben Mendelsohn as Christian Dior and Juliette Binoche as Coco Chanel. Inspired by true events, the series from Todd A. Kessler chronicles the fashion designers and their contemporaries as they launched modern fashion, set against the World War II Nazi occupation of Paris.
The first three episodes will premiere on Feb. 14, followed by one episode dropping every Wednesday through April 3. Per the release, “The New Look” follows “the pivotal moment in the 20th century when the French city led the world back to life through its fashion icon Christian Dior. As Dior rises to prominence with his groundbreaking, iconic imprint of beauty and influence, Chanel’s reign as the world’s most famous fashion designer is put into jeopardy. The interwoven saga follows the surprising stories of Dior’s contemporaries and rivals from Chanel to Pierre Balmain, Cristóbal Balenciaga and more; and, provides a stunning view into the atelier, designs and clothing created by Christian Dior through collaboration with the House of Dior.”
Mendelsohn and Binoche are joined by Maisie Williams as Catherine Dior, John Malkovich as Lucien Lelong, Emily Mortimer as Elsa Lombardi, Claes Bang as Spatz and Glenn Close as Carmel Snow.
The series soundtrack is curated and produced by Jack Antonoff, featuring covers of early- to mid-20th century songs performed by Bleachers, Florence Welch, Lana Del Rey, Matty Healy (The 1975), Beabadoobee, Nick Cave and Perfume Genius, among others.
“A New Look” is produced by Apple Studios and DB-AK Productions. Kessler writes, directs and executive produces with Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark A. Baker.
See the full trailer below.
In other TV roundup news:
FIRST LOOKS
Peacock has released first look photos at “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” the limited drama series set to premiere May 2 starring Harvey Keitel, Melanie Lynskey and Jonah Hauer-King. The series will be available to stream on Peacock for U.S. audiences and Sky for UK audiences. A Sky and Peacock series, “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” is based on Heather Morris’ 2018 novel of the same name.
As per the press release, Hauer-King stars as Lali Sokolov, who is sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. He becomes one of the tätowierer (tattooists) there, made to ink identification numbers on the prisoners. While tattooing her number, Lali meets and falls in love with Gita (Anna Próchniak). 60 years later, an older Lali (Keitel) narrates his story to writer Heather Morris (Lynskey).
Executive producers are Claire Mundell; Adrian Burns; Mark Young for Synchronicity Films; and Serena Thompson for Sky Studios. Director Tali Shalom-Ezer serves as co-executive producer, with Jacquelin Perske as executive producer and writer. Also writers are Gabbie Asher and Evan Placey, with the latter serving as associate producer.
See first look images below.
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The second season of Amy Schumer’s Hulu series “Life & Beth” has released a trailer. In addition to starring in the leading role, Schumer serves as director and executive producer.
Audiences will see Beth (Schumer) getting married to John (Michael Cera) and easing into having a family. At the same time, Beth faces challenges in her relationship with her new husband and questions if it’s because of her own traumatic history with men, according to the series description. Guest stars this season include Beanie Feldstein, Jennifer Coolidge, Tim Meadows and more.
“Sometimes, I have no idea what he’s thinking,” says a conflicted Beth of John in the trailer.
Season 2 debuts on Hulu Feb. 16. Watch the trailer below.
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Netflix has dropped the trailer for “The Vince Staples Show,” which premieres on Feb. 15.
The five-episode limited series will feature satirical tales created by Vince Staples, Ian Edelman and Maurice Williams.
Per the release, the synopsis reads, “Who’s Vince Staples? Well, that’s a tricky question. He’s kind of famous, but he’s not. He’s kind of rich, but he’s not. He’s also kind of a criminal. But he’s…not? Follow him on his daily adventures, where anything that can go wrong usually does.”
Vanessa Bell Calloway and Andrea Ellsworth will be recurring guest stars, and additional guest stars will include Naté Jones, Arturo Castro, Scott MacArthur, Bryan Greenberg and Myles Bullock.
Staples, Kenya Barris, Corey Smyth, Edelman, Williams and William Stefan Smith executive produce.
See the full trailer below.
PROGRAMMING
Actor and comedian Mike Epps will release his new hour-long comedy special “Ready to Sell Out” on Netflix Feb. 20.
“Despite a thriving career, Epps ponders where all of his money has gone, the trials and tribulations of his relationships, and the plethora of street observations that have become synonymous with the comedic mind of Mike Epps,” the special’s description reads, according to the press release.
“Ready to Sell Out” is directed by Royale Watkins, who also executive produces. Other executive producers are Epps, Mark Ritchie, Thomas Cobb, Niles Kirchner and Kyra Epps. The special is produced by Southpaw Productions.
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PBS has announced its new series “The Express Way with Dulé Hill” starring “The West Wing” actor and performer Dulé Hill. Directed by Danny Lee, who also serves as executive producer alongside co-EP Sophia Kruz, the four-part series will feature Hill embarking on a road trip and traveling to destinations across California, Appalachia, Texas and Chicago. In each episode, Hill will speak to creatives, activists and community leaders about artistic expression.
“What would it be like to create art without sight? How does one explore dance through music that cannot be heard? And how can creative expression be used to break down barriers, combat hate and create safe spaces for everyone?” reads the series description. “As Hill crisscrosses the country, he explores these questions and more.”
Christopher Howard and Josh Jacobs executive produce. Margaret Ebrahim spearheads the series for PBS, and Jazmyn Simon and Dulé Hill are executive producers for Simon Says Hill.
“As a lifelong dancer, actor and singer, the arts are what drive me,” said Hill. “There’s something about when you see yourself reflected that allows you to believe that you exist.”
“The Express Way with Dulé Hill” will premiere April 23 on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app. New episodes drop weekly until May 14.
DATES
A new PBS special, “Armenia, My Home,” is set to air on the network on Feb. 23. From Emmy Award-winning Director Andrew Goldberg (“Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations”), the documentary, “celebrates the modern-day, independent Armenian Republic and its people, and offers a lens into the nearly 3,000-year-old storied past of the world’s first Christian nation.”
It continues: “From medieval monasteries nestled in northern forests to the spectacular Hellenistic temple of Garni, the documentary takes viewers on a compelling journey through Armenia’s diverse landscapes. Sweeping from the Caucasian mountains with stunning views of the peaks of Mount Ararat, ‘Armenia, My Home’ seamlessly blends the epic with the every day, evoking the deep emotions felt by Armenian Americans for a heritage that has endured for millennia. The film incorporates the spiritual charm of Armenian music throughout, telling a story that resonates with the fusion of East and West.”
The documentary will be narrated by Andrea Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”) and features prominent voices from the Armenian diaspora, including actor Eric Bogosian (“Succession”), author Chris Bohjalian (“HBO’s The Flight Attendant”), Pulitzer Prize-winning author Peter Balakian (“Black Dog of Fate”), journalist Araksya Karapetyan (“Good Day LA”), author Dawn Anahid Mackeen (“The Hundred-Year Walk: An Armenian Odyssey”), Conan O’Brien’s assistant Sona Movsesian and Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of NY.
Additional voices include educator Dottie Bengoian, internationally renowned artist Michael Aram, comedian Vahe Berberian, and scholars Ron Suny and Salpi Ghazarian.
“For so many that we interviewed in this film, Armenia is more than a country; it’s a part of who they are – a community that has survived and flourished despite untold enemies who sought to conquer them,” Goldberg said. “His is more than a story of a nation; it is the story of some of the most resilient people alive.”
Check your PBS local listings to find the documentary’s broadcast time in your region.
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Season 2 of “Clone High,” the Max Original animated series, will debut on the streaming platform on Feb. 1. The show follows historical figures who have been cloned and placed back in high school, including Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, John F. Kennedy and more, as they face the trials of normal teenage life.
The season’s logline reads: “A modern refresh of the hit series of the same name, ‘Clone High’ follows a high school for clones of the greatest minds in history. Twenty years after the original experiment was put on ice, Joan, JFK, Abe, and Cleo have been thawed out to resume school with their new clone classmates – all while navigating a new set of cultural norms and overly dramatic teen relationships.”
Returning cast members include Will Forte (Abe) and Nicole Sullivan (Joan), executive producers Phil Lord (Scudworth) and Chris Miller (JFK and Mr. B), Christa Miller (Candide Sampson), Ayo Edebiri (Harriet), Mitra Jouhari (Cleo), Vicci Martinez (Frida), Kelvin Yu (Confucius), Neil Casey (Topher Bus) and Donald Faison (George Washington Carver).
A reboot of the original animated series of the same name, Max’s “Clone High” is also helmed by the show’s original executive producers, Lord and Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “The Afterparty,” and “21 Jump Street”), and similarly follows the plot of the 2002 animated sitcom.
Variety penned the original as a favorite cult TV show, writing: “Before Phil Lord and Chris Miller (of “The Lego Movie” and the “Spider-Verse” films) were big names with big budgets, they were two dorks with a relatable dream: to pen an animated parody of popular teen soap operas where a 16-year-old clone of Abe Lincoln was the lovable nerd, John F. Kennedy’s clone was the hot bully and young Joan of Arc was the goth love interest. It was a premise worthy of TV history, and one that spun out in glorious and strange directions.”
The show is also helmed by Bill Lawrence (“Ted Lasso,” “Shrinking,” “Scrubs”), Erica Rivinoja (“South Park,” “Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm,” “Last Man on Earth”), Erik Durbin (“Last Man On Earth,” “American Dad!,” “Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23”), Judah Miller (“Bupkis,” “Crashing”), ShadowMachine’s Corey Campodonico and Alex Bulkley (“Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio,” “Bojack Horseman,” “Final Space”) and Jeff Ingold (“Ted Lasso,” “Shrinking”).
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The second season of reality television series “The Family Stallone” will premiere Feb. 21 on Paramount+. Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and Bunim/Murray Productions, “The Family Stallone” follows the lives of actor Sylvester Stallone, wife Jennifer Flavin Stallone and their daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.
“After four decades as one of Los Angeles’ most famous families, the Stallones are leaving Hollywood for good and moving east,” the series description reads. “With daughters Sophia and Sistine following their dreams in New York City and Scarlet navigating college and a new love in Miami, Sly and Jen set up roots in Palm Beach as empty nesters. But distance can’t keep this family apart as the season culminates in a life-changing trip to Italy to explore their family history, rekindle love and make a lifetime of memories.”
Benjamin Hurvitz and Nadim Amiry are executive producers for MTV Entertainment Studios. For Bunim-Murray Productions, Julie Pizzi, Farnaz Farjam and Jonathan are executive producers with Chris Ray and Jason Williams as co-executive producers.
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FX’s “Spermworld,” a documentary about the online sperm marketplace, will premiere March 29 on FX. It will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim, “Spermworld” is inspired by Nellie Bowles’s New York Times article “The Sperm Kings Have a Problem: Too Much Demand.” The New York Times and Edgeline Films co-produce the film, which will look at online forums in which potential sperm donors communicate with hopeful parents.
Kathleen Lingo and Elyse Steinberg executive produce for the Times. Josh Kriegman and Eli Despres produce for Edgeline Films. Lauren Belfer also produces.
“I wanted to make a film that touched on modern loneliness and the quest to solve that feeling through the Internet, altruism and reproduction,” said Oppenheim. “I’m thrilled to have realized this portrait with partners as bold and supportive as FX, Edgeline Films and The New York Times.”
CASTING
Medical drama series “The Good Doctor” has announced that Kayla Cromer and Wavvy Jonez will star as recurring characters in the show’s final season.
Cromer will play the character of Charlene “Charlie” Lukaitis, a third-year medical student with Autism Spectrum Disorder who idolizes Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) and Taylor Swift. Jonez will play Dominick “Dom” Hubank, also a third-year medical student and a former football player who is faced with a fear of blood in his quest to become a doctor.
“The Good Doctor” follows Shaun, a surgeon with autism and Savant syndrome, as he leaves his small hometown of Casper, WY, and begins working at the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital in California. The seventh and final season will premiere Feb. 20 on ABC, with new episodes airing Tuesdays.
INITIATIVES
Inevitable Foundation, a nonprofit organization that invests in disabled writers and filmmakers, has announced the winners of the STARZ #TakeTheLead Collective grants and its Winter 2024 Elevate Collective cohort.
The grant winners are Kryzz Gautier, Hari Ziyad and writing partners Chris and Charlie Frazier, who will receive a $12,500 grant in addition to mentoring and coaching from STARZ creative executives.
Andrew Reid, Roma Murphy, Obiageli Odimegwu and Cheryl Meyer comprise the Winter 2024 Elevate Collective cohort. They will each receive $5,000 in funding for professional development, including career coaching, professional development, work-from-home equipment, script consultation and/or IP acquisition.
Since its launch three years ago, Inevitable Foundation has supported over 100 disabled writers and filmmakers through its Accelerate Fellowship, Elevate Collective, Concierge and Emergency Relief Fund.
RATINGS
Lifetime’s “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard” reached 9.8 million total viewers across linear and digital to-date, averaging a linear delivery of 1.1 million viewers across all three nights. The documentary is cable’s number one new series of the 2024 TV season, as well as Lifetime’s best new non-fiction performance in two years.
On premiere night, “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard” was the top program and doc and special interest series across all of TV in total social interactions, amassing four million total interactions. Lifetime’s social interactions reached 101 million video views, 107 million impressions and 26 million in total engagements throughout the promotional campaign for the documentary.
As for demand video and direct to own platforms, the documentary is number one on Google/YouTube and Apple’s top TV charts, with all six episodes holding six of the 10 spots on Apple’s top TV episode charts. The series was also number three on Amazon Prime Video’s top U.S. TV purchase charts.
“The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard” is available on VOD and for purchase. It is a Category 6 Media production, part of the A+E Factual Studios group, with Sharon Scott, Laura Fleury, Carolyn B. Day and Melissa Moore executive producing. Elaine Frontain Bryant, Brie Miranda Bryant and Nicole Vogel are executive producers for Lifetime. A+E Networks has worldwide distribution rights.
DEALS
Emmy Award-winning media company Asylum Entertainment Group has announced plans to create a “strategic and creative” partnership with multidisciplinary creative studio Large Eyes Entertainment, allowing the studio to produce premium nonfiction long-form projects under Asylum’s umbrella.
Founded by producer and director Scott Weintrob, Large Eyes Entertainment is “renowned for marrying iconic talent and brands to craft conceptually daring content across scripted, nonscripted, and commercial media.”
“Scott is a versatile storyteller whose artistry and ability to deliver premium content for A-list talent is second to none,” Jodi Flynn, president of Asylum Entertainment Group, said in a statement. “We are eager to draw on his unique aesthetic and ability to fuse commercial and long-form entertainment.”
Through Large Eyes Entertainment, Weintrob has previously collaborated with various streamers, global brands and talent. Weintrob helmed the Emmy-winning series “Savage x Fenty Show” on Amazon Prime, which Rihanna headlined and featured the world’s most influential fashion models.
Launched by producer Steve Michaels, Asylum has produced a slate of television long-form features, documentaries and unscripted series, including launching ESPN’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series “30 for 30” and the Emmy Award-winning limited series “The Kennedys: After Camelot,” starring Katie Holmes and Greg Kinnear.
“I’m energized by the opportunity to collaborate with the innovative leadership at Asylum,” Weintrob said. “Our shared philosophy for premium, talent-led genre-bending content will allow us to push boundaries in this constantly evolving marketplace.”
The announcement comes on the heels of Asylum’s recent investment in UK-based production company Moon & Back Media. Asylum also recently made first-look deals with “Rage Against the Machine’s” Tom Morello, his Comandante Productions and the New York Post.