Small Screen: Superior Judge Postpones ‘General Hospital’ Lawsuit, Natasha Rothwell Talks Ideal ‘White Lotus Season’
ABC/disney
Broadcast: Superior Court Judge Tony Richardson has postponed the trial for a lawsuit filed by two former General Hospital crew members, James and Timothy Wahl, who claim they were fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine due to their Christian beliefs. The Wahls argue that ABC mischaracterized their objections as “lifestyle choices,” and although ABC has attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, they've been unsuccessful in their efforts, which remains set to go to trial unless a settlement is reached. Judge Richardson moved the trial date from Tuesday, May 13, 2025, to Monday, June 9, 2025, as both parties tried to resolve with the assistance of retired Judge Mitchell Beckloff. ABC released the father-son duo in 2021 for refusing to comply with vaccination protocols, stating they could not confirm their objections were based on religious grounds. Judge Goorvitch has ruled that the case will continue to a jury trial, allowing the jury to decide the authenticity of the Wahls' religious claims. Disney and ABC have declined to comment on the ruling.
The list of scripted shows green-lit for the 2025-2026 season is limited, though many of them seem to be associated with producer Dick Wolf. Despite budget discussions between NBC and Universal Television, the three Chicago dramas — Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med —as well as two Law & Order series (Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU), are expected to return. Among the three new NBC dramas that launched, The Hunting Party (2025) has done the best, making it considerable for renewal. However, there seems to be a bit of uncertainty regarding the rest of NBC’s scripted series due to anticipated budget cuts.
NBC’s long-running comedy sketch show, Saturday Night Live, will soon launch a British edition in partnership with Sky. The series will be paid for by Phil Edgar-Jones, the executive director of Unscripted Originals. It will be produced by Broadway Video in partnership with Universal Television Alternative Studio’s U.K. production team. You'll be able to stream the series on Sky Max as well as Now in 2026, but due to it still being in production, the exact lineup and premiere date are still unknown, though the format is said to stay the same as the US version. Original creator Lorne Michaels will serve as executive producer for the British adaptation while also running the US series.
Natasha Rothwell - Amy Sussman
Cable: HBO has renewed the post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2023) for a third season.
Based on Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after the release of a virus, ultimately destroying civilization. Joel (Pedro Pascal) is hired to transport Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a quarantine zone. Ellie carries a gene that could potentially create an antidote, leading to the revival of civilization. Their journey together quickly transforms into a brutal and heartbreaking adventure as they navigate the treacherous grounds, traveling across the country, solely relying on one another for survival. Season 2 takes place five years after the first season, with Joel and Ellie once again entangled in a conflict within a world that is even more unpredictable and dangerous than before. The Last of Us Is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is co-produced with Sony Pictures Television, along with writer and co-executive producer Halley Gross. You can catch the first episode of season 2 now on Hulu!
Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus/Insecure) recently shared her ideas for season 4 of HBO’s The White Lotus (2021). Just a heads up, there may be a few spoiler alerts. Recently, Rothwell mentioned that she is unsure if her character, Belinda Lindsey, will return. However, while reviewing her previous script from the series, she feels that there is a version where her character could make a comeback. In her ideal storyline, Belinda takes the hush money given to her by Greg (Jon Gries) but still decides to turn him into the police. Greg would ultimately have to leave Thailand to hunt her down, though it is possible Belinda never actually left the island at all. This, of course, would be the grand fan fiction for Rothwell. You can catch Rothwell in the latest season of The White Lotus on Max.
Zack looker - imdb
Streaming: Australia's research firm Media Partners Asia (MPA) suspects that Australia's video industry will grow by $12.3 billion within five years.
YouTube ranks as the top revenue generator in the overall video sector, with Netflix in fourth place and Foxtel and Nine holding second and third positions based on total screen revenues. The report also points out important drivers for continued investment in premium content and the expansion of ad-supported SVOD tiers. Disney+'s ESPN integration and DAZN's Foxtel acquisition are expected to reshape the competitive landscape, though weakening consumer sentiment hints at possible problems. If the UK streaming tax is approved, Netflix plans to increase its subscription price by 5%. The Culture, Media & Sport Committee (CMSC) suggested a tax on UK subscriber revenue, urging the government to implement it if the industry doesn’t take action within a year. If enacted, the cost is expected to be passed on to its consumers. Netflix stated that the UK is its “biggest production hub outside of North America” and stressed the need for a business environment that praises investment rather than punishes it. Other streaming platforms have questioned the necessity of the tax, with Commercial Broadcaster and On-Demand Services (COBA) arguing it could harm co-production budgets and damage Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) dramas. They noted that the investment from streamers in UK content is highly valued and cautioned that a tax could jeopardize this success.
Zac Looker (Geek Girl) is one of the new faces cast in the Prime Videos prequel series Elle. Looker plays Elle’s bold classmate and sparring partner, Dustin. In the series, we follow Elle Woods, originally from Legally Blonde (2009), during her high school years, exploring the important experiences that made her into the character we see in the film. Looker, who trained at the National Youth Theater in London, is originally from Hampshire, UK. He played the recurring role of Toby in the Netflix series Geek Girl. Additionally, he played Frank in the CBBC show A Kind of Spark (2023). Looker is represented by Haven, Denton Brierley, and attorney Jared Bloch.
FX’s series Adults, will premiere on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. However, you can start watching the eight-episode series on Thursday, May 29, 2025, on both Hulu and FX on Demand. The series follows five friends—Samir (Malik Elassal), Issa (Amita Rao), Anton (Owen Thiele), Paul (Jack Innanen), and Billie (Lucy Feyer)—as they navigate the complexities and challenges of adulthood while trying to succeed in life and manage their social relationships. Adults is executive produced by Nick Kroll (Big Mouth), Stefani Robinson (Atlanta), Kronengold and Shaw, and Jonathan Krisel (English Teacher). The series is produced by FX Productions.
Apple TV+ will be adding Sasha Calle (The Flash) and Raymond Lee (Kevin Can Go F*ck Himself) to its lineup of cast members in season 2 of Sugar. Sugar follows private detective John Sugar as he investigates the disappearance of a Hollywood producer's granddaughter. As he delves into his investigation, he gradually reveals family secrets, both old and new. The specific roles of Lee and Calle have yet to be released. Season 2 is executive-produced by Colin Ferrel, Scott Greenberg, Chip Vucelich, Christopher Rogers, and Gary Tieche. Calle made her debut in the superhero film The Flash (2023) as Supergirl and also appears in the drama In The Summers (2024) as Eva. Lee has been featured in the road trip film In The Unknown Country (2022) and in Netflix's dramedy Kevin Can Go F*ck Himself as Sam Park. Amazon Prime Video is currently working on a television adaptation of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The series, based on Wang Dulu's book, delves into the relationship between two warriors as they navigate a forbidden relationship. Originally published in the 1940s, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has been adapted many times for film, most famously the 2000 version starring the deceased Bruce Lee, which earned over $200 million and 10 Academy Award nominations. Ron D. Moore, Maril Davis, and Roy Lee from Vertigo Entertainment will all serve as executive producers, along with Jason Ning to serve as writer and executive producer. Ning is also known for Netflix's recently canceled The Brothers Sun (2024) as well as Lucifer (2016). Moore is also currently working on a series version of the popular game “God of War” at Prime Video.
Apple TV's Shrinking (2023) has added Sherry Cola (Nobody Wants This) and Isabella Gomez (One Day At A Time) to its recurring cast list. The series follows a grieving therapist who begins to transform his and his client's lives by breaking the rules and candidly sharing his thoughts. Shrinking was co-created by Jason Segel, Bill Lawrence, and Brett Goldstein and is produced by Warner Bros. Television. Sherry Cola began her career in radio and stand-up comedy and is most recognized for her role in Netflix's Joy Ride (2023). She is represented by CAA, Ginsburg Daniels Kallis, and Persona PR. Isabella Gomez gained fame for her minor role in Modern Family (2009) as well as her performance in the horror film Initiation (2020). She is represented by Gersh, Doyle Rice, and Persona PR.
Let's take a moment to reflect on a recent discussion surrounding Walter Emanuel Jones, the original Black Ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993). Jones responded to the show's head writer, Tony Oliver, who described the casting of Black and Asian actors as the Black and Yellow Rangers as a "mistake." In an Instagram post, Jones addressed Oliver's comment, stating, “Calling it a ‘mistake’ would dismiss the impact it had on countless people who found inspiration in TV’s first Black superhero. It wasn’t a mistake; it was a milestone.” Jones expressed his pride in wearing the black suit, saying he felt that he looked cool in it. However, he also found it a bit strange that Thuy Trang was cast as Trini, replacing Audris Dubois as the Yellow Ranger. Jones starred in the series from 1993 to 1994 before Johnny Yong Bosch took over the role. He later reprised his role for the 30th-anniversary film in 2023.
The Sundance Institute announced the fellows and their projects selected for the 2025 Episodic Intensive, which took place virtually on Thursday, April 10, 2025. The participants included: Kulap Vilaysack (POP), Liz Femi (Butter Baby), Jaclyn Backhaus (As Far as the Eye Can See), Aaron Baumann (The Darkness Inside Us), Summer Benowitz (blob), Patricia Kelly (Humdrum), Liz Maynes-Aminzade (The Grapevine) and Tom Richard Santos (John of Sherwood). Fellows received critiques from showrunners, writing producers, and development executives and participated in a writers' room to adapt a previous Sundance film into a series. Liz Femi’s Butter Baby is an animated satire set in 1990s Nigeria following a group of 10-year-old misfits confronting issues of class and capitalism. Femi is a Nigerian American writer and a 2024 Pushcart Prize winner in poetry. Kulap Vilaysack’s POP is the story of a disgraced former K-pop idol and a troubled heir to an energy drink empire. Together, they formed a partnership by starting a K-pop record label. Vilaysack is a comedic writer, director, and podcaster known for her time on Bajillion Dollar Propertie$.
Matrick Mondre Belton, better known as Trick Williams, will star in the season 7 finale of the football drama All American (2018) as Eddie Blair, an athletic director at South Crenshaw High. He previously made an appearance in season 3 of the CW series as an extra. Williams began his professional wrestling career in 2018, but it wasn't until 2021 that he signed with WWE, an organization known for producing breakout stars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and David Michael Bautista, better known solely as “Bautista”. Shortly after, he made his big debut in NXT, WWE’s live event and reality show. The series "All American" is produced by Warner Bros. Television and CBS Studios.
Mike Flanagan, known for creating the horror series The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) and The Haunting of Hill House (2018), has cast Siena Agudong in Amazon's adaptation of Stephen King's 1974 novel Carrie. Although the series was first reported to be in development in October 2024, there have been no further announcements regarding its status. Despite this, Flanagan will serve as showrunner and director, as well as executive producer along with Trevor Marcy. You can catch Agudong in Tubi's The QB and Me, a project she also executive produced, and she also plays the lead in Kevin Smith’s (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Clerks), The 4:30 Movie (2024). Agudong is represented by Gersh, Trilogy Talent, and Hirsch Wallerstein.
The popular Hulu series Only Murders in the Building (2021), starring Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short, will be adding stand-up comedian Jermaine Fowler to its Season 5 lineup! This multi-Emmy-nominated series follows three strangers living on the Upper West Side who share a love for true crime. When they unexpectedly become entangled in a murder investigation, this comedic trio sets out to uncover the truth, suspecting anyone and everyone. Fowler made his debut on the CBS series Superior Donuts (2017), which opened the door for more roles, including his appearance in the FX series A Murder at the End of the World (2023). You can expect to see Fowler in Tracy Morgan's comedy series Crutch (2025), which will stream on Paramount+.
Nemesis, Netflix’s newest crime drama, has announced its recurring cast, which includes Siua Ikale’o (Chief of War), Stephanie Sigman (Narcos), Quincy Isaiah (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Khalilah Joi (Mayor of Kingstown), Jay Reeves (6888), Moe Irvin (Ahsoka) Shane Johnson (Power), and Mike O’Malley (Heels). Created by Courtney A. Kemp (The Good Wife), the series takes place in Los Angeles, following two men on opposite sides of the law as they confront an intimidating criminal. Isaiah will play Gideon Davis, Reeves will play Jamel Brinkley, Irvin will play the role of Amos "Nightmare" Stiles, Sigman will play Detective Nicolette Harper, Ikale’o will play Ika Manakani and Joi will play Ella Wilder. Kemp will serve as the showrunner and executive producer, alongside Tani Marole and Chris Selak.
Slate pr
Industry: The founders of Slate PR—Stephen Huvane, Robin Baum, Simon Halls, and Andy Gelb—have announced the dissolution of their 15-year-old public relations company to launch a new firm: Apex Public Relations. While a version of Apex Public Relations has been in development for many years through various trials and errors, it will now operate with full staff and offices in both New York and Los Angeles. Additionally, all clients from Slate PR will be moving to this new venture, most notably Euphoria (2019) actress Zendaya.
