Television

TV Bits: 'Wahl Street', 'The Brides', 'Rebel', 'Fierce Queens', 'Stranger Things 4', And More

By Ben Pearson

In this edition of TV Bits:

  • Mark Wahlberg is getting his own HBO Max documentary series.
  • YouTube has cancelled Impulse after two seasons.
  • ABC's Rebel adds an Ocean's Eleven actor to its cast.
  • Reese Witherspoon's nature documentary gets a trailer.
  • Stranger Things 4 finds a new shooting location.
  • ABC's The Brides series has found its Dracula.
  • AMC has greenlit an animated series called Pantheon.
  • Quibi's Legends of the Hidden Temple is looking for contenders.

    • Mark Wahlberg Leaving Transformers

    Mark Wahlberg, the producer of and inspiration for HBO's Entourage, is returning to that premium channel family – but this time, he'll be in front of the camera for HBO Max. He's starring in an eight-episode documentary series called Wahl Street, which "offers fans a glimpse into global star Mark Wahlberg's life as he juggles the demands of a rigorous film schedule coupled with an ever-growing network of diverse businesses." And it sounds like there's a Shark Tank-style component to this, too:

    Each episode of WAHL STREET will follow Wahlberg as he navigates his expansive business portfolio, spanning all sectors of commerce ranging from a line of activewear, all-natural, high-performance sports nutrition supplements, television and film production companies, and even a Chevrolet dealership. Each episode will include a diverse group of entrepreneurs and inventors pitching Wahlberg a litany of new opportunities, eager to have Wahlberg endorse or invest in their ideas.

    And then there were three. After two seasons, YouTube has pulled the plug on its Jumper spin-off show Impulse, leaving only Cobra Kai and Liza on Demand as the streaming site's remaining scripted shows. You can read a letter about the cancellation from showrunner Lauren LeFranc above.

    Here's the first trailer for Fierce Queens, the Reese Witherspoon-hosted Quibi nature documentary series. The show will shine a light on "phenomenal female animals: the rebel matriarchs, powerful leaders and dangerous lovers of the natural world. From hyenas to fireflies, meerkats to humpback whales, the documentary series will bring you the most dramatic natural history stories from a fresh female perspective."

    stranger things 4 teaser

    According to a report from Deadline, who spoke with Netflix's vice president of physical production Patty Whitcher, a "significant portion" of the fourth season of Stranger Things will be shot in New Mexico. Netflix purchased production facilities in Albuquerque in 2018. We still don't know how much (if any) of the new season will be shot in Atlanta, where the entire series has been filmed thus far, but it sounds like there could be a new look for the show going forward. The shift tracks with the show's narrative, given the fact that the new season is opening up the scope beyond Hawkins, Indiana. (They've already filmed some in Lithuania, doubling for Russia.)

    Goran VisnjicGoran Visnjic (ER) has been cast to play Count Dracula in ABC's The Brides, which hails from Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale). It's "a vampire soap about empowered, immortal women and the things they do to maintain wealth, prestige, legacy — and their nontraditional family." Gina Torres and Katherine Reis play two of the three leads, women whom Dracula has turned into vampires.Andy Garcia presidentAndy Garcia has been cast in Rebel, ABC's drama that's inspired by the real life of Erin Brockovich. It stars Katey Sagal as Annie "Rebel" Bello, "a blue-collar legal advocate without a law degree. She's a funny, messy, brilliant and fearless woman who cares desperately about the causes she fights for and the people she loves. When Rebel applies herself to a fight she believes in, she will win at almost any cost."

    According to THR, Garcia will play a character named Julian Cruz, the lawyer for whom Rebel consults, and he's described as "a powerful attorney; sexy, smart and down-to-earth and strong in all the best ways." Garcia was previously attached to star in The Kenan Show alongside Saturday Night Live's Kenan Thompson, but since that show has been delayed so it can be revamped, Garcia was able to join this show.

    Variety reports that AMC has given a two-season order to its first-ever animated series, Pantheon, a one-hour show "based on a series of short stories by Ken Liu about Uploaded Intelligence, or human consciousness uploaded to the cloud." The eight-episode first season follows "Maddie, a bullied teen who receives mysterious help from someone online. The stranger is soon revealed to be her recently deceased father, David, whose consciousness has been uploaded to the cloud following an experimental destructive brain scan. David is the first of a new kind of being: an 'Uploaded Intelligence' or 'UI,' but he will not be the last, as a global conspiracy unfolds that threatens to trigger a new kind of world war."

    And finally, you can live out your childhood dreams by joining the cast of Quibi's revival of the classic Nickelodeon game show Legends of the Hidden Temple. Just follow the instructions listed in the tweet, and you and your pals could end up participating in "adult-sized challenges," which presumably include cleaning your apartment and finishing your taxes in a single day.

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