TV Bits: 'F Is For Family', 'Hedy Lamarr', 'Step Up', 'Diary Of A Future President', 'Tuca And Bertie', 'Lucifer'
In this edition of TV Bits:
F is for Family is an animated series that has been on Netflix for four seasons! This is surprising to me, because I can't remember the last time I saw anyone talking about this thing. But clearly it has an audience, and that audience will be thrilled to check out the trailer above. The animated series set in the '70s is returning on June 12, and this season, "While Frank deals with an unwelcome visit from his estranged father, Sue pursues New Age pregnancy support, and the Murphy kids try out new personas."
Gal Gadot is set to play actress Hedy Lamarr in a new limited series, and that series has found a new home. The project was previously in development for two years at Showtime, but it's now headed to Apple TV+. There's no premiere date yet, but Apple just gave an eight-episode order to the series, and released the following synopsis:
Hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world, Hedy Lamarr was first exalted and iconized, then destroyed and eventually forgotten by American audiences, all the while keeping her brilliant mind active through a series of inventions, one of which became the basis for the spread spectrum technology we use today. The series will follow the incredible life-story of Hollywood glamour girl, spanning 30 years from Hedy's daring escape from pre-war Vienna; to her meteoric rise in the Golden Age of Hollywood; to her fall and eventual disgrace at the dawn of the Cold War. An epic tale of an immigrant woman both ahead of her time and very much victim to it.
Step Up, the film series about attractive young people dancing, was turned into a YouTube original and ran for two seasons (yes, really!). Now, the show is headed to Starz. Per Variety, "the series centers on Sage Odom (Ne-Yo) as the legendary founder of Atlanta's famed High Water Performing Arts School and Collette (Naya Rivera), his partner in High Water and in life. The upcoming season will see Sage, Colette and their relationship challenged as they face criminal charges, financial ruin and powerful political enemies who want to destroy Sage and High Water."
Disney+ has given Diary of a Future President a second season. The series from executive producer Gina Rodriguez "follows the adventures of Elena Cañero-Reed as she navigates the ups and downs of middle school on her journey to become the future president of the United States." Rodriguez plays the adult Elena on the series. "Optimistic, heartfelt stories that inspire are fundamental to our content and creator Ilana Peña's series delivers on these attributes in spades," said Agnes Chu, senior vice president, Content, Disney+. "Families around the world have fallen in love with Elena and the Cañero-Reed family and we are thrilled to bring Elena's often hilarious and always meaningful journey through adolescence back for another season. It has been wonderful to partner with the extraordinary Gina Rodriguez to champion specific, diverse points-of-view and we look forward to seeing even more of President Cañero-Reed in this next chapter."
Netflix canceled Tuca and Bertie after one season, a move that upset many of the show's fans. But Adult Swim has come to the rescue, reviving the series for a new season. There's no full return date yet, but the above teaser confirms the animated show will be arriving on Adult Swim sometime next year, with voice stars Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong both set to return.
If you were waiting with bated breath for the return of Lucifer, you can exhale a little. There's been some question about whether or not the Netflix show would return for a sixth season, but now there's word that star Tom Ellis just signed a new deal to return. Per Deadline, "It took lengthy, difficult negotiations with Ellis but he also recently signed on to return." The rest of the cast is back as well.