Miley Cyrus will be an adviser on “The Voice,” while heavy metal band Metallica is set to appear on Showtime’s “Billions,” in today’s news roundup…
Casting
Miley Cyrus will be a key adviser in the 10th season of the NBC musical competition series “The Voice.”
“When Miley speaks everyone pays attention. Our artists are very lucky to have the benefit of her instincts and wisdom,” said Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment. “Our viewers will be treated to an inside look at one of the brightest minds in music and the entertainment industry who is at the forefront of pop culture.”
Along with being a singer/songwriter, Cyrus has hosted the VMAs and “Saturday Night Live” and become an accomplished actress, appearing in “A Very Murray Christmas,” “The Night Before,” and a new Woody Allen series for Amazon.
The rock band Metallica will be featured in the episode of “Billions” set to air after the Super Bowl on Sunday.
In the episode, Axe (Damian Lewis) takes a trip to see Metallica in concert with his childhood friends, and meets a free spirited young woman (guest star Kerry Bishé) who forces him to face the limits of his own freedom. The scenes with Metallica were shot on location in Quebec during one of the band’s tour dates last Fall.
Production
Lifetime has started production on telepic “The Real MVP.”
The story centers around Wanda Pratt — the mother of NBA star Kevin Durant — and the sacrifices she made for her two sons. Pratt will be played by Cassandra Freeman, Tracie Thoms will play her best friend and Pauletta Washington will play her mother, Barbara. The show is being brought to screen with the help of Queen Latifah, Shakim Compere and their Flavor Unit production shingle.
“Latifah and I are so lucky to be able to collaborate with Wanda Pratt on her story. Wanda’s tale is both empowering and inspirational and we cannot wait for the Lifetime audience to see it,” said Compere.
Series Pickups
Sprout, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment’s 24-hour preschool network, has announced the premiere of Dot.”
“Dot.,” a new original animated series based on the popular children’s book by Randi Zuckerberg and produced by Industrial Brothers (“Yup Yups,” “Gummandos”) in association with The Jim Henson Company (“Pajanimals,” “Dinosaur Train”), follows tech-savvy Dot on her adventures to satisfy her imagination.
“We couldn’t be more delighted to add Dot to our Sprout family,” said Sprout network president Sandy Wax. “She exemplifies everything Sprout believes in, starting with the way she inspires her friends and family to experience new possibilities every single day.”
“Dot.” will air in Sept. 2016.
