In today’s TV News Roundup, Eva Longoria is set to guest-star on “Empire,” Stephen King’s “Mr. Mercedes” detective novel series casts Brendan Gleeson, Mary Louise-Parker and Holland Taylor, plus more…
CASTING
Eva Longoria will guest-star on “Empire,” Fox announced on Monday. The “Desperate Housewives” alum will play Charlotte Frost, the director of the all-powerful state gaming commission which has the power to determine the fate of Lucious’ (Terrence Howard) goal of expanding Empire to Las Vegas and beyond. Longoria joins other Season 3 guest stars, including Taye Diggs, Phylicia Rashad, Rumer Willis and Nia Long. TVLine was first to report Longoria’s multi-episode guest gig on “Empire,” which returns with the back half of Season 3 on Mar. 22 at 9 p.m.
The cast of AT&T Audience Network and Sonar Entertainment‘s new original series “Mr. Mercedes” has been announced. Based on Stephen King’s detective novel of the same name, the 10 hour-long episodes will feature Brendan Gleeson as the taunted and manipulated police detective Bill Hodges, opposite Harry Treadaway as demented murderer Brady Hartsfield, whom Hodges will attempt to capture even if it means breaking a few laws himself. Kelly Lynch, Jharrel Jerome, Scott Lawrence, Robert Stanton, Breeda Wool, Justine Lupe, and Ann Cusack will also appear alongside Mary Louise-Parker and Holland Taylor. The series, written by David E. Kelly, is currently in production in Charleston, South Carolina.
GREENLIGHTS
YA novel “The Dead Girls Detective Agency” has been greenlit for pilot production by co-producers Insurrection Media and Keshet Studios. The Suzy Cox-penned paranormal drama is a whodunnit, coming-of-age love story about the sudden death of a young Manahattanite who learns of her death in a bizarre version of purgatory. To pass to the other side, she must solve the mystery of her own murder. TV writing team Jerica Lieberman and Molly Margraf are on board for the adaptation. The co-producers are developing with a digital-first eye, targeting online platforms in the U.S. and worldwide before a linear TV run. Production on the pilot begins in March.
EXECUTIVE NEWS
Former MTV executive Dane Reiley has been appointed as VP of comedy development and production for NorthSouth Productions. Reiley will be responsible for overseeing NorthSouth’s growing comedy division in the New York office and with developing/producing unscripted, comedy-oriented formats and docu-series for broadcast and cable networks as well as digital outlets in the U.S. and U.K. He will report directly to CEO and founder Charlie DeBevoise.
DIGITAL
A+E Networks has launched its direct-to-consumer SVOD service on Comcast’s Xfinity platform. For $4.99 per month, Comcast subscribers can also sign up for access to History Vault, which will include History series and documentaries available for instant viewing alongside weekly spotlight series and programs which will focus on timely and contextual topics like the new multi-part program “Inside the Presidency.” Curated collections will also be included. The History Vault is already available on iOS, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon’s Streaming Partners Program, with a rollout on Android in the coming months.
