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TV News Roundup: ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Mayans Spinoff Casts Edward James Olmos, ‘Silicon Valley’ Season 4 Sets Premiere Date

By
Dani Levy, Will Thorne, Sarah Ahern
Edward James Olmos Sons of Anarchy spinoff
Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock

In today’s TV News Roundup, FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff recruits Edward James Olmos, “Silicon Valley” Season 4 gets a premiere date, and more. 

CASTING
FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff, titled “Mayans MC,” has cast its first star, Variety has confirmed. Edward James Olmos has joined the pilot as a series regular. The “Battlestar Gallactica” alum will play Felipe Reyes, the once-strong Mexican patriarch, crushed by bullets and hard labor, who struggles to keep his past buried and lead his sons down a lawful, righteous path. The pilot, which is slated to shoot next month, focuses on the Mayans motorcycle club and will follow EZ Reyes (yet to be cast), a potential member for the club’s charter on the California-Mexico border. “Sons of Anarchy” creator Kurt Sutter will direct the pilot and serve as executive producer.

Syfy pilot “The Machine” has set its series regulars, including Bridger Zadina (“Law and Order: SVU”) as Santiago, an agoraphobic hacker who is cast out into the world he desperately fears, after uncovering the dangerous truth behind those he once believed to be his allies. Malachi Kirby (“Roots”)  is set to play Aaron, a lonely youth who created an A.I. as his best friend and equal. Olly Rix (“King of Prophets”) is on tap to play James, the principal test subject of a secret Ministry of Defense Artificial Intelligence program.

DATES

The newest season of HBO‘s inside look at the high-tech startup industry has a release date. The Emmy-winning “Silicon Valley,” starring Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, and Martin Starr, will kick off its ten-episode fourth season on April 23 at 10/9c. Mike Judge, Alec Berg, Michael Rotenberg and Tom Lassally executive produce.

HBO’s “2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony” will debut Saturday, April 29. This year’s inductees include Joan Baez, ELO, Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur and Yes. The show will be produced by Playtone and Line By Line Productions, with Jann Wenner, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Joel Peresman serving as EPs, and Alex Coletti producing and directing.

Viceland will premiere its new documentary series “Beerland” on April, 27. The show, described as a travel-competition show hybrid, will center around a search for the best home brewers across the country and will explore beer’s role in shaping the culture of a community. Produced in partnership with Golden Road Brewing’s founder, Meg Gill, the show will travel to six cities, highlighting diverse local home brewers and eventually helping one winner earn a brewing and distribution deal.

BBC America will air the BRIT Awards ceremony on Feb. 22 at 10/9c, the same day as the United Kingdom. Hosted by Dermot O’Leary and Emma Willis, the BRIT Awards celebrates the world of music, specifically U.K. chart and commercial successes. The evening will consist of performances by Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Little Mix, and more.

FIRST LOOK

Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will guest star in Thursday’s all episode of NBC’s “The Blacklist.” The studio also released first look images of Mitchell in character. He will play David Levine, an elegant, priggish bank executive with impeccable taste in both clothing and art, who finds himself in a war of words with the show’s central character Raymond Reddington (James Spader). The episode airs Thursday, Feb. 16 at 10/9c on NBC. Here’s a first look at Stokes:

THE BLACKLIST -- "The Architect (#107)" Episode 414 -- Pictured: Brian Stokes Mitchell as David Levine -- (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)

 

PREMIERES

Fans of Showtime’s drama “Billions” can watch the Season 2 premiere ahead of its debut on Feb. 19. Non-Showtime subscribers can now watch the premiere for free on YouTube and SHO.com. Subscribers can access the episode across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites and applications and free SVOD channels.  Following the premiere on the 19th, Showtime will release the second episode early to subscribers starting at 11/10c.

RENEWALS

Disney Channel has ordered a third season “Elena of Avalor.” The series tracks the teen princess Elena, who has saved her magical kingdom of Avalor from an evil sorceress and must now learn to rule as its crown princess. 

GREENLIGHTS

Amazon Studios has ordered two new Amazon Original Kids Series: “Pete the Cat,” based on the award-winning book series, and “Costume Quest,” based on the popular video games. Amazon’s new children’s series come from creators including Jeff “Swampy” Marsh (“Phineas and Ferb”), Will McRobb (“The Adventures of Pete & Pete”) and Frederator Studios’ Fred Seibert (“The Fairly OddParents”). Both series will be available exclusively for Prime members and will debut in 2018.

DEALS

In an attempt to better explore issues of contemporary social importance, the Peabody Media Center, Fusion and The Root launched a content partnership. The deal will join Peabody’s media archive center with the Fusion team, and represents the first industry collab for Peabody, which launched the media center last November and is the largest repository of audiovisual materials in the U.S. A first project under Peabody’s new “Peabody Spotlight” programming banner will consist of episodes telling stories from different perspectives in African-American History. The series will be featured throughout February across the digital, social and OTT platforms for the different partners.

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