Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
The Big Door Prize has landed an early renewal at Apple TV+.
The news of the Season 2 pickup comes a week after its series premiere.
Starring an ensemble cast led by Chris O’Dowd, the 10-episode half-hour comedy is now streaming on Apple TV+, and new episodes of The Big Door Prize premiere weekly, every Wednesday.
“We are so grateful to the audiences around the world who have already embraced the weird little hopes and dreams of our Deerfield residents, and we could not be more excited about where we plan to take them in season two,” said creator David West Read.
Showtime announced today it will air Ghosts of Beirut, a four-part spy drama based on one of the greatest espionage stories of modern times: the manhunt for Imad Mughniyeh, the elusive Lebanese terrorist who outwitted his adversaries in the CIA and Mossad for over two decades.
The limited series, which features an innovative narrative approach augmented by deep journalistic research and documentary elements, will debut on streaming and on demand on Friday, May 19 for all SHOWTIME subscribers, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, May 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
The series stars an international cast including Dina Shihabi (Jack Ryan, Archive 81), Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave), Iddo Goldberg (Snowpiercer), Hisham Suleiman (Munich, Fauda), Amir Khoury (Image of Victory) and Rafi Gavron (A Star is Born).
The series comes from Fauda creators Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, and is also executive produced by Emmy® winner Greg Barker (Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden), who directs all four episodes, and Daniel Dreifuss (All Quiet on the Western Front).
Ghosts of Beirut reveals the origins of 21-year old Mughniyeh (also known as “The Ghost”) who emerged from obscurity and was responsible for more American deaths than any other individual prior to 9/11.
Told from the American, Israeli and Lebanese perspectives, the series traces Mughniyeh’s origins from the Shiite slums of South Beirut to his masterminding of the concept of suicide bombers, a deadly tactic that led to his swift rise as the world’s most dangerous terrorist.
Based on extensive research of still-classified events, the drama spans decades and weaves in first-hand, real-life interviews with prominent officials from the CIA and Mossad, connecting the turmoil of 1980s Beirut with the spy games of the modern Middle East.
Meanwhile, Prime Video released the trailer and key art for Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits, the musical comedy special from Alex Borstein.
The special premieres Tuesday, April 18, on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits is a deeply personal and wildly fictitious account of one woman’s attempt to f*** with perception.
A night of comedy, music, and waxing rhapsodic. A unique comedic special that will lead audiences into Alex Borstein’s mind through a marriage of humor and music, Corsets & Clown Suits is equal parts provocative and whimsical.
Borstein’s self-penned performance showcases her captivating form of storytelling, with the help of her muse and maestro, Barcelona-native musicians Eric Mills and Salva Rey.
Meanwhile, Hulu has set a premiere date for Taste the Nation the Nation With Padma Lakshmi Season 2.
Cookbook author, host and executive producer Padma Lakshmi, takes viewers on a culinary adventure across American soil, exploring the rich and diverse communities who have so heavily shaped what American food is today.
Over borscht, cornbread, pasteles and more, Padma uncovers the roots and relationship between our food, our humanity and our history — ultimately uncovering stories that challenge notions of identity, belonging, and what it means to be American.
The series returns on May 5. Check out the trailer below.
Grey’s Anatomy is adding a new cast member in the form of Sam Page.
Variety reported Wednesday that Page had joined the cast as Sam Sutton.
Page, who is best known for his work on The Bold Type, will first appear on Thursday, May 4.
He will then recur for the rest of the season — and possibly beyond.
ABC picked up Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 last month, so the long-running drama is not slowing down.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
