Cable TV Fall Preview Part 2

Cable TV Fall Preview Part 2

SPIKE  In 2018, Viacom-owned Spike will transform into the Paramount Network.  The goal for Viacom is to reach a broader audience with a new line-up of scripted series.  American Woman is set to air in first quarter of 2018.  The dramedy will star Alicia Silverstone (Clueless), Mena Suvari (American Beauty) and Jennifer Bartels (Broken).  The series is said to mimic the real-life story of Kyle Richards (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).  Heathers is another upcoming series set to air in first quarter 2018 under the new Paramount name.  Heathers will be a remake of the 1988 cult classic film. Heathers will air in the present day and star Grace Victoria Cox as Veronica Sawyer.  Veronica must navigate a very different but equally cutthroat group of girls. Paramount will also air a six-part series about the true story of the 51-day in 1993. Waco standoff. Waco will air January 2018.

SyFy  Sharknado 5: Global Swarming is happening!  Fin (Ian Ziering) and April (Tara Reid) and their family must fight to save the world from a global Sharknado. True to form, there will be plenty of special guest appearances – Olivia Newton John, Brett Michaels, Tony Hawk, Kathy Lee Gifford.  Sharknado 5 premiered in August.  Krypton is a new series set to be released in 2018.  The series takes place before the existence of our beloved Superman on Krypton and follows Superman’s grandfather played by Cameron Cuffe.  Happy! is a new series also set to air in 2018.  The series is based on the best-selling book of the same name and stars Christopher Melonie as Nick Sax.  Ghost Wars is a 13-episode new drama scheduled to air late 2017. Set in an Alaskan town crawling with paranormal forces, Roman Mercer (Avan Jogia) is tasked with destroying these forces, but must also overcome his own demons.  Vincent D’Onofrio and Meatloaf will also star in the series.

TBS  Guest Book premiered in August. It’s a comedy about a cottage for rent in a small town.  Each episode will focus on a new guest and the comical situations that ensue during their stay.  Kellie Martin, Lou Wilson and Charles Robinson will star in the upcoming series. TBS has announced four animated shows set to air 2017/2018. The Cops is an animated series that follows two Los Angeles patrolmen voiced by Louie C.K. (Lou) and Albert Brooks (Al).  Close Enough is an animated series about a couple heading into their thirties.  Final Space is an animated comedy about an astronaut, Gary Space, and Mooncake, his alien friend. Tarantula is a dark animated comedy about a group of individuals living in a questionable hotel.

TNT  The Alienist debuts later in 2017.  It’s based on the Caleb Carr novel of the same name. Set in 1896 New York City, it centers around a crime reporter and a psychologist who begin to investigate a serial killer.  The cast includes Luke Evans, Daniel Bruhl and Dakota Fanning.  Will is a drama depicting William Shakespeare’s 20-something life in London.  This fictional series delivers an edgy vibe with a modern soundtrack and focuses on Will’s ascension into the 16th century punk rock theater scene.  The series stars Laurie Davidson as Will.  Claws is a dramedy about five manicurists employed at a central Florida nail salon.  Their tumultuous personal lives intertwine and the women find themselves in the world of organized crime. The series stars Niecy Nash as Desna Simms.

TRU-TV  I’m Sorry is a new series on the network created by and starring Andrea Savage.  Savage is a comedic actor, writer and producer who has appeared in shows such as Veep and Episodes. The first half-hour episode premiered in July.  Andrea appears to be a confident comedy writer, wife and mother, but exposes her neurotic tendencies and immature personality through unexpected comedic life situations. Series regulars will include Tom Everett Scott, Judy Greer, Jason Mantzoukas and Martin Mull.

USA  The Sinner is an eight-episode miniseries starring Jessica Biel and Bill Pullman. The miniseries is based on a novel of the same name by Petra Hammesfahr and the first episode aired in August.  Jessica Biel is a seemingly happily married wife and mother. She suddenly commits a terrible crime against what appears to be a stranger, but cannot explain why. Bill Pullman is the investigator who believes things are not what they seem and tries to uncover the truth. A new scripted true-crime drama, Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. is set to air 1Q of 2018.  The series follows two major police investigations into the murders of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace aka the Notorious B.I.G. The cast includes Wavyy Jonez (Wallace), Marcc Rose (Shakur), Josh Duhamel (Detective Russell Poole) and Bokeem Woodbine (Officer Daryn Dupree). The drama is based on the book Murder Rap: The Untold Story of Biggie Smalls and Tupac  Shakur  Murder  Investigations.   And,  something fun  for  the  holidays,  Psych,  one  of  USA’s  longest-running series, will be back with a holiday movie in December 2017. Psych: The Movie includes core cast members James Roday and Dulè Hill. Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Corbin Bernson and Kristen Nelson will join the pair for this production.

VICELAND  James Van Der Beek stars in What Would Diplo Do? The series is a mockumentary about a successful DJ, producer and record executive named Diplo (Van Der Beek). Although adored by his fans, Diplo tends to lack in the sense department and doesn’t always make the best decisions – such as placing a violin in a blender.  Nuts and Bolts also premieres in August and features Tyler, The Creator – an American rapper, record producer and co-founder of Odd Future, an alternative hip-hop collective.  Tyler, The Creator explores his favorite things (from mustard to donuts to stop motion to time travel) and attempts to recreate them with the help of some special guests such as Bill Nye the Science Guy and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

WE-TV  Bossip.com is a top African-American pop culture and celebrity news site.  WE-TV and Bossip have decided to team up to broadcast Bossip to WE-TV’s audience.  The 30-minute program, filmed at the Bossip headquarters in Atlanta, premiered in July.  Cast members include Janee Bolden, Jason “Jah” Lee, Danielle “Dani” Canada, Alex Ford, Ronnie Jordan, Tyler Chronicles, and Maura Chanz.  Each half-hour segment includes commentary on the latest entertainment news delivered with a fun feel.  There are also celebrity guests asked to join the cast to provide insight into that day’s gossip headlines.