This week in TV news, Antoine Fuqua is working with the Weinsteins, Dick Wolf gets into the anthology game, Soul Train may be back on track, and more!
TRAINING DAY AND SOUTHPAW DIRECTOR IS BRINGING HIS TALENTS TO TELEVISION
Antoine Fuqua is expanding his relationship with The Weinstein Company, following their collaboration with
Southpaw. Fuqua has signed a
multi-year, first-look television deal with TWC. His first project with the studio will be the final book from the famed
Godfather trilogy, Mario Puzo’s
Omerta. Regarding the deal, Fuqua said, “It’s a great time to work in TV with the type of high-quality caliber shows that are out there now; Harvey, Bob and the entire Weinstein team have been great collaborators, so I can’t think of a better studio to partner with on this endeavor.” The director is also busy executive producing his drama
Training Day for CBS TV.
SESAME STREET INTRODUCES ZARI, THE FIRST AFGHAN MUPPET
In its Afghanistan co-production,
Sesame Street is welcoming
a new muppet, Zari. Zari, a six year old girl, is the show’s first Afghan muppet. She will star in local segments centered on female empowerment and national identity, along with themes surrounding social, physical, and emotional health. The name “Zari” means “shimmering” in Dari and Pashto languages.
LAW & ORDER GETS INTO THE ANTHOLOGY GAME
Dick Wolf is looking to expand the
Law & Order franchise into anthology drama, with
Law & Order: True Crime.
The first installment of the series will
center on Lyle and Erik Menendez, who murdered their parents in 1989. After two highly-publicized trials with hung juries, the brothers were finally convicted of the crime in 1996, and are now serving life without parole. The first eight-episode season is currently in development for NBC.
IS THE SOUL TRAIN PULLING BACK INTO THE STATION?
BET Networks has acquired the
Soul Train franchise, including its library of 1,100 episodes and 40 TV specials. The networks’ EVP of Strategy and Operations, Richard Gay, said that they look forward to finding, “Engaging and smart ways to grow the brand while preserving its heritage and legacy in music, dance and fashion.” There is already a
Soul Train Broadway musical and a Concert Tour in the works, but there is currently no news as to whether a reboot of the classic dance show can be expected.
