Steve Coogan Tapped for Happyish Pilot for Showtime; Lifetime's Lizzie Borden Movie Turning Into Limited Series

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Steve Coogan Tapped for Happyish Pilot for Showtime; Lifetime's Lizzie Borden Movie Turning Into Limited Series

Noted for his range of comedic and dramatic roles, Oscar(R) and Golden Globe(R) nominee Steve Coogan (Philomena, Alan Partridge) is set to star in the Showtime comedy pilot Happyish. He'll succeed the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in the project. The half-hour single-camera comedy pilot will be filmed in New York this December. Happyish is a comedic, soul-searching examination of our pursuit of happiness, a pursuit that might just be the very thing causing our unhappiness in the first place. Coogan will star in the lead role of Thom Payne, a 44 year-old man whose world is thrown into disarray when his 25 year-old "wunderkind" boss arrives, saying things like "digital," "social" and "viral." Is he in need of a "rebranding," as his mentor insists, or does he just have a "low joy ceiling," as his corporate headhunter suggests? Maybe pursuing happiness is a fool's errand? Maybe, after 44 years on this ludicrous planet, settling for happyish is the best one can expect. Should this pilot be picked up to series, we will let you know. So, stay tuned...

Christina Ricci - Lizzie Borden Took an Ax

Lizzie Borden takes another whack... Lifetime has ordered the limited series Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles, in which Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award nominee Christina Ricci (Pan Am, Monster) will reprise her haunting role as the notorious murder suspect she portrayed in the network's hit original movie Lizzie Borden Took An Ax (#LizzieBorden). Screen Actors Guild Award® winner Clea DuVall (Argo) will also reprise her role in the series as Lizzie Borden's sister, Emma. Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles delivers an intense and fictionalized account of actual events and people surrounding Lizzie's life after her controversial acquittal of the horrific double murder of her father and stepmother in 1892, when the exonerated figure lives a life awash in newfound celebrity. But when numerous people close to Lizzie – ranging from her half-brother to Broadway luminaries and the head of the criminal underworld -- start to mysteriously die under brutal and strange circumstances, legendary Pinkerton detective Charlie Siringo (Cole Hauser, Good Will Hunting) becomes determined to prove her involvement in their ultimate demise. Emmy nominee John Heard (The Sopranos) will portray William Almy, the business partner of Lizzie's murdered father Andrew, while Lizzie's half-brother William will be played by Andrew Howard (Hatfields & McCoys). Six-one hour installments of Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles will air on Lifetime in 2015.

In its January 25, 2014, world premiere, Lizzie Borden Took An Ax averaged 4.4 million Total Viewers. Among social media, it was the evening's most-tweeted program across television, while it also drove the highest traffic to a movie premiere on mylifetime.com since November 2012. In 2014 YTD, it is ad-supported cable's second most-watched movie telecast among Women, second only to the Lifetime Original Movie Flowers in the Attic.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, May 21

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Funky Chili and Friends Who Take Their Clothes Off" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy and Jim butt heads when they take over the store for a sick Georgie and Ruben. Meanwhile, Audrey panics when Connor rekindles an old flame.

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A New Beau and Someone Else's Mom’s House" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Georgie and Mandy take matters into their own hands when Mary starts warming up to Fagenbacher (Matthew Letscher). Also, Audrey struggles to cope with Connor’s absence.

Ghosts - "Up the Creek" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When Woodstone’s future is put in jeopardy, Sam and Jay join forces with the ghosts to protect the mansion by securing its place in history.

Ghosts - "Across the Pond" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
A trip abroad could determine Woodstone’s fate. Meanwhile, a major career opportunity takes Sam out of town, leaving others to step in and help with the ghosts.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 18)

Thursday, May 21

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - Watch the series finale of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andrew is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Maya Rudolph (Loot/Bless the Harts/Forever/Up All Night) - Maya appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) and Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Andy Cohen interviews Keke and Brooke on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta) - LaKeith chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laure discusses Death of a Salesman on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Niecy Nash (Reno 911!/Getting On/The Soul Man/Do Not Disturb) - Niecy is Sherri's special guest on the final Sherri show, so check your local listings.
Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - Michelle stops by for a very special Sherri's Laugh Lounge on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - The Drew Barrymore Show has a little bit extra from Drew-crewers Ross Mathews, Sunny Anderson and Valerie sharing their tips in the kitchen with knife skills 101, so check your local listings.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) and Nick Jonas (Jonas) - Paul and Nick can be heard on the Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.
Judith Light (Who's the Boss?/Phenom/Transparent) - Judith talks about AMC+'s The Terror: Devil in Silver on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Utkarsh Ambudkar (Ghosts) - Utkarsh talks about Ghosts on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.