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TCA Winter 2022 Press Tour: ABC; Hulu Orders More of The Great

Having kicked off its celebratory eighth and final season with a visit from Michelle Obama, black-ish fills up its star-studded guest roster with a slate of celebrity appearances as the Johnsons prepare to say goodbye. Starting with the all-new episode airing that aired last night (Jan. 11), on ABC, upcoming special guest stars this season include Andrew Bachelor (KingBach), Kent Bazemore, Simone Biles, Jeanie Buss, Daveed Diggs, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Vivica A. Fox, Montrezl Harrell, Dwight Howard, Magic Johnson, DeAndre Jordan, Malik Monk, Isaiah Mustafa, Kendrick Nunn, Rajon Rondo, Reid Scott and Stephen A. Smith, among others. Throughout its farewell season, ABC's Emmy(R) Award-nominated comedy series black-ish will continue to tell stories that shine a light on current events through the lens of the Johnson family. The series stars Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson, Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Marcus Scribner as Andre Johnson Jr., Miles Brown as Jack Johnson, Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson, Laurence Fishburne as Pops, Jenifer Lewis as Ruby, Peter Mackenzie as Mr. Stevens, Deon Cole as Charlie Telphy and Jeff Meacham as Josh.

ABC Entertainment has ordered season 19 of the iconic and longest-running primetime medical drama series Grey's Anatomy starring Ellen Pompeo. In the upcoming season, the record-breaking Shondaland franchise will explore the ever-expanding world of modern medicine through the eyes of beloved returning and new characters. Executive producer and showrunner Krista Vernoff will continue to helm the series, which remains a global sensation and the network's No. 1 show this season and the No. 1 broadcast drama among Adults 18-49 (tie). Currently in its 18th season, Grey's Anatomy ties as the No. 1 broadcast drama among Adults 18-49. Grey's Anatomy has ranked among the Top 10 entertainment broadcast series in each of its 18 seasons among Adults 18-49 and stood as 2021's No. 1 most social scripted series. The series averages 12.8 million Total Viewers this season after 35 days of delayed viewing across platforms. Season 18 returns to ABC on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 9:00 p.m. EST, in a crossover event with Station 19. Viewers can also stream the current season on Hulu. Grey's Anatomy stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt, Kim Raver as Teddy Altman, Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson, Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd, Kelly McCreary as Maggie Pierce, Chris Carmack as Atticus "Link" Lincoln, Jake Borelli as Levi Schmitt, Richard Flood as Cormac Hayes and Anthony Hill as Winston Ndugu.

ABC has also renewed Station 19 for its sixth season. Executive producer and showrunner Krista Vernoff will continue to helm the successful Grey's Anatomy spinoff series. Station 19 follows a group of heroic Seattle firefighters as they put their lives and hearts on the line. The latest series, from the executive producers of Grey's Anatomy, takes us inside the tough, tight-knit and sometimes heartbreaking world of the city's bravest first responders. Station 19 averages a 2.17 rating among Adults 18-49 this season after 35 days of viewing on linear and digital platforms, marking an increase of +234% over its initial Live+Same Day rating. Station 19 stars Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera, Jason George as Ben Warren, Boris Kodjoe as Robert Sullivan, Grey Damon as Jack Gibson, Barrett Doss as Victoria Hughes, Jay Hayden as Travis Montgomery, Danielle Savre as Maya Bishop, Stefania Spampinato as Carina DeLuca and Carlos Miranda as Theo Ruiz.

Hulu has renewed The Great, from Tony McNamara (The Favourite), for a 10-episode, third season. The critically acclaimed second season debuted on Hulu on Friday, November 19, 2021 and is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 100%. The series is currently nominated for three Critics' Choice Awards. In season two of The Great, Catherine (Elle Fanning) finally takes the Russian throne for her own — but if she thought coup-ing her husband was difficult, it's nothing compared to the realities of ‘liberating' a country that doesn't want to be. She’ll battle her court, her team, even her own mother in a bid to bring the enlightenment to Russia. With only occasional historical facts, the series stars Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Bayo Gbadamosi and Belinda Bromilow.

The Great is created, written and executive produced by Tony McNamara and executive produced by Marian Macgowan, Mark Winemaker, Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Echo Lake's Brittany Kahan Ward, Doug Mankoff and Andrew Spaulding, Thruline's Josh Kesselman and Ron West, and Matt Shakman. The series is from Civic Center Media in association with MRC Television. The second season of The Great was one of the top performing original comedies on Hulu in 2021 and continues to grow Hulu's highly successful slate of female-driven comedies, including Dollface, Pen15 and the upcoming Life & Beth, which marks Amy Schumer's return to TV.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: ABC, black-ish, Grey's Anatomy, Hulu, Station 19, The Great

Hulu Gears Up for Comedy Premieres in May; Quibi Programming Slate for April 6 Launch

New Hulu comedy The Great premieres May 15 with 10 episodes. The Great is a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest reigning female ruler in Russia's history. Season One is a fictionalized, fun and anachronistic story of an idealistic, romantic young girl, who arrives in Russia for an arranged marriage to the mercurial Emperor Peter. Hoping for love and sunshine, she finds instead a dangerous, depraved, backward world that she resolves to change. All she has to do is kill her husband, beat the church, baffle the military and get the court onside. A very modern story about the past which encompasses the many roles she played over her lifetime as lover, teacher, ruler, friend, and fighter. The series stars Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Sebastian de Souza, Bayo Gbadamosi, Belinda Bromilow

Hulu comedy Ramy returns May 29 with 10 episodes. The Golden Globe(R) Award-winning actor Ramy Youssef returns to Hulu for his critically-acclaimed performance in the Hulu Original comedy series Ramy. The series follows first-generation, Egyptian-American Ramy Hassan (Youssef) who is on a spiritual journey in his politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. Ramy brings a new perspective to the screen as it explores the challenges of what it's like to be caught between a religious community who believes life is a moral test, and a millennial generation that doubts an afterlife even exists. In the second season, Ramy delves further into his spiritual journey, finding a new Muslim community and embracing a deeper commitment to his faith. The series stars Ramy Youssef, Mahershala Ali, Mohammed Amer, Hiam Abbass, Amr Waked, May Calamawy, Dave Merheje, Laith Nakli, Steve Way

Quibi unveiled that it will launch with 50 shows, including Survive, Most Dangerous Game, Thanks A Million, Chrissy's Court, Murder House Flip, Last Night's Late Night, The Replay by ESPN and more on April 6. As an added bonus, Quibi announced it would offer 90 day free trials for a limited time. To unlock the offer, viewers need to visit Quibi.com and sign-up before April 6. Launching on April 6, Quibi is the first entertainment platform designed specifically for your phone and will feature fresh, original content from Hollywood's biggest stars and creators. Quibi will release 175 original shows and 8,500 quick bites of content in the first year alone. Among the stars featured are Jennifer Lopez, Chrissy Teigen, Chance the Rapper, Kristen Bell, Liam Hemsworth, Sophie Turner, Lena Waithe, Nicole Richie, Reese Witherspoon, Will Forte, Eva Longoria and more.

Quibi will offer three categories of content:
1. Movies in Chapters: Big stories told in chapters that are 7 to 10 minutes in length.
2. Unscripted and Docs: This episodic category is food, fashion, travel, animals, cars, builds, music, sports, comedy, talk, variety, documentary and more. All with episodes in 10 minutes or less.
3. Daily Essentials: Curated daily into 5-6 minute quick bites of news, entertainment and inspiration. Quibi's Daily Essentials will quickly give viewers everything they need to know - and why it matters.

Quibi - which is short for "quick bites" - is built for easy, on-the-go mobile viewing with new episodes of movie-quality shows delivered daily in episodes of 10 minutes or less. The Quibi app is now available for pre-order. Quibi will cost $4.99 with ads and $7.99 without ads. 

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM

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Labels: Hulu, Quibi, Ramy, The Great