TV News Roundup: 'I Love Lucy' Anniversary Special, 'School Spirits' Cast Update
Good morning! Here's a curated catch-up on Thursday's TV headlines.
Previously on Matt's Inside Line.... I shared the news of #OneChicago's latest three-way crossover, broke down the latest broadcast and streaming ratings, and linked you to my review of Apple TV's 12 12 12 heist drama for The A.V. Club. Now, here's a handy recap of a few other Thursday headlines.
Matt Webb Mitovich
◼️ CBS will (belatedly, by two months) celebrate an iconic sitcom's diamond gold anniversary with I Love Lucy: 75 Years of Laughter, airing Thursday, Dec. 17, at 8/7c; said special will be followed by back-to-back colorized episodes, “The Christmas Show” and “Never Do Business with Friends.” Paramount+, meanwhile, hosts six seasons of I Love Lucy, including an Iconic Episodes collection featuring “Lucy Does a TV Commercial" and “Lucy’s Italian Movie,” among others.
◼️ Milo Manheim and Jennifer Tilly will return for Season 4 of Paramount+'s School Spirits, as teen spectre Wally Clark and school supe Deborah Hunter-Price, while Maria Dizzia (who plays Maddie's mom, Sandra) has been upped to series regular.
Matt Webb Mitovich
◼️ Damian Lewis (Billions) is first aboard Day 1s, a Paramount+ comedy about a gifted young footballer who fulfills his dream of playing in the Premier League when he signs with Brentford FC. Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry are among the exec producers.
◼️ Teyonah Parris (WandaVision) will star as mom/restaurateur Yasmen Wade in Before I Let Go, a Peacock series based on the novel by Kennedy Ryan. Danielle Brooks (OITNB) will play Yasmen’s best friend Hendrix, per Deadline.
◼️ The Spot, starring Claire Danes and Ewan McGregor, will premiere Wednesday Jan. 13, 2027, on Hulu. The A24 drama series follows a surgeon (Danes) and her schoolteacher husband (McGregor) who begin to suspect she might be responsible for a child’s hit-and-run death.
◼️ She’s Fine, the previously untitled Apple TV comedy starring and executive produced by Elizabeth Banks, will premiere Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2027. The premise: "Fresh off a messy divorce, Heidi (Banks) sets out to secure a lively second act for herself and her kids" — only to stumble into coordinating her father’s "retirement community sexcapades."
Matt Webb Mitovich
◼️ Paramount+ has set a Friday, May 21 launch date for Avatar: Seven Havens Book 2, which will stream 13 episodes over four weeks (3+3+3+4).
◼️ Disney+ will stream live The Game Awards, the video game industry’s biggest celebration, Thursday, Dec. 10, starting at 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT. Is Marble Madness up for anything...?
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