By David Bauder & Lynn Elber, AP Writers
ABC is bringing actress Hilary Swank and the writer-director of the 2015 Oscar-winning film "Spotlight" together for a new drama about a journalist working in Alaska.
The Thursday series "Alaska" headlines a fall schedule announced Tuesday that also includes an hourlong celebrity version of "Jeopardy!" and leans heavily on returning favorites.
Swank will play Eileen Fitzgerald, described as a "recently disgraced" reporter who leaves a high-profile New York life behind to seek personal and professional redemption up north. The creator is Tom McCarthy, who wrote the film about the Boston Globe's investigation of sexual abuse by Catholic priests.
Craig Erwich, ABC entertainment president, calls it a brave show for this era.
"Telling stories about journalists as heroes is something that's going to get a lot of conversation," Erwich said in an interview Tuesday. "It's a very optimistic look at the profession."
"The Rookie: Feds," a spinoff of ABC's "The Rookie," also earned a spot on the network's fall schedule. Niecy Nash-Betts stars as the oldest newcomer in the FBI academy in the series set for Tuesday night.
"Jeopardy!" will be paired with a celebrity edition "Wheel of Fortune" on Sunday nights. ABC said a host for the show will be named at a later date.
In perhaps providing a blueprint for a broadcast network in a world where streaming services are ascendant, ABC is emphasizing live and unscripted programming in the new season. Aside from its Wednesday night comedy lineup and three dramas on Thursday, scripted shows account for only three of 16 prime-time hours the rest of the week.
"American Idol" will return in midseason, while ABC has said the "Dancing With the Stars" franchise is moving to Disney+. The long-running celebrity dance contest will cede its time slots on ABC to a combination of reality series "Bachelor in Paradise" and NFL Monday night games.
"ABC is a network that is very much about community," Erwich said. "Whether it's bringing people together through the power of live events, we bring people together to watch family sitcoms, dramas with heroes at the center. We really think that's an opportunity, not just for broadcast television, but it's a place where ABC excels."
Media Writer David Bauder reported from New York, and Television Writer Lynn Elber reported from Los Angeles.
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More