Small Screen: ‘Beyond The Gates’ Reaches 200th Episode Milestone, Apple TV+ Announces Price Hikes
Broadcast: Coby Bell, who recently starred in the CW series Walker, has signed with Defining Artists for representation. Bell played Texas Ranger Captain Larry James for all four seasons of Walker, a reimagining of CBS's action/crime series Walker, Texas Ranger. Bell’s other credits include a series regular role as Jace Turner in Fox's The Gifted and a long-running role as Jason Pitts in The Game, which aired for nine seasons. Bell has also appeared in recurring roles on CBS's SEAL Team, Hand of God, and Amazon's Mad Dogs. Bell continues to be represented by Barbara Stark Management.
Former Night Court star Lacretta Nicoke signed a representation deal with Innovative Artists Entertainment for both television and film. She played court bailiff Donna “Gurgs” Gurganous in the NBC revival series, which ended its last season in May 2025. Additionally, Lacretta appeared on the ABC drama pilot Salvage (2018) as a series regular. She has also guest-starred in Gotham (2014), 30 Rock (2006), Broad City (2014), and Law & Order (1990). Lacretta co-starred with Jennifer Lopez in the Peter Segal comedy Second Act (2018).
Kenya Barris (Black-ish) is developing a new multi-camera comedy featuring comedian Mike Epps in the lead role. This currently untitled series is a half-hour series written and created by Barris. The story follows two estranged brothers, one of whom is played by Epps, who reunite to sell their late grandmother’s house. However, they discover that the caretaker of the home now owns part of it and refuses to sell. The situation forces the brothers to live together and confront their differences.
Barris and Epps are serving as executive producers alongside his producing partner, Niles Kirchner, and Aaron Kaplan. This project reunites Epps with Barris after the comedian appeared in Barris’ Netflix film You People (2023). The new comedy marks Barris’ return to broadcast television, where he created and executive-produced the popular ABC series Black-ish (2014). Epps is represented by UTA, Artists First and Yorn Levine Barnes. Barris is represented by WME and has a new management company, LBI Entertainment.
There have been concerns regarding Doctor Who’s declining ratings over the past few months, leading to speculation that Disney+ could withdraw from its co-production arrangement with BBC. Kate Phillips, the BBC's new chief of content, stated,
“Rest assured, Doctor Who is going nowhere. Disney has been a great partner, and our collaboration will continue with 'The War Between the Land And The Sea' next year. However, moving forward, with or without Disney, Doctor Who will still be on the BBC... The Tardis is going nowhere.” - Kate Phillips, Chief Content Officer
This season’s eight episodes have averaged around 3.2 million viewers, a half a million decrease in viewership from last year’s season, when Ncuti Gatwa first portrayed the Doctor. Season 13 averaged 4.9 million viewers in 2021, 1.7 million more viewers than the current season.
Starting Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, General Hospital will switch time slots with The Jennifer Hudson Show. The talk show will move up to 2:00 PM Pacific Time, while General Hospital will be scheduled for 3:00 PM Eastern Time. This change coincides with the launch of the fourth season of The Jennifer Hudson Show. WCVB will be the seventh ABC station to move General Hospital back to its original time slot of 3:00 PM Eastern Time (EST) / 2:00 PM Pacific Time, where it formerly broadcast after One Life to Live.
Michelle Val Jean, the creator of the rapidly ascending soap opera, Beyond The Gates (2025), recently extended her gratitude to the cast and crew on X.com for reaching the milestone of 200 episodes. The first season will continue to air until the end of 2025, with filming for the second season beginning next month, in September, and premiering in 2026. Notably, Beyond The Gates tapes four months before its television airings.CBS renewed the series in May after a 48% increase in total viewers, according to Nielsen’s most current season-to-date ratings data.
Narges Rashidi and Sope Dirisu - gangs of london/amc+
Cable: Sky Media has renewed the fourth season of Gangs of London, picking up where season three left off, with numerous fatalities due to a contaminated shipment of cocaine. Gangs of London delves into the violent power struggles between London’s leading criminal organizations and the aftermath of the most powerful crime lord being assassinated.
The series is created by Matt Flannery and Gareth Evans. The series stars Narges Rashidi as Kurdish crime leader Lale and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù as Elliot Finch, a mobster and undercover police officer. Episodes of Gangs of London are available on AMC.
Streaming: R.F. Kuang, the author of Babel and Yellowface, is currently working on a new fantasy novel titled Katabasis, which is in the process of being adapted into a TV series by Amazon MGM Studios. Angela Kang (The Walking Dead) has been appointed as the writer and showrunner for the upcoming series. Set to be released on Aug. 26, 2025, Katabasis is an academic satire following Alice Law, a graduate student at Cambridge University studying Magick. In her quest to explore the underworld and retrieve her deceased advisor, Professor Grimes, Alice's arch-nemesis, Peter Murdoch, decides to join her. Together, they embark on a journey through Hell.
Angela Kang will serve as an executive producer alongside Kuang, Mandy Safavi, Ben Smith, and Jeffrey Weiner, with Adam Docksey acting as the co-executive producer. Kang has previously worked as the showrunner for The Walking Dead and is also an executive producer for the spinoff series, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. An alumna of both Cambridge and Oxford, R.F. holds a Master of Philosophy in Chinese Studies from Cambridge University and a Master of Science in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford University. Kuang is represented by Steve Fisher at IAG and Hannah Bowman at Liza Dawson Associates. Angela Kang is represented by Dave Park at UTA and A.B. Fischer at Literate.
Since the season premiere of FX’s The Bear, there has been an ongoing debate about whether the series is a comedy or a drama. In a recent interview, Ayo Edebiri, who plays Sydney Adamu, shared her thoughts on the subject. She mentioned that determining whether the popular series is a comedy or drama is a question that is beyond her expertise and should be directed to the studios. John Landgraf, the chairman of FX, was also asked about the classification of The Bear after it received 23 Emmy nominations in 2024, hitting a record for the most-nominated comedy in a single year. He stated,
There are parts of that season that are very, very funny. We let the voters decide the answers to these questions.- John Landgraff, Chairman, FX
When asked if he would consider switching the series to the drama category for the following year, Landgraf responded that he is not overly concerned with such details at the moment. Overall, he’s grateful and focused on the series’ accomplishments to date.
Bryton James, who played Richie Crawford on the 1990s family sitcom Family Matters, recently announced that he is working on an animated reboot of the series. James is "pretty far along" with the project’s development, having secured a production company to finance it. He has also successfully recruited former castmates, including Jaleel White, who played Steve Urkel. Despite Warner Bros Animation being aware of James’ interest in the reboot, the project has not progressed. The studio has not responded to requests for a comment.
James mentioned that plans for the series are "floating around out there" and that he is actively pursuing it.
Saara Chaudry (PAW Patrol: The Movie) has been cast in a recurring role for the third season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The series’ third season, based on Rick Riordan’s third novel, The Titan's Curse, has already been renewed. The second season which is slated to premiere on Dec. 10, 2024. Chaudry is going to play Zoë Nightshade.
When Percy Jackson returns to Camp Half-Blood in the second season, he discovers that everything is different. He learns Kronos' armies are attacking the camp and that he has a brother who is a Cyclops. In his attempt to bring order back, Percy will venture into new terrain, facing sea monsters and new adventures. The series is written and executive-produced by Rick Riordan and Jon Steinberg.
Zack Morris (Goosebumps) has joined the recurring cast of HBO Max's medical drama, The Pitt, for its second season, set to premiere in January 2026. Morris will play Jackson Davis, a patient in the Emergency Department. Emmy nominee Shawn Hatosy will direct the ninth episode of Season 2. The first season of The Pitt has already received several awards, including the Gotham TV and TCA Awards, and has garnered 13 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Hatosy. Additionally, the first season is scheduled to begin airing on TNT. The Pitt is executive produced by Noah Wyle, John Wells, Erin Jontow, Michael Hissrich, and Simran Baidwan.
Additionally, Morris will appear in the Amazon-produced feature, The Bluff. Directed by Frank E. Flowers, the film features producers Joe and Anthony Russo and stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas. It is set to debut in early 2026. Morris previously co-starred with Justin Long in the children's horror series Goosebumps (2023) on Disney+ and Hulu. He was nominated for a Kids' Choice Award for his portrayal of Isaiah Howard.
Kym Whitley has been cast as a series regular in the upcoming series, The Varnell Hill Show, a spinoff of Martin Lawrence's sitcom Martin (1992). Whitley will play the multifaceted character Kim Jones, Varnell's bodyguard, unofficial executive producer, and assistant. Viewers will get a behind-the-scenes look at The Varnell Hill Show in this eight-episode comedy, which delves into the hectic world of television production and Varnell's attempts to remain relevant in a cutthroat field.
Davidson plays Varnell Hill, the title character, who was originally shown in Martin's Season 2, Episode 11. Martin Lawrence, a star and executive producer of Martin, co-creates and executive-produces the series. Bentley Evans, who also acts as executive producer and authored the pilot, will be the director. Production on the series has started in Los Angeles, and Lawrence will play Martin Payne again throughout. Whitley’s other credits include You People, Hubie Halloween, and Loot. She is represented by Innovative Artists, Vault Entertainment, and Fox Rothschild.
The recurring cast of Prime Video's biblical drama, Joseph of Egypt, now includes Omid Abtahi (American Gods, The Mandalorian). In this eight-episode limited series, the Old Testament character Joseph defies all expectations by becoming the ruler of Egypt after being betrayed by his jealous brothers. But when his past catches up with him and presents him with his biggest challenge to date, his good fortune abruptly ends. Ankuh will be played by Abtahi.
The series is written, executive-produced, and showrun by Craig Wright. Abtahi's television credits include regular and recurring roles on Showtime’s Homeland, A&E’s Damien, and FOX’s 24. He was also a series regular on Starz’s American Gods and has had recurring roles on AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead. Abtahi is represented by Greene Talent.
Apple TV+ has recently announced a 30% price increase, raising its subscription cost from $9.99 per month to $12.99 per month. This change took effect on Tuesday, August 21, 2025. However, current subscribers will see the new price applied one month after their renewal date, with the higher rates reflected in their bills within 30 days of their next renewal. To justify this increase, Apple pointed out that it has launched a significant number of TV series and movies, emphasizing that its service remains ad-free.
This is not the first time Apple has raised the price of its streaming service. Long-time subscribers may remember that in the past three years, the subscription fee has increased from $6.99 to $9.99 and now to $12.99 a month. This marks the third price hike for Apple TV+ in that time frame. According to The Information’s March 2025 report, Apple TV+ has been losing more than $1 billion annually due to its overspending on premium content. Apple has not commented on this report.
Season 2 of Tyler Perry's drama, Beauty in Black, returns to Netflix, promising even more action and drama. Rico Ross stars as Horace Bellaire, who, upon his death, leaves his entire company and all his worldly possessions to his much younger wife, Kimmie, played by Taylor Polidore. This decision sparks an instant uproar, hurt feelings, and schemes for vengeance. Mallory Bellaire, Horace's daughter, immediately begins plotting to take over the company. Meanwhile, Kimmie struggles to find her footing as she learns about the company she has just inherited while also trying to protect her sister. The challenges ahead are significant, especially when everyone is out for a piece of the pie. The cast includes Crystal Stewart, Xavier Smalls, Tamera Kissen, Taylor Polidore, Julian Horton, Rico Ross, Charles Malik Whitfield, Terrel Carter, and Richard Lawson. Season 2 premieres on Tuesday, Sept 11, 2025, exclusively on Netflix.
Fox is continuously expanding its new FOX One service. On Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, the streaming platform added Prime Video for its U.S. subscribers at a monthly cost of $19.99.
“We are excited to announce the addition of Fox One on Prime Video. Now, subscribers will be able to stream impactful live sports, entertainment, and news from Fox's vast portfolio of global brands, including the NFL, MLB, and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup." - Albert Cheng, Vice President, Prime Video U.S.
This partnership will enhance Amazon's goal of integrating premium content, providing Prime members with access to live programming, sports, news, and entertainment. Subscribers can manage their subscriptions directly through Prime Video, requiring no additional apps, and may cancel at any time.
Bectu
Industry: According to a recent Bectu survey, the vast majority of the UK TV industry is currently unemployed, forcing them to look for work outside of their line of work. Almost 70% reported facing financial difficulties. Philippa Childs, general secretary of Bectu, referred to these results as a "wake-up call." In order to make ends meet, 29% of TV employees have taken jobs outside of the creative industries, according to the study. One-third of respondents said they planned to quit the field within the next five years.
