Small Screen: Erika Alexander Launches Diversity Program, Natalee Linez Jr. Joins ‘CIA’

abc

Broadcast: Lion Forge Entertainment has signed a multi-season partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to produce the animated series Iyanu. Inspired by Nigerian mythology, music and culture, the series depicts  the story of Iyanu, an orphan living in the beautiful kingdom of Yorubaland. One day, Iyanu unintentionally awakens a long-dormant enemy with heavenly powers not seen since the Age of Wonders. Iyanu embarks on an adventure to find the source of the evil and her  destiny, with the help of her friends Biyi and Toye, as well as a magical leopard named Ekun.

Iyanu features an all-African voice cast, including the award-winning actress Serah Johnson as Iyanu, Adesua Etomi-Wellington (Knocking on Heaven's Door), three-time AMAA nominee Stella Damasus, Blossom Chukwujekwu and Shaffy Bello (The Black Book).

Season one will debut on the public broadcaster's Video On Demand and Catch-Up service, ABC iview, on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, and on ABC Entertainment's weekdays starting Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. The series is produced by Lion Forge Entertainment, with Roye Okupe serving as director, creator, executive producer and showrunner. Other executive producers include David Steward II, Stephanie Sperber, Kirsten Newlands, and Matt Heath, alongside Erica Dupuis, Ryan Haidarian and Doug Schwalbe.

Parveen Kaur - Steven Ferdman/Stringer

Streaming: Netflix's upcoming series, All the Sinners Bleed, has cast John Douglas Thompson, (The Bourne Legacy) as Titus Crown’s father, Albert Crown. This series was first announced in May as part of Netflix's upfront presentation. The series centers on Titus Crown, played by Sope Dirisu, the first Black sheriff in Virginia's Bible Belt town. He soon finds himself leading a manhunt for a serial killer who is targeting the local Black community, "in the name of God."

Thompson's credits include Mare of Easttown (2021), For Life (2020), The Gilded Age (2022), Highest 2 Lowest (2025), Till (2022), The 355 (2022) and 21 Bridges (2019). He received a Tony Award nomination in 2017 for his performance in the play Jitney, and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance in 2014 for Satchmo at the Waldorf. Thompson is represented by Paradigm and Group Culture.

Although no contracts have been concluded, Tyler Perry and David Ellison are in early discussions of extending Perry's streaming agreement. The potential deal would remain non-exclusive and limited to series, with no impact on Perry's current first-look deals with Netflix. Perry had already placed a $2 billion bid when the former Paramount administration considered selling BET, but the auction was canceled in August 2023. Given Paramount’s recent accords, notably an important one with Duffer Brothers that will begin in April 2026 after their Netflix contract expires, the potential extension with Perry would be significant. WME and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole are Perry's attorneys.

Netflix's upcoming series, Unaccustomed Earth, continues to expand its cast with the addition of Justin Bartha (Godfather of Harlem), Jayant Kripalani (Heat and Dust), Parveen Kaur (Manifest), Swayam Bhatia (Succession) and Palomi Ghosh (Typewriter). The series is executive-produced by John Wells (The Pitt, Shameless) and is written by Madhuri Shekar (3-Body Problem), with direction by Ritesh Batra.

Bartha will play Adam Weiss, Ruma’s husband and sci-fi writer.. While he has artistic aspirations, he often serves as the voice of reason for his wife and daughter. Kripalani plays Pranab Mukherjee, a Bengali Marxist who came to the United States in his 20s. After losing his wife a year ago, he unexpectedly falls in love, but he keeps it a secret because his children disapprove. Kaur portrays  Nina Singh, an ambitious Harvard medical student on track to become valedictorian. She is engaged to the man of her dreams, Amit, and determined to create a perfect life. Bhatia portrays Sudha Menon, Hema's best friend and confidant. Ghosh plays Anjali Menon. After losing her husband a decade ago, she has rebuilt her life and career with resilience. 

Shekar is the writer and showrunner and executive producer alongside Wells, Batra, Jhumpa Lahiri, Nisha Ganatra, Erica Saleh, Erin Jontow and Celia Costas. Batra will direct and executive produce the first two episodes. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television.

9 Story Media Group has released a free, ad-supported streaming app branded with Scholastic. This app provides access to over 400 hours of popular children's titles, including Goosebumps (1995), Clifford’s Really Big Movie (2004), Clifford the Big Red Dog (2000), The Baby-Sitters Club (1990), Animorphs (1998), The Magic School Bus (1994), Barney & Friends (1992) and Garfield. However, since Garfield is a  popular character and series, it is still unclear which version they will proceed with. The app, which is available on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, is designed for children aged 2 to 12.. Last year, Scholastic invested $186 million in 9 Story, extending the two companies’ 20-year partnership. The new Advertising Video On Demand service follows 9 Story’s digital team’s successful launch of Scholastic titles across various platforms earlier this year.

We’re seeing strong demand for quality nostalgic content, and the Scholastic brand is trusted by families everywhere. Future Today was the ideal partner to help us bring Scholastic’s beloved stories to new audiences. We’re excited to build on this momentum and continue expanding Scholastic Entertainment’s incredible catalog across global streaming platforms.- Elianne Friend, vice president, Digital of Distribution at 9 Story

Neil Brown Jr. (SEAL Team, Insecure) has joined the recurring cast of BET+'s Martin (1992) spinoff series, Varnell Hill. He will star alongside the previously announced Tommy Davidson, who reprises the title role, and Kym Whitley. Brown Jr. will play Thad Metcalf,  a former SNL writer with impressive credentials who is smart, overly literal, socially awkward and a bit of a showboat. 

Varnell Hill is co-created by Martin Lawrence and executive produced and is showrun by Bentley Evans, who wrote the pilot and will direct and serve as showrunner. The production team also includes Stacy Lyles, Robert Lawrence, Rae Proctor, Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Andy Horne. Brown Jr. is best known for his leading role in the CBS series SEAL Team (2017), which ran for seven seasons, and for playing Chad Kerr in HBO’s hit comedy Insecure (2016). He most recently appeared as a recurring role in the final season of CBS's The Equalizer (2021), starring alongside Queen Latifah. He has also appeared with Elijah Wood in the BBC series Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (2016).

Natalee Linez has joined CBS’s upcoming drama CIA, playing Gina Rojas, a trusted CIA analyst. The series is expected to air in the middle of 2026. The CIA follows an experienced FBI agent who strictly upholds the law, and a rule-breaking loose cannon. They must work together to investigate crimes and criminals that pose a threat to the United States, discovering that their differences may work to their advantage.

Dick Wolf, Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen, Paul Cabbad, and Peter Jankowski serve as executive producers for  the series. Eriq La Salle is also an executive producer and will direct the pilot episode. Linez's previous credits include Tell Me Lies (2022) and Power Book III: Raising Kanan (2021). She is represented by Defining Artists, Luber Roklin, and Goodman Genow Schenkman Smelkinson & Christopher.

Erika Alexander - Gary Gershoff

Industry: Stage 32 is collaborating with Erika Alexander's Color Farm Media to launch a diversity program aimed at supporting up and coming artists. The winner of Stage 32's upcoming Diversity Talent Accelerator Screenwriting Contest will be able to progress from concept to development through the Diversity Talent Accelerator Pipeline, offering a clear pathway to project production.

Leveraging Stage 32’s worldwide leading entertainment educational resources, the partnership launches an immersive creative ecosystem that transforms how emerging writers break into the industry. Great stories and talented writers shouldn’t be limited by geography, connections, or background. This pipeline ensures the best voices get the platform they deserve. - Richard Botto, CEO and Founder of Stage 32

This program features practical workshops and personalized mentoring from industry professionals. In addition to Michael Peterson, Vice President of Development at Phoenix Pictures, and Producer Whitney Davis, participants will be mentored by  Jiarui Guo and Daniela Gonzalez, Literary Manager at Good Fear Content. The Top 10 participants will have the chance to collaborate with Erika Alexander and her Color Farm Media co-founder, Ben Arnon.

I’m excited to work with Erika and Ben again. They are real champions and advocates for emerging voices. They put their words into action. Now we’ll be able to package and develop projects together for the benefit of underserved creators. - Geoffroy Faugerolas, Director of Development Services, Stage 32

Submissions for the Diversity Talent Accelerator Screenwriting Contest opened on Monday, Sept.r 15. For more information on submission guidelines and deadlines, please visit stage32.com.