Small Screen: ‘Unaccustomed Earth’ adds New Series Regulars To Cast, Ramón Rodríguez Signs First Look Deal With 20th Television
Jon Miyahara - nbc
Broadcast: Following the recent passing of actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, we are saddened to report that Jon Miyahara, who played the stoic, silent “Cloud 9” employee on NBC’s workplace comedy Superstore (2015), has died at the age of 83. Castmate Colton Dunn confirmed his death; however, the cause of death and the exact date of death have not been revealed. Dunn released a statement honoring Miyahara, saying, "He was an awesome guy, and as a performer, he could convey so much with just a look. He was such a memorable part of the Cloud 9 team. It was an honor to know him and work alongside him."
Other castmates have also expressed their condolences, with Kelly Stables describing him as "sweet" and Irene White calling Miyahara an “incredible man.” Miyahara, who was born Jonathan Yasushi Miyahara on August 8, 1941, in Los Angeles, California, also made a brief appearance as Brett on NBC’s *American Auto* (2021). Justin Spitzer created both sitcoms.
The procedural drama 9-1-1: Nashville will premiere on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 9:00 PM Central time, featuring country singer Kane Brown in its lineup. Brown will have a concert performance in Nashville for the first episode. This isn’t his first television appearance; he previously appeared in CBS's Fire Country (2022) in 2023, playing a character who assisted firefighters at a crash scene. Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, and Rashad Raisani, who will also serve as showrunner, are among the executive producers, along with Brad Buecker, Brad Falchuk, and 9-1-1 (2018) star, Angela Bassett. Brown has received numerous nominations from the Academy of Country Music, Billboard, American Music Awards, Country Music Television, and People’s Choice Awards. He was also named a Country Champion Award at the People’s Choice Country Awards. He is represented by Neon Coast and WME.
Mike Colter (The Defenders, Jessica Jones) has signed on for a leading role in CBS's upcoming series Cupertino. The series is being developed by Robert and Michelle King and is currently in the preparation stages at CBS. In Cupertino, Colter will portray a lawyer who is fired from a Silicon Valley tech start-up after attempting to steal stock options. Determined not to be taken advantage of, his character teams up with another recently fired attorney to defend others who have been v wronged by the company. Although Cupertino has gained official approval, it is moving positively toward full development, with CBS recruiting writers and ordering a 13-episode script.
Colter previously collaborated with the Kings on the supernatural drama Evil (2019),where he appeared for four seasons. He has also been featured in American Horror Story: Coven (2014), The Following (2015), and Agent X (2015). He is represented by CAA, Strand Entertainment, and McKuin Frankel Whitehead.
Kevin Daniels has been promoted to series regular in Season 4 of ABC's Will Trent (2023). The new season will debut in 2026, with production beginning this month, August 2025. Viewers may expect to see Detective Franklin Wilks, played by Daniels, on screen more regularly as the series progresses. The series centers on Georgia Bureau of Investigation's (GBI) Special Agent Will Trent and is based on Karin Slaughter's best-selling novel Will Trent. Trent uses his unique perspective to tackle high-profile cases in an effort to bring about justice, drawing on his early childhood trauma. Kevin Daniels has an impressive career spanning two decades, with credits including The Big Leap (2021), Paramount+’s revival of Frasier (2023), and ABC’s Modern Family (2009). He is represented by Greene Talent and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer.
Al Calderon - Michael Tullberg
It’s official, Al Calderon is leaving Days of Our Lives (2024) after 43 episodes as Javi Hernandez. Calderon posted to social media to express his final farewells, writing, “My time on Days of Our Lives has been truly life-changing,.. I’m endlessly grateful to the cast, crew, and creatives who made me feel seen, valued, and part of a legacy of family.” Although recast is planned for the future season, Calderon will remain in the drama until May 2026. And rest assured, the renowned actor’s career is far from over. Calderon has landed a role as Nurse Scotty Silba on NBC’s Brilliant Minds Season 2.
Cable: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced on Friday, August 8, 2025 that Park Chan-wook had been expelled for writing his HBO miniseries The Sympathizer (2024) during the 2023 strike. Park, who co-created the series with Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr., did not appeal the expulsion. The Sympathizer is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s 2015 novel of the same title. Park is known for the film Oldboy (2003) and The Handmaiden (2016). His upcoming film No Other Choice will compete at the Venice Film Festival in August.
Salli Richardson-Whitfield has signed a two-year contract extension with HBO. She recently became the first Black woman to receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for her work on HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022). She was honored with two Gracie Awards for her work as EP. To add to her directing achievements, Richardson-Whitfield was an executive producer and director of The Gilded Age, where she was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series in 2024. Her directing portfolio includes Hulu’s Reprisal (2019), Apple’s See (2019), Netflix’s Dear White People (2017), The Punisher (2017), and Altered Carbon (2018). Prior to becoming a director, Richardson-Whitfield acted in films including I Am Legend (2007), Antwone Fisher (2002), and The Great White Hype (1996). Innovative Artists, Kaplan-Stahler Agency, and More/Medavoy Management are her representation companies. She is represented by More/Medavoy Management, Kaplan-Stahler Agency, and Innovative Artist.
Streaming: Netflix’s Unaccustomed Earth has received an order for eight episodes and has cast Indraneil Sengupta (Maa), Adi Roy, and Iyla Sundarsingh McKaig (Toxic Town) as series regulars. Unaccustomed Earth is a cultural drama about an Indian American community grappling with love, lust, and a feeling of belonging. The story centers around a romance between a devoted wife and her past lover, escalating into a scandalous affair that disrupts the immigrant community. In this upcoming series, Sengupta will play Jai, Roy as Kaushik, and Sundarsingh McKaig as Hema in the upcoming series. While many may recognize Roy from his role in the Broadway production of Aladdin, this series marks his first tv debut. McKaig recently appeared as Natalie in Netflix’s Toxic Town (2025) and has also played Lucy Button in the British comedy Awkward Academy (2024). Roy is represented by Buchwald and Jackoway Austen Tyerman, while Sundarsingh McKaig is represented by Articulate Agency.
Madhuri Shekar will write and direct the show, and she will also executive produce with John Wells, Nisha Ganatra, Ritesh Batra, Lahiri, Erica Saleh, Erin Jontow, and Celia Costas.
Amazon’s upcoming prequel series, Vought Rising, is set to begin production this August 2025. The series has added Kiki Layne (The Old Guard 2), Jorden Myrie, (Sherwood, Bridgerton), to its lineup. The series, ordered by Prime Video in July 2024, is the prequel to The Boys (2019) and the franchise’s third spinoff, after Gen V (2023) and The Boys Presents: Diabolical (2022). Details regarding the cast and characters remain unknown, however it's rumored that Layne will be playing a Harlem housewife with ambitions. Vought Rising chronicles tells the story of Vought's beginnings in the 1950s and Soldier Boy's early adventures.
Paul Grellong is the showrunner and executive producer, alongside series creator Eric Kripke. Additional executive producers include Seth Rogen, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Ori Marmur, Pavun Shetty, Ken Levin, Jason Netter, Darick Robertson, Michaela Starr, and Jim Barnes. Myrie is represented by Ellie Martin-Sperry at 42 Management & Production.
Apple TV+’s Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed has expanded its series regular cast with the inclusion of Jon Michael Hill (Elementary). He joins previously announced cast member, Dolly De Leon and Kiarra Hamagami. This half-hour comedic thriller follows Paula, a recently divorced mother who becomes entangled in a web of blackmail and murder. Hill will play Detective Baxter.
The series is created and executive produced by David J. Rosen and David Gordon Green, who also directs the series. The project was developed by Simon Kinberg, Audrey Chon, and Bard Dorros. Hill is represented by Gersh, Authentic Talent & Literary Management, and Schreck Rose.
Yumi Asō (The Crown, Perfect Days) has joined the cast of Apple TV+’s Prodigies, starring Ayo Edebiri and Will Sharpe. The series also includes Andrene Ward-Hammond (Your Honor), Nabhaan Rizwan (Kaos), Meera Syal (Roar), and Lolly Adefope (The Franchise).
Didi (Edebiri) and Ren (Sharpe) are two previous child prodigies who have been in love since childhood. Now in their early 30s, they've begun to question if the remarkable promise of their youth is being fulfilled by their relatively regular lives. Inevitably, they find themselves pondering the same issues regarding their relationship. Asō has recently been nominated for an Oscar for the film Perfect Days by Wim Wenders. Prodigies is created and written by Will Sharpe, who also serves as an executive producer alongside Edebiri, Jane Featherstone, Naomi de Pear and Katie Carpenter.
Do you remember that eerie song from Goosebumps? It always set the mood for fear and made it hard to sleep! Well, you can rest easy now because Disney+ has canceled its adaptation of Goosebumps, and unfortunately there are no plans for a third season. However, Sony Pictures Television plans to shop the series around to other outlets that might better align with the series creative vision. In terms of viewership, the chilling series performed well, accumulating a total of 43 million hours watched across 16 international markets and 75 million hours viewed since its debut.
The series is based on R.L. Stine's book series Goosebumps and was developed and executive produced by Nicholas Stoller (The Muppets) and Rob Letterman (Pokémon Detective Pikachu). The series was run by Hilary Winston (Community), with Neal H. Moritz (Fast & Furious franchise) and Erin O'Malley (New Girl) also playing key roles in its production.
According to Paramount’s CEO, David Ellison, “We’re not going to be afraid of technology; we’re going to embrace it.” This came after Paramount's press conference held in New York just three hours after the finalization of the companies’ $8.4 billion merger on Thursday, August, 2025.
Ellison stated that Paramount is "open for business" in regards to streaming and exploring other options, such as mergers between Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Despite a decline in Paramount+ subscribers to 77.7 million, executives have acknowledged their need to adapt to the changing landscape. Gerry Cardinale from RedBird Capital, recently emphasized the need to combine technology and content in order to survive and come out on top, while Paramount President Jeff Shell noted the necessity of fixing internal systems to improve streaming efficiency. Chief Operating Ofiicer Andy Gordon added that user interfaces will be going through major upgrades in order to enhance users experience.
Netflix's United Kingdom branch recently reported an 11% revenue increase over 2024, reaching $2.48 billion, according to its annual report. This growth is attributed to a rise in average paid memberships, reinforcing Netflix's position in the UK streaming market. The workforce has grown to 263 employees, focusing exclusively on content support and marketing. A spokesperson acknowledged Netflix's significant contribution to the UK economy, noting that the company has invested $6 billion over the past four years and collaborated with more than 50,000 cast and crew members for popular British content.
Salli Richardson-Whitfield - Dimitrios Kambouris
Industry: Ramón Rodríguez has signed a first-look deal with 20th Television to develop and produce broadcast, cable, and streaming series focused on Disney projects. This deal follows the success of his role in Will Trent (2023) on ABC and Hulu, for which he executive produced and directed an episode and earned an Astra TV Award. Rodriguez will direct further episodes for the fourth season, set to begin production in August 2025. Will Trent’s audience has risen significantly since its January 2023 debut, with an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Choreography and exceeding 10 million viewers. Rodríguez expressed gratitude to 20th Television, stating, “I’m thrilled to expand my partnership with 20th Television through Altura Productions. As an executive producer on Will Trent” stated Rodriguez. “I’ve seen the studio’s deep commitment to authentic, character-driven storytelling — a driving force behind the show’s success and my creative journey”.
Cindy Holland, the incoming head of streaming for the newly merged Paramount-Skydance, is bringing on her former colleague Efrain Miron for an important management role. Miron will serve as the Executive Vice President, overseeing content strategy and licensing for Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Most recently, he was the president of strategy and business affairs at Sister. Miron began his career as an attorney in the mergers and acquisitions, securities, and corporate group at the law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman, where he represented various entertainment and media clients. Skydance announced its designated board members on Tuesday, including Sherry Lansing and Safra Catz. The FCC has approved the merger, which was finalized on Saturday, August 7, 2025.
Byron Allen's Allen Media Group, Inc. has recently sold at least 10 local TV stations to Gray Media for $171 million. Gray Media anticipates finalizing the deal by the fourth quarter. This acquisition will allow Gray Media to enter three new local TV markets: Columbus-Tupelo, Mississippi; Terre Haute, Indiana; and West Lafayette, Indiana. According to Gray Media, the sale is expected to strengthen the company’s presence in other markets and will enable the media company to enhance their public service to the communities by expanding local news, weather, and sports programming. After a decade of investing in local TV stations, Byron Allen hired investment bank Moelis & Co. in June to assist in selling a collection of 28 network affiliate stations located in medium and small markets across the country. The sale of these 10 stations marks the first significant step in Allen's disposition process.
