Gary Levine News

On the heels of the recent premiere of the second half of season nine of its hit comedy series SHAMELESS, SHOWTIME has announced its most-watched show has been renewed for a 10th season. The renewal will make SHAMELESS the longest running series ever on SHOWTIME. Season 10 will mark the return of television's favorite dysfunctional family The Gallaghers that will include series stars Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and SAG Award winner William H. Macy, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, Emma Kenney, Christian Isaiah and Cameron Monaghan. Production on season 10 will begin in 2019. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc., at the Television Critics Association's Winter Press Tour.

The highly anticipated second season of the hit SHOWTIME drama THE CHI will premiere on Sunday, April 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Created and executive produced by Emmy winner Lena Waithe (Master of None) and executive produced by Academy Award(r), Emmy and Golden Globe(r) winner Common (Selma), THE CHI is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. The ensemble cast includes Jason Mitchell (Mudbound, Straight Outta Compton), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Queen of Katwe), Jacob Latimore (Sleight), Alex Hibbert (Moonlight) Yolonda Ross (Treme), Tiffany Boone (The Following), Armando Riesco (Bull), Barton Fitzpatrick, Shamon Brown Jr., and Michael V. Epps. THE CHI averaged 4.5 million weekly viewers across platforms and ranks as the highest-rated SHOWTIME freshman series since BILLIONS in 2016. The announcement was made by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc., at the Television Critics Association's Winter Press Tour. 

SHOWTIME will premiere its new one-hour drama series CITY ON A HILL starring Golden Globe winner and Emmy(r) nominee Kevin Bacon (The Following) and Screen Actors Guild(r) award winner Aldis Hodge (Underground) on Sunday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Production on the 10-episode series will begin in February in New York and Boston. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc., at the Television Critics Association's Winter Press Tour.

SHOWTIME has announced that Paco Cabezas (PENNY DREADFUL, The Alienist) is set to direct multiple episodes of PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS, the next chapter of the PENNY DREADFUL saga. Oscar® nominee John Logan, creator, writer and executive producer of the Emmy nominated series PENNY DREADFUL, will continue in those same roles. Production on the drama series is expected to begin later this year. The announcement was made by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc., at the Television Critics Association's Winter Press Tour.

SHOWTIME will premiere the feature documentary XY CHELSEA on Friday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Directed by Tim Travers Hawkins, and produced by Pulse Films, XY CHELSEA tells the historic story of whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, whose 35-year sentence in a maximum security prison was commuted by President Obama in 2017. Shot over two years and featuring exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes verité with Manning, the film begins on the momentous day in May of that year when she leaves prison and follows her through her journey of discovery, while also examining her place in the conversation on national security and the fight of the transgender community for rights and visibility. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc., at the Television Critics Association's Winter Press Tour.

Celebrating the 15th anniversary of the original's premiere, SHOWTIME has announced an eight-episode order for a sequel to its groundbreaking hit series THE L WORD, scheduled to premiere by the end of 2019. Marja-Lewis Ryan (The Four-Faced Liar, 6 Balloons) serves as showrunner and is executive producing with series creator Ilene Chaiken and original series stars Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig and Leisha Hailey. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc., at the Television Critics Association's Winter Press Tour.

Oscar nominee and Emmy, Golden Globe(R), Screen Actors Guild(R) and Tony(R) Award winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) has signed on to star and executive produce the new SHOWTIME limited series YOUR HONOR. The series is a legal thriller that rips through all strata of New Orleans society. Cranston will star as a respected judge whose son is involved in a hit-and-run that leads to a high-stakes game of lies, deceit and impossible choices. The 10-episode limited series will be executive produced by Emmy nominees Robert and Michelle King (The Good Fight, The Good Wife). Peter Moffat - whose Criminal Justice served as the basis for The Night Of - serves as showrunner, executive producer and will write multiple episodes, including the first episode. YOUR HONOR will go into production later this year in New Orleans. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc., at the Television Critics Association's Winter Press Tour.

SHOWTIME has ordered a seventh season of its hit drama series RAY DONOVAN, starring multiple Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight in his Golden Globe winning role. Production will begin in Spring 2019 in New York. The current season of RAY DONOVAN airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with its season finale on January 13. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

SHOWTIME has announced the next chapter of the PENNY DREADFUL saga with PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS. John Logan, creator, writer and executive producer of the Emmy nominated series PENNY DREADFUL, will continue in thosesame roles. Joining him as an executive producer will be Michael Aguilar (KIDDING). Production is expected to begin in 2019. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

SHOWTIME has ordered a second season of its comedy series KIDDING, starring two time Golden Globe® winner and Emmy® nominee Jim Carrey in his first series regular role in more than two decades. Ordered for 10 episodes next season, KIDDING is created by Dave Holstein (WEEDS, Raising Hope). The first season of KIDDING currently airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, with its season finale on November 11. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

SHOWTIME has announced that Emmy nominee Kari Skogland (The Handmaid's Tale) will direct the first two episodes of the network's eight-episode limited series about Fox News founder Roger Ailes, based upon the extensive reporting of Gabriel Sherman in his bestselling book, The Loudest Voice in the Room, and starring Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind) in the title role. Skogland returns to SHOWTIME, where she has previously directed shows including PENNY DREADFUL, THE BORGIAS, THE L WORD® and QUEER AS FOLK. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks.

Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot is in talks to executive produce and star in a limited series about film actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr, according to Deadline. The Affair co-creator/executive producer Sarah Treem, co-creator and executive producer of The Affair, is in talks to write the series.  

SHOWTIME has named multiple Emmy winner Tom Fontana (Homicide: Life on the Street) as showrunner, executive producer and one of the writers on the upcoming drama series CITY ON A HILL, starring Golden Globe® winner and Emmy nominee Kevin Bacon (The Following) and Screen Actors Guild® award winner Aldis Hodge (Underground). Fontana will work closely with series creator and executive producer Chuck MacLean (Boston Strangler) on the 10-episode series premiering in 2019. Today's announcement was made by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

SHOWTIME has announced the pilot order for the hour-long drama series QUEEN FUR, created, written and executive produced by Eileen Myers (MASTERS OF SEX) and starring Lily Mae Harrington (Some Freaks). Sian Heder (Orange Is the New Black) will direct the pilot. Deb Spera (Army Wives) will also serve as an executive producer. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

SHOWTIME has renewed its Golden Globe® Award winning drama series THE AFFAIRfor a fifth and final season. Season four of the series is currently airing on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with the finale airing onAugust 19. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

Emmy-winning writer and producer Lena Waithe (THE CHI) has signed a first-look deal with SHOWTIME, expanding her relationship with the network that launched her first series as a creator and executive producer. Waithe will work with SHOWTIME on comedy and drama projects that she both writes and produces through her company Hillman Grad Productions. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks.

SHOWTIME has announced the casting of Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street) in a lead role of the half-hour comedy pilot THE WRONG MANS, also starring and produced by Ben Schwartz (HOUSE OF LIES) and written and executive produced by James Corden (The Late Late Show with James Corden), Mathew Baynton (Yonderland) and Ian Maxtone-Graham (The Simpsons). J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), BBC Studios' Angie Stephenson and Bad Robot's Ben Stephenson also serve as executive producers. Jim Field Smith (EPISODES) is also executive producing and directing the pilot, which is based on the BBC series created by Corden and Baynton. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

SHOWTIME has announced the casting of Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street) in a lead role of the half-hour comedy pilot THE WRONG MANS, also starring and produced by Ben Schwartz (HOUSE OF LIES) andwritten and executive produced by James Corden (The Late Late Show with James Corden), Mathew Baynton (Yonderland)and Ian Maxtone-Graham (The Simpsons). J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), BBC Studios' Angie Stephenson and Bad Robot's Ben Stephenson also serve as executive producers. Jim Field Smith (EPISODES) is also executive producing and directing the pilot, which is based on the BBC series created by Corden and Baynton. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

SHOWTIME has ordered a new pilot NOW WHAT WITH AMANDA DE CADENET (working title), for a half-hour weekly news-magazine format created and hosted by Amanda de Cadenet (The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet). The show takes a thematic approach exploring America's current social, sexual, cultural and political issues, seen through de Cadenet's sharp, feminist lens. Emmy® nominee Inuka Bacote (Eastsiders), and Danielle Oexmann (Vice Does America) will serve as co-showrunners. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks.

SHOWTIME has picked up a fourth season of its hit drama series BILLIONS. Starring Oscar(R) nominee and Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) winner Paul Giamatti and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis, the third season of BILLIONS currently airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, and will move to 9 p.m. ET/PT starting next Sunday, May 6 to anchor the night and serve as the lead-in for the season two premiere of I'M DYING UP HERE. The season three premiere of BILLIONS was its highest-rated ever, up 23 percent from last year. BILLIONS ranks as the network's No. 2 drama series behind HOMELAND. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.