TV Bits: Todd Field’s ‘Purity,’ Netflix’s Wrestling Drama ‘Glow,’ ‘Transparent,’ ‘UnREAL,’ And ‘Outlander’
In today’s edition of TV Bits:
Back in February, we heard that Todd Field wasworking onan adaptation ofJonathan Franzen’sPurity. The director behind two stunning dramas –Little ChildrenandIn the Bedroom– co-wrote the 20-episode series with Franzen andDavid Hare(The Hours). Field, who unfortunately hasn’t directed a feature since 2006, will direct every episode. According toDeadline, Showtime has ordered the two seasons of theScott Rudin-producedPurity. The series was originally envisioned as a film, but the adaptation is making its way to TV instead. The series will begin production in 2017.
Varietyreports Netflix has ordered 10 episodes ofG.L.O.W.(Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling), loosely inspired by the female wrestling TV series from the 1980s. The comedy series, which is created byLiz Flahive(Homeland) andCarly Mensch(Orange Is the New Black), will center around a struggling actress who lands the opportunity to star in a weekly series about female wrestlers. Flahive and Mensch are the showrunners ofG.L.O.W., which will also be executive produced byOrange Is the New Black’sJenji KohanandTara Herrmann.Amazon has renewedtheir critically acclaimed seriesTransparentfor a fourth season, before the series has even returned for its upcomingthird season. Amazon was confident enough in the show that they pulled the same move before season two was available to stream.Jill Soloway’sTransparentstarsJeffrey Tambor,Judith Light,Gaby Hoffmann,Amy LandeckerandJay Duplass.
Lifetime’sUnREAL, which returns for season two this weekend,has been renewed for a third season. Season three will consist of 10 episodes and air in 2017. If for some reason you’re not watching Lifetime during your weekends,UnREALfollows a production team working on a dating competition show. Season one performed well in the ratings, averaging around 3.7 million views an episode.
Outlanderfeatures one of the most clever, dramatic, and simple depictions of time travel. This Starz series is far from a stuffy period piece drama; it’s plenty of fun, filled with often insane and intense conflicts created by time travel, unpredictable turns, some believable and very funny fish-out-of-water scenarios, and characters that slowly reveal more of themselves with almost every episode. It’s an excellent show, one you should all be watching. Starz has renewed the adaptation ofRonald D. Moore’s series for season three and four. According toDeadline, season three and four will, unsurprisingly, follow books three and four fromDiana Gabaldon’s eight-part series.
