Ariel
Disney Branded Television has handed out a green light for “Disney Jr.’s Ariel,” a new animated preschooler series inspired by the hugely popular story of “The Little Mermaid” that will debut on Disney platforms worldwide in 2024.
The new series follows a young Ariel in the underwater kingdom of Atlantica and features familiar characters like King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian and Flounder, as well as new additions. [Source: Variety]
CBS
With the ongoing writers strike, CBS is reportedly considering airing some Paramount+ originals in place of the Fall season should the work stoppage continue until the end of the year and derail the line-up. [Source: Screen Rant]
Daddy Ball
Netflix and Aggregate have won a bidding war for the rights to a 2021 Esquire article titled “Daddy Ball,” which they will develop as an eight-episode dark comedy limited series. Jason Bateman will both star in and direct the series and executive produce alongside Michael Costigan and Roxie Rodriguez.
The story deals with two fathers raising families on Long Island, and both with complicated pasts, who take dad-on-dad youth-sports rivalries so far as to involve stalking, corrupt cops and mob connections. The rivalry led to tabloids calling one of them the worst dads in youth-sports history. [Source: Deadline]
Dancelord
StoryFirst is developing “Dancelord,” a biographical series about the life of Michael Flatley, who created the Irish stage sensation “Lord of the Dance”, which has since generated over $1 billion worth of tickets to 70 million people in 60 countries.
The series is said to be a ‘no holds barred’ chronicle of the highs and lows of Flatley’s colorful life. Micho Rutare (“Z Nation”) writes the series with casting set to begin imminently. Flatley, Rod Gunner and Peter Gerwe are set to executive produce. [Source: Variety]
