Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Wednesday, December 14, 2022.
Continuing with Lifetime’s mission to provide a platform for unheard voices, the network announces the conclusion of the documentary series Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter, debuting as a two-night event on January 2nd and 3rd at 9 pm ET/PT.
The two-night event focuses on the fallout of the former R&B superstar’s crimes as he faces multiple federal and state trials.
The groundbreaking, Peabody award-winning, Emmy-nominated documentary series Surviving R. Kelly concludes with the final installment following the former R&B superstar as he faces multiple federal and state trials.
While millions have read the headlines, the final chapter connects the shocking fine print with unspeakable details never shared with the public, culminating in the verdict heard around the world.
Night one follows Angelo Clary’s recount of Azriel Clary’s journey as it’s revealed she was instructed to lie in the infamous R. Kelly interview with Gayle King. The family also details the intimidation tactics launched at the family by R. Kelly supporters while legal experts and journalists provide insight into racketeering charges Kelly faces.
Night one also provides an inside look at the aftermath of the infamous gun threat at the premiere screening of the documentary.
Night two will focus on Jane Doe #1 and the revelation of John Doe, who takes the stand as new survivors also emerge. The series concludes with the survivors sharing their victim impact statements as they hear the final verdict against R. Kelly.
With over 60 voices and testimonials, Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter brings the epic saga to a fitting conclusion.
Resources will drive to the National Sexual Assault Hotline and to RAINN as part premiere on air and on social.
Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter is executive produced by Joel Karsberg of Kreativ Inc., a creative working pod with Bunim Murray Productions, Tamra Simmons, Jesse Daniels, and Maria Pepin, and Brie Miranda Bryant from Lifetime.
Paramount+ released the official trailer and key art for the second season of its original drama series Mayor of Kingstown, starring Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner and Academy Award winner Dianne Wiest, which will debut on Sunday, Jan. 15, exclusively on the service in the U.S. and Canada.
The series will premiere the following day in the U.K. and Australia. Premiere dates for other Paramount+ international markets will be announced at a later date.
From co-creators Academy Award® nominee Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, Mayor of Kingstown follows the McLusky family, power brokers in Kingstown, Mich., where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry.
Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption, and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither. The series also stars Dillon, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Tobi Bamtefa, Derek Webster, Nishi Munshi, Hamish Allan-Headley, and Aidan Gillen.
Netflix has dropped the trailer for the second season of Vikings: Valhalla, premiering January 12.
Set over a thousand years ago in the early 11th century, Vikings: Valhalla chronicles the heroic adventures of some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived.
They include the legendary explorer Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), his fiery and headstrong sister Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson), and the ambitious Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter).
Vikings: Valhalla Season 2 finds our heroes shortly after the tragic fall of Kattegat, an event that has shattered their dreams and altered their destinies.
Finding themselves suddenly fugitives in Scandinavia, they are forced to test their ambitions and courage in worlds beyond the fjords of Kattegat.
Prime Video is doubling down on video game adaptations.
The streaming service has handed out a series order to God of War, based on the hit Playstation video game series.
Per the official description, the series “follows Kratos, the God of War, who, after exiling himself from his blood-soaked past in ancient Greece, hangs up his weapons forever in the Norse realm of Midgard.”
“When his beloved wife dies, Kratos sets off on a dangerous journey with his estranged son to spread her ashes from the highest peak — his wife’s final wish.”
“Kratos soon realizes the journey is an epic quest in disguise, one which will test the bonds between father and son and force Kratos to battle new Gods and monsters for the fate of the world.”
Hold onto your hats because after a devastating swath of cuts on the network, there’s good news from HBO MAX.
The streamer announced today that Sex Lives of College Girls, their biggest hit since its Season 2 launch on November 17, will be returning for a third season.
“Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble continue to brilliantly capture the college experience in the most entertaining and relatable way,” said Suzanna Makkos, executive VP original comedy and adult animation at HBO Max. “This series is the perfect balance of comedy, sex, curiosity, and chaos, and we can’t wait to see what the next season brings.”
ABC today also revealed the official trailer for its upcoming series, Will Trent, based on Karin Slaughter’s novels featuring the character.
As Special Agent Will Trent, Ramón Rodríguez can deconstruct a crime scene like no one else. Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) was abandoned at birth and endured a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system.
But now, determined to use his unique point of view to make sure no one is abandoned like he was, Will Trent has the highest clearance rate in the GBI.
Will Trent stars Ramón Rodríguez as Will Trent, Sonja Sohn as Amanda Wagner, Erika Christensen as Angie Polaski, Iantha Richardson as Faith Mitchell, and Jake McLaughlin as Michael Ormewood.
Executive producers are Liz Heldens, Daniel Thomsen, Karin Slaughter, and Oly Obst. Ramón Rodríguez is a producer.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.
