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 was working on an adaptation of Jonathan Franzen's Purity. The director behind two stunning dramas – Little Children and In the Bedroom – co-wrote the 20-episode series with Franzen and David Hare (The Hours). Field, who unfortunately hasn't directed a feature since 2006, will direct every episode. According to Deadline, Showtime has ordered the two seasons of the Scott Rudin-produced Purity. 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.
Variety reports Netflix has ordered 10 episodes of G.L.O.W. (Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling), loosely inspired by the female wrestling TV series from the 1980s. The comedy series, which is created by Liz Flahive (Homeland) and Carly 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 of G.L.O.W., which will also be executive produced by Orange Is the New Black's Jenji Kohan and Tara Herrmann.
Amazon has renewed their critically acclaimed series Transparent for a fourth season, before the series has even returned for its upcoming third season. Amazon was confident enough in the show that they pulled the same move before season two was available to stream. Jill Soloway's Transparent stars Jeffrey Tambor, Judith Light, Gaby Hoffmann, Amy Landecker and Jay Duplass.
Lifetime's UnREAL, 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, UnREAL follows a production team working on a dating competition show. Season one performed well in the ratings, averaging around 3.7 million views an episode.
Outlander features 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 of Ronald D. Moore's series for season three and four. According to Deadline, season three and four will, unsurprisingly, follow books three and four from Diana Gabaldon's eight-part series.