Stay Tuned

The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, April 10, 2020 4 By Kyla Brewer TV Media T hese are trying times in- deed. While uncertainty looms in the real world, entertainment can serve as a welcome distraction, if only for a short time. One of television's most popular series is offering fans a reprieve with a new tale of survival and perhaps even hope. Teenagers embark on an epic quest beyond the walls of their safe community in "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," slated to premiere later this year on AMC. The TWD spinoff focuses on the first generation to grow up during the crisis, with a focus on high school student Iris (Aliyah Royale, "The Red Line") and her adop- tive sister Hope (Alexa Man- sour, "How to Get Away With Murder") as they leave the safety of their community. Nico Tortorella ("Younger") also stars as Felix, a rule-following 30-year-old community securi- ty officer. Before the apoca- lypse, Iris and Hope's father saved Felix from a life on the streets, and he feels indebted to serve as the girls' guardian. The series was initially scheduled to premiere on Sun- day, April 12, but in March AMC announced that it was going to push the debut until "later this year," which came as a surprise since the entire first season of the limited two- season series has finished film- ing. However, given the current circumstances, it is under- standable that AMC would hold off for now. Those looking for their TWD fix can stream the original "The Walking Dead" on Netflix and its pre- quel, "Fear the Walking Dead," on Prime Video. Regardless of when it pre- mieres, "World Beyond" is sure to attract a global audience. It's a good thing that AMC has al- ready lined up a worldwide distribution deal. The show will air on AMC in North America, of course. Prime will carry the series in Asia-Pacific, the Mid- dle East, Africa and most of Eu- rope. AMC Networks Interna- tional will air the show in Latin America, Spain and Portugal. When the deal was inked, AMC executive Valerie Cabrera laud- ed the show's worldwide ap- peal. "A franchise and story that is rooted in our collective human- ity, the appeal of 'The Walking Dead' crosses language and cultural barriers," Cabrera said. With so many people se- questered to their homes, a fresh series such as "The Walking Dead: World Be- yond" may be a welcome change. It has all of the hall- marks of a successful TWD spinoff, including an ominous premise, gruesome special ef- fects and a talented cast. Emmy winner Julia Ormond ("The Curious Case of Benja- min Button," 2008) leads as charismatic community lead- er Elizabeth. "The Walking Dead: World Beyond" co-cre- ator Scott M. Gimple had high praise for the actress when her casting was announced in November. "We are thrilled to have Ju- lia join our merry band," Gim- ple said in a Variety article. "I'm grateful for the talent, grace, intelligence and humor she has brought to our set, our show and to this role." In 2010, Ormond won an Emmy for her role in HBO's movie "Temple Grandin," and she was nominated for an- other Emmy two years later for her guest-starring turn on "Mad Men." Her other career highlights include the 1994 silver screen epic "Legends of the Fall" and the 1995 re- make of "Sabrina." But while Ormond may be the most famous of the bunch, the show's focus is squarely on its young stars. Royale portrays intelligent, strong-willed teenager Iris, who leads the charge into the unknown. After performing in church, school and communi- ty plays, Royale landed the leading role of Jira Calder- Brennan on the CBS drama "The Red Line" opposite Noah Wyle ("ER"). Mansour, who plays Iris's disillusioned wild-child sister Hope, has appeared in the films "Unfriended: Dark Web" (2018) and "#Squad- Goals" (2018) and will soon be seen in the indie feature "She's in Portland." TV fans may recognize her from her memorable recurring role as Faiza on ABC's hugely popu- lar "How to Get Away With Murder." Mansour's other small-screen credits include "SEAL Team," "Bull" and "Madam Secretary." coverstory Nico Tortorella in "The Walking Dead: World Beyond" An apocalypse story: Premiere of AMC's 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' pushed back By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Will there be a second season of "His Dark Materi- als"? A: Absolutely. That's an easy one. HBO and the BBC, who co-produce the huge-budget fanta- sy series "His Dark Materials," committed to two seasons of the show when they initially signed on. There's been no announcement of a premiere date for the second season, but the first premiered in November, so that's most likely when the next one will land. But it's possible it could come sooner. Since they paid for Season 2 right out of the gate, they didn't need to pause pro- duction to wait for a green light. "His Dark Materials" stars James McAvoy ("Glass," 2019), Ruth Wilson ("The Affair") and Dafne Keen ("The Refugees") and is based on a series of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman, and the networks' decision to pay up front for two seasons must have come as a relief to book fans who remember the first screen adaptation. The big-screen version of the first book, "The Golden Compass" (2007), was a box-office and critical flop, and so the subsequent books were never adapted. What's worse, the movie ended only partway through the first book, so it offered even less closure than usual. Q: What is Pam from "The Office" up to now? A: It's a testament to both the blessing and the curse of "The Office" that you're asking about Pam and not Jenna Fischer. (I'm assuming you mean the actor — the character is, of course, living happily ever after with Jim in Austin.) Fischer has been struggling to escape "The Office's" long shadow. She's had the kind of success that a lot of actors dream of — lead roles in multiple series, roles in major motion pictures — but it's nothing close to "The Office." And how could it be? "The Office" was one of the most popular sitcoms of the past 20 years. Compared to that, even her most notable gig — the lead in the sitcom "Splitting Up Together," which ran for two full sea- sons on ABC — must have seemed like a letdown. (Ditto for her leading role in the ensemble sitcom "You, Me and the Apocalypse," which only made it a year on NBC.) Even a spot in "The 15:17 to Paris" (2018), a high-profile true-life drama directed by the great Clint Eastwood, hasn't stopped people from calling her "Pam" (no offense — you're far from the only one). Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. hollywoodQ&A Towne Floring 3 x 2 The Powell Company 2 x 2

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