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HBO’s ‘Gilded Age’: Stars align for new drama from ‘Downton Abbey’ creator
By Michelle Rose
TV Media
HBO’s ‘Gilded Age’: The ‘80s
are coming back in a big way to
HBO. That is, the 1880s.
HBO has tapped Emmy win-
ners Christine Baranski (“The
Good Fight”) and Cynthia Nixon
(“Sex and the City”), along with
Amanda Peet (“Togetherness”)
and Morgan Spector (“Home-
land”), to star in its upcoming
period drama, “The Gilded Age.”
What’s interesting about
this bit of casting news is that
Baranski will be the lead in two
high-profile series likely airing
at the same time. Luckily, that
doesn’t mean all work and no
play (and no sleep) for Baranski;
per Deadline, production sched-
ules were reportedly worked out
to ensure her availability for both
productions.
The fact that it is created,
written and executive produced
by “Downton Abbey” creator
Julian Fellowes probably made it
easy to attract big names in the
first round of casting. And like
“Downton Abbey,” “The Gilded
Age” is also centered on class
relations. But this time, the story
is set in America during a period
marked by great excess and glar-
ing inequality, as railroad tycoons
amassed incredible wealth and
power (there’s a reason they were
known as robber barons).
Back to the story. It begins in
1882, when the orphaned daugh-
ter of a southern general is sent to
live with her aunts (Baranski and
Nixon) in New York City. Accom-
panied by a woman who mas-
querades as her maid, the young
Marian Brook gets caught up in
the lives of the wealthy set — in-
cluding a ruthless railroad tycoon
(Spector) and his ambitious wife
(Peet), who struggle to be ac-
cepted in the same social circle as
the Vanderbilts and Astors.
“The Gilded Age” is a co-
production between HBO and
Universal TV and, surprisingly, it’s
been in the works since 2012. It
got a series order from NBC just
last year but moved to HBO in
May, with a firm commitment for
a 10-episode run.
New ‘Mr. Ripley’: You might
know him as “Hot Priest” right
24 | Screentime
Christine Baranski star of “The Good Fight”
now, but “Fleabag” star Andrew
Ripley’s life soon descends into a
Scott will soon play a character
complex game of “deceit, fraud
with an actual name, and a fa-
and murder” (per Showtime).
mous one at that: Tom Ripley.
Screenplay writer-director
The new Showtime series
Steven Zaillian (“Schindler’s List,”
“Ripley” will be based on Patricia 1993) is setting the tone and
Highsmith’s five novels, though
direction for the first season. The
you might also recognize the
idea has been in development
name from the 1999 film “The
for a while, with “Luther” creator
Talented Mr. Ripley,” which
Neil Cross attached to the project
starred Matt Damon in the title
at one point. But Zaillian’s pitch
role.
sparked the bidding frenzy that
The first eight episodes will
culminated with a straight-to-
be set in New York and Italy dur-
series order from Showtime.
ing the 1960s. The story follows
And with Scott in the role of
Ripley (Scott) after he is hired by
the charismatic (and murderous)
a wealthy man to bring his play-
grifter, everything appears to
boy son back to America. And if
be coming together for a 2020
you’ve read the book or seen any
premiere. The Irish-born BAFTA
of the movies — there have been winner is a veteran of British
a few film adaptations, including
theater, film and television. He’s
1960’s “Purple Noon” and 2002’s quickly becoming a familiar face
“Ripley’s Game” — you know
on this side of the pond, espe-
October 16, 2019 | East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald
cially after his much-talked-about
performance in the second sea-
son of Amazon’s Emmy winner,
“Fleabag.”
Previously, Scott had a recur-
ring role as Jim Moriarty in the
BBC series “Sherlock,” which
aired on PBS and was made avail-
able on Netflix. Scott also had
a leading role in “Black Mirror”
Season 5 episode “Smithereens,”
and has a few more projects due
out before “Ripley’s” premiere,
including a turn in HBO’s “His
Dark Materials.”
Cannon’s Show: After years
of hosting prime-time TV gigs,
Nick Cannon is making the move
to daytime with a new talk show
coming in 2020.
Earlier this year, Cannon filled
in as host of “The Wendy Williams
Show” when Williams took some
time off to focus on her well-
being after her Graves’ disease
diagnosis (something Cannon
can relate to given his own lupus
diagnosis in 2012).
Cannon’s temporary run
earned rave reviews, and it looks
as if he was a hit behind the
scenes, too. He just secured a
talk show deal with Lionsgate’s
Debmar-Mercury, the company
that produces Williams’ show. No
news yet on the talk show’s title
or format, though Cannon will be
the star and will produce it.
The rapper, comedian and
author (and former husband of
Mariah Carey) already has a long
entertainment resume that mixes
film roles (“Drumline,” 2002)
with TV acting gigs (“Brooklyn
Nine-Nine”). But Cannon seems
to be more comfortable in the
roles of producer off-camera and
host on-camera.
Cannon became a household
name during his seven seasons
(2009 to 2016) as host of “Amer-
ica’s Got Talent” but fell out with
NBC executives over a racially
charged joke in his standup spe-
cial. Fast forward to the present
and he’s got two seasons under
his belt as the entertaining em-
cee of Fox’s wildly popular “The
Masked Singer.” He continues to
be the creative force behind the
MTV sketch show “Wild ‘N Out”,
and in June, Cannon launched the
daily radio show “Nick Cannon
Mornings” on Power 106. So it
remains to be seen if Cannon
pulls a “Seacrest” by juggling
multiple TV and radio gigs at the
same time.