From violinists to chefs to unicorns, NC will have a big presence on TV in 2020
Our reporters are writing about what they expect to be some of the big topics on their beats in 2020.
North Carolinians will be all over our televisions next year, on reality competition shows, on a public television docu-series and on network comedies.
Here’s what we can look forward to in the coming year.
Raleigh natives return to ‘America’s Got Talent’
2019 was a good year for local performers on “America’s Got Talent.” Violinist Tyler Butler-Figueroa and singer Christal Sanders Rheams, both Raleigh natives, made it to the Season 14 finals of the NBC competition series — and 2020 could be a repeat.
Rheams, with her military quartet Voices of Service, and 12-year-old Tyler are tapped to appear on the second season of “America’s Got Talent: Champions.”
The “Champions” version of the show brings back 40 fan-favorite finalists to compete for the top prize.
“America’s Got Talent: Champions” premieres at 8 p.m. Jan. 6 on NBC.
Vivian Howard debuts a new TV series
North Carolina’s favorite TV chef will back on the air in March with a brand new series.
Vivian Howard, the Kinston chef who starred in the award-winning PBS series “A Chef’s Life,” debuts a new six-part PBS series, “Somewhere South,” on March 27.
As with “A Chef’s Life,” Howard’s new series will be directed and produced by Cynthia Hill and her Durham-based Markay Media. The show explores food traditions in the South, looking specifically at dishes that cross and unite cultures, such as hand pies, pickles and dumplings.
A second season of ‘Bless the Harts’
The first season of Emily Spivey’s animated Fox comedy “Bless the Harts” has been so much fun, especially for local fans who delight in the many, many North Carolina references and tropes that sometimes hit a little too close to home.
A town divided over a controversial (cigarette) statue? A vinegar slip-up that ruins the sauce in a barbecue contest at a Beach Music festival? A single flake of snow causes a multi-car pile-up and an apocalyptic run on bread and milk at the Harris Teeter? Oh, we feel seen.
Even though the series is set in the fictional Guilford County town of Greenpoint, the references are felt all over.
Fox has already renewed this Maya Rudolph and Kristin Wiig-led show for a second season, so we can look forward to more fun with the Harts in 2020.
A bright future for ‘The Unicorn’
Another new 2019 comedy with North Carolina roots is “The Unicorn,” which is set in Raleigh and based on the life of Raleigh native Grady Cooper.
The CBS show tells the story of a man who, like Cooper, lost his wife to cancer and then must re-enter and navigate the dating world while raising two daughters.
“The Unicorn” has been picked up for a full season, and considering it’s the best performing new network comedy of the season, a second season seems very likely.
The show stars Walton Goggins, Michaela Watkins and Rob Corddry.
Jacob Tobia’s ‘Sissy’ on Showtime
Jacob Tobia’s 2019 memoir “Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story” is being developed for a Showtime series.
Tobia, a non-binary LGBTQ writer, activist and actor, grew up in Raleigh and Cary.
Variety reported in November that the half-hour dramedy “Sissy” will follow the character Tobi Gibran, “a non-binary college grad and full time gender weirdo from North Carolina,” who “moves to New York in search of queer utopia.”
Brooke Cain covers local media, TV and pop culture. For smart, reliable and timely coverage of the issues you care about, subscribe to The News & Observer at newsobserver.com/subscribe or subscribe to The Herald-Sun at heraldsun.com/subscribe.
This story was originally published December 30, 2019 at 8:00 AM.
