Comedy Central Announces ‘South Park’ COVID-19 Vaccine Special (TV News Roundup)

In today’s TV news roundup, “South Park” is back with a new COVID-19 vaccine special, and Amazon Prime Video offered a first look at animated series “Invincible,” starring Steven Yeun.

CASTING

The Feb. 22 episode of “The Good Doctor” will feature Southern California Special Olympics global messenger Caley Versfelt, Variety has learned exclusively. She portrays Jamie Chabner, a patient suffering from end-stage liver disease. Dr. Morgan Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann) forms a special with Jamie and takes it upon herself to try to find a matching donor in time to save her life.

DATES

Starz announced “The Gloaming” will debut on March 21 at 9 p.m. Over eight episodes, detectives Molly McGee (Emma Booth) and Alex O’Connell (Ewen Leslie) endure a harrowing journey to find the truth about a woman who is brutally killed, but they end up coerced by the ghosts of the unsettled dead. The limited series, written by showrunner Victoria Madden, features Martin Henderson, Aaron Pedersen, Rena Owen, Josephine Blazier and Matt Testro. It is produced by Sweet Potato Films, 2 Johns Productions and ABC Signature. Watch a trailer below.

Following “South Park‘s” pandemic special in 2020, Comedy Central will air the one-hour “South ParQ Vaccination Special” on March 10 at 8 p.m. It be will simulcast on MTV2 and then air again at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. The episode finds the citizens of the titular town clamoring for the highly coveted COVID-19 vaccine, with the boys put to the test when a hilarious new militant group tries to stop them from getting their teacher vaccinated.

FIRST LOOKS

Amazon Prime Video released a trailer for “Invincible.” Based on the comic of the same name, the adult animated series follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), the son of Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), the most powerful superhero on the planet, as he begins to develop powers of his own and comes to learn his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as he once thought. The voice cast includes Sandra Oh, Seth Rogen, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Zazie Beetz, Mark Hamill, Walton Goggins, Jason Mantzoukas, Zachary Quinto, Mahershala Ali, Melise, Kevin Michael Richardson, Grey Griffin and Khary Payton. “Invincible” is produced by Skybound Entertainment and executive produced by creator Robert Kirkman, Simon Racioppa, David Alpert and Catherine Winder. Watch the trailer below.

DEVELOPMENT

Sony Pictures Television optioned Holly Madison’s memoir “Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny.” The story dives beyond the polished Playboy facade to uncover the visceral, often damaging stories of dream-chasing women who ended up manipulated and abused by the machine. Samara Weaving will star as Madison. Marieke Hardy will adapt the book and Will Gluck, Richard Schwartz, Judith Verno and Madison will executive produce.

EXECUTIVE NEWS

Disney appointed Marc Buhaj as vice president of unscripted series and specials for Disney branded television. Reporting to creative development and strategy vice president Ayo Davis, Buhaj now oversees a vast nonfiction portfolio of documentaries, docuseries, unscripted projects and specials for Disney Plus. He is credited with helping shape Disney Channels as a global leader in kids and family entertainment and most recently served as senior vice president of programming.

LATE NIGHT

Kate Hudson, Dominique Fishback and Evanescence are tonight’s guests on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”