
The Testaments will still appeal to fans who never saw The Handmaid's Tale
The hit show ended in May after six seasons, but the franchise is continuing with an adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 2019 sequel novel, which was officially announced six years ago.
In an update on the Hulu series, Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich - who oversees ABC and Hulu Originals - told Deadline: "We're very happy with The Testaments.
'It's definitely a different view of that world, but I think will both will be satisfying to Handmaid's fans, but open it up to to new viewers as well.'
While the upcoming series is also set in Gilead, the novel picks up after the events of The Handmaid's Tale.
The series will follow three women - Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), Daisy (Lucy Halliday) and Agnes (Chase Infiniti), who is the daughter of Elisabeth Moss' daughter June - as they uncover the truth about Gilead, and those rebelling against it.
Moss will be back in a behind the scenes role as executive producer, it's not yet known if she'll reprise her role as June on screen.
Meanwhile, Erwich insisted Disney are "very proud" of Handmaid's Tale, despite the show only getting one Primetime Emmy Awards nomination this year.
Cherry Jones - who won an Emmy for her recurring role of Holly Maddox in 2019 - is on the 2025 shortlist for Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series, but the programme didn't get the nod in any other categories.
Erwich said: 'The Handmaid's Tale is judged by the audience's reaction to the final season, which was overwhelmingly excited, gratified, satisfied.
'It's a show we're very proud of. It was the first streaming show ever to win Best Drama, it will be attached to that achievement forever and really defined Hulu, defined a generation of viewers.
"So everything beyond that, quite frankly, is gravy. This was a really good year for Handmaid's. We're very happy of the way it sailed off, bittersweet as it is.'
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The Advertiser
42 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
The Block builds into an Aussie TV success story
This is one of the success stories of Australian television. It launched way back in 2003 when the only option other than the free-to-air channels was Foxtel. Now, even with all the extra digital options those free-to-air stations have on top of the plethora of streaming services, after 20 seasons The Block still manages to grab plenty of eyeballs. It's also spawned a number of adaptations in other countries, though has yet to break into the United States - the home of reality TV. As is always the case, the 21st season includes something different - all five teams are given the same house frames with the same floor plans. And as they're lined up next to each other, the only early advantage is in working out whether to choose one on either end or in the middle. The series also ramps up the product placement, in the form of shopfronts rather than just the usual shots of branded power tools or the free cars they drive. 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Michael Theo has come a long way in just a few years. He caught our attention in the lovely dating series Love on the Spectrum, where he was the standout. He managed to parlay that surprising rise in profile into an acting career, with an appearance in kids' TV series Hardball. What followed was a pretty big deal for any actor, let alone a new one - landing the title role in a TV series. Theo plays Austin Hogan, who lobs up on the doorstep of children's book author Julian Hartswood with news that he is Julian's son. The show was popular enough that the ABC commissioned a second season, which kicks off tonight. Theo clearly doesn't take his good fortune for granted; he more than carries his weight in the series up against some far more established actors. At first glance, this series seemed like it was going to be a whole series made up of those aerial shots that scroll through your smart TV if you leave it on for too long. And it is like that in some respects. A spin-off of a US series that ended in 2019, the cameras take to the sky (though sometimes just metres off the ground) to give us a different look at our country. This first episode focuses on the country's east coast - which it tags the Pacific Coast, despite including shots of the not-very-coastal-at-all city of Canberra. Mark Coles Smith is on hand to provide the narration, which puts some story on the bones of the show so it's not just a series of pretty pictures. This is one of the success stories of Australian television. It launched way back in 2003 when the only option other than the free-to-air channels was Foxtel. Now, even with all the extra digital options those free-to-air stations have on top of the plethora of streaming services, after 20 seasons The Block still manages to grab plenty of eyeballs. It's also spawned a number of adaptations in other countries, though has yet to break into the United States - the home of reality TV. As is always the case, the 21st season includes something different - all five teams are given the same house frames with the same floor plans. And as they're lined up next to each other, the only early advantage is in working out whether to choose one on either end or in the middle. The series also ramps up the product placement, in the form of shopfronts rather than just the usual shots of branded power tools or the free cars they drive. Based on this first episode the stand-out team is going to be Robby and Mat. While they have next to no reno experience, they're undoubtedly pros at entertaining for the camera. Michael Theo has come a long way in just a few years. He caught our attention in the lovely dating series Love on the Spectrum, where he was the standout. He managed to parlay that surprising rise in profile into an acting career, with an appearance in kids' TV series Hardball. What followed was a pretty big deal for any actor, let alone a new one - landing the title role in a TV series. Theo plays Austin Hogan, who lobs up on the doorstep of children's book author Julian Hartswood with news that he is Julian's son. The show was popular enough that the ABC commissioned a second season, which kicks off tonight. Theo clearly doesn't take his good fortune for granted; he more than carries his weight in the series up against some far more established actors. At first glance, this series seemed like it was going to be a whole series made up of those aerial shots that scroll through your smart TV if you leave it on for too long. And it is like that in some respects. A spin-off of a US series that ended in 2019, the cameras take to the sky (though sometimes just metres off the ground) to give us a different look at our country. This first episode focuses on the country's east coast - which it tags the Pacific Coast, despite including shots of the not-very-coastal-at-all city of Canberra. Mark Coles Smith is on hand to provide the narration, which puts some story on the bones of the show so it's not just a series of pretty pictures. This is one of the success stories of Australian television. It launched way back in 2003 when the only option other than the free-to-air channels was Foxtel. Now, even with all the extra digital options those free-to-air stations have on top of the plethora of streaming services, after 20 seasons The Block still manages to grab plenty of eyeballs. It's also spawned a number of adaptations in other countries, though has yet to break into the United States - the home of reality TV. As is always the case, the 21st season includes something different - all five teams are given the same house frames with the same floor plans. And as they're lined up next to each other, the only early advantage is in working out whether to choose one on either end or in the middle. The series also ramps up the product placement, in the form of shopfronts rather than just the usual shots of branded power tools or the free cars they drive. Based on this first episode the stand-out team is going to be Robby and Mat. While they have next to no reno experience, they're undoubtedly pros at entertaining for the camera. Michael Theo has come a long way in just a few years. He caught our attention in the lovely dating series Love on the Spectrum, where he was the standout. He managed to parlay that surprising rise in profile into an acting career, with an appearance in kids' TV series Hardball. What followed was a pretty big deal for any actor, let alone a new one - landing the title role in a TV series. Theo plays Austin Hogan, who lobs up on the doorstep of children's book author Julian Hartswood with news that he is Julian's son. The show was popular enough that the ABC commissioned a second season, which kicks off tonight. Theo clearly doesn't take his good fortune for granted; he more than carries his weight in the series up against some far more established actors. At first glance, this series seemed like it was going to be a whole series made up of those aerial shots that scroll through your smart TV if you leave it on for too long. And it is like that in some respects. A spin-off of a US series that ended in 2019, the cameras take to the sky (though sometimes just metres off the ground) to give us a different look at our country. This first episode focuses on the country's east coast - which it tags the Pacific Coast, despite including shots of the not-very-coastal-at-all city of Canberra. Mark Coles Smith is on hand to provide the narration, which puts some story on the bones of the show so it's not just a series of pretty pictures.


Perth Now
8 hours ago
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The Age
9 hours ago
- The Age
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