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Moving on: 'Divorce' returns with new faces, showrunner

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Author: 
Michelle Rose / TV Media
Sarah Jessica Parker stars in "Divorce"

Sarah Jessica Parker stars in "Divorce"

Moving on: Sixteen months is a long time to wait for a TV show to return, even if extended hiatuses seem to be the new normal (cough, cough "Game of Thrones").

For fans of HBO's "Divorce," the wait is over: Season 3 premieres Monday, July 1, and things are about to get more complicated for the former battling exes played by Sarah Jessica Parker ("Sex and the City") and Thomas Haden Church ("Sideways," 2004).

If you recall, Frances (Parker) and Robert (Church) went through with the big D in the previous season opener (you knew it was coming, it's the title of the show after all). Season 2 shifted to a lighter tone as the Dufrenes adjusted to their new reality as co-parents while rebuilding their complicated, intertwined lives.

Then came the revelation that Robert had moved on a little (a lot) faster than Frances: he and new love Jackie (Becki Newton, "Ugly Betty") are engaged. And so begins Season 3.

Like the characters, we'll have to get used to some new faces in our lives. James Lesure ("Las Vegas") has been added to the cast as a potential love interest for Frances. Dominic Fumusa ("Nurse Jackie") will play Jeremy, a former semi-pro athlete whose coaching style clashes with Robert's. But the biggest change can be found off screen, with writer Liz Tuccillo replacing fellow "Sex and the City" alum Jenny Bicks as showrunner.

For a while, viewers feared HBO and the series might be headed for a separation. Season 2 garnered more favorable reviews, but that didn't translate into a ratings boost. The show was finally renewed last fall, but with a shorter run of just six episodes -- down from eight last season and 10 in Season 1.

Don't let the numbers decide for you. For an honest and hopeful look at life after divorce, HBO style, tune in on Monday for the season premiere of "Divorce."

 

Count her in: FX's upcoming drama "Mrs. America" boasts a star-studded cast that already has people quietly whispering "Emmy … ." Still, it just made room for one more.

Elizabeth Banks ("The Hunger Games," 2012) is set to appear opposite Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett ("Carol," 2015) in the nine-episode series, which looks at both sides of the battle over the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) during the 1970s.

Seen through the eyes of those who led the fight for and against it, the movement to ratify the ERA is a topic that is especially timely. And in the series, the battle lines are drawn early on.

On one side, you have Blanchett leading the cast as Phyllis Schlafly, the conservative activist who staunchly opposed the ERA movement. John Slattery of "Mad Men" fame stars as her husband, Fred, a wealthy lawyer and GOP donor. Other big names such as James Marsden ("Westworld"), Sarah Paulson ("American Horror Story") and Jeanne Tripplehorn ("Criminal Minds") will play a mix of fictional and very real people who are part of Schlafly's inner circle.

On the other side of the issue are second-wave feminist icons Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne, "Damages"), Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman, "State of the Union") and Shirley Chisholm (Uzo Aduba, "Orange Is the New Black"). Ari Graynor ("I'm Dying Up Here") stars as "Ms. Magazine" co-founder Brenda Feigen-Fasteau and Margo Martindale ("The Americans") as Congresswoman Bella Abzug. As for the newest addition to the cast? Banks is set to play Jill Ruckelshaus, a socially progressive Republican appointed by President Ford as head of the White House Office of Women's Programs.

"Mrs. America" is set to premiere in 2020.

 

On their way: Parents and toddlers can rest easy (or easier) because some of the biggest shows in preschool television are coming back this fall with new episodes.

First up is the Canadian-made TV and toy phenomenon "PAW Patrol." That's right: Marshall, Rubble, Chase, Rocky, Zuma, Skye, yeah, they're on their way with an exciting seventh season. Ryder and his rescue pups will continue to do what they do best -- save the people of Adventure Bay -- in 26 new half-hour adventures. They'll get supercharged abilities when the super evil Copycat arrives in town. And here's a treat for dinosaur fans: PAW Patrol will head to Dino Land, where they'll meet puppy paleontologist Rex and take part in prehistoric missions, complete with new Dino Rescue gear.

"Bubble Guppies" has been renewed for a fifth season, and you can expect to see a new kid … er, fish in town: Zooli, a smart guppy who is also an animal expert. If you're not familiar with all that goes on in the underwater town of Bubbletucky, this animated series features a mix of stories, games, music and educational segments that teach kindergarten readiness skills, and fish puns, too.

Nickelodeon also announced the renewal of two newer series that have had a successful first-year run: the problem-solving "Abby Hatcher," which is produced by "PAW Patrol" parent company Spin Master Entertainment; and "Butterbean's Café," from the creators of "Bubble Guppies."