Fanatic Feed: Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd Series, Madam Secretary Fave Joins Power Spinoff, and More!

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Wednesday, February 19, 2020.

MRC Television today announced they will produce and develop the limited television series, The Shrink Next Door, based on the #1 new podcast of 2019 by Wondery and Bloomberg Media.

Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, who are reteaming on screen for the first time since Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, will appear in the series as the patient and therapist, respectively.

Michael Showalter is attached to direct and Georgia Pritchett will pen the script.

Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and Brittney Segal will executive produce for Gloria Sanchez Productions. Rudd and Pritchett will also serve as executive producers.

Based on the acclaimed Wondery and Bloomberg Media podcast and inspired by true events, The Shrink Next Door is a dark comedy following the bizarre relationship between psychiatrist to the stars Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf played by Paul Rudd, and his longtime patient Martin “Marty” Markowitz, played by Will Ferrell.

Over the course of their relationship, the all-too-charming Ike slowly takes over Marty’s life, even moving into Marty’s home and taking over his family business. The series explores how a seemingly normal doctor-patient dynamic morphs into an unprecedentedly exploitative one filled with manipulation, power grabs, and dysfunction at its finest.

Actor/Writer/Producer Ferrell, who starred for seven seasons on Saturday Night Live, has created some of the most iconic and beloved characters in films such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Elf, Step Brothers, and Stranger Than Fiction to name a few. Along with partner Jessica Elbaum, Ferrell is a co-founder of Gloria Sanchez Productions.

Ferrell will soon be seen starring in the Gloria Sanchez-produced film Eurovision, along with Rachel McAdams.

Written by Ferrell and Andrew Steele, Eurovision premieres on Netflix this May.

Ferrell can currently be seen in the Searchlight Pictures film Downhill alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Paul Rudd starred in the Netflix series, Living with Yourself, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe® Award and Critics’ Choice® Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Television Series.

He recently starred in Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, the largest grossing film of all time, with a box office of $2.8 billion. Rudd will next be seen starring in Jason Reitman’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” on July 10, 2020.

Meanwhile, Power Book III: Raising Kanan has tapped a Madam Secretary favorite to be a part of its cast. 

 has joined the 1990s-set spinoff as Raquel “Raq” Thomas, a “cold, hard, fierce… successful and deadly woman taking names in a man’s world,” per the official character description provided by Starz.

“She is tough, resolute, ruthless and yet, Raq is still capable of love. Great love. The sole recipient of that affection is her son, Kanan — he is everything to her."

"As much as she cares for him though, there are many instances where one wonders if she loves him for who he is, or if she loves him merely as an extension of herself."

"The middle child of three, Raq also carries the heavy burden as the earner for her two brothers. Raq is the sun, and everyone else in her universe exists in her orbit.”

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is one of four spinoffs in development. Power Book I may be over, but the franchise is set to live on for years to come. 

Over on USA Network, Briarpatch is officially on the move. The Rosario Dawson-fronted anthology is leaving its Thursdays at 10/9c slot behind, and moving behind WWE Raw on Mondays at 11/10c.

Showruner Andy Greenwald dropped the news on Twitter, teasing that the network is attempting to boost the ratings. 

Briarpatch Season 1 Episode 1 had 528,000 total viewers and a 0.09 rating in the demo. The numbers got uglier in week 2. 

https://t.co/oz4KAeCeWZ pic.twitter.com/2g2KmIzDI6

— Andy Greenwald (@andygreenwald) February 19, 2020

Over in the world of reality TV, Bethenny Frankel has set her return to the small screen. The former Real Housewives of New York star is set to topline The Big Shot With Bethenny. 

HBO Max has ordered eight episodes of The Big Shot with Bethenny, a new competition series from MGM Television, Mark Burnett, and reality TV veteran and producer Bethenny Frankel and her B Real Productions.

In each half-hour episode, the next generation of business moguls will compete for a chance to be second-in-command to business tycoon and Skinnygirl founder Frankel, and win a coveted position working on her executive team.

In business and in life, Frankel never settles and only accepts excellence. Through a series of real-life tasks and challenges, each aspiring mogul will be tested to see how far they can push their creativity and determination to rise to the top.

"I first met Bethenny when I put her on the first season of The Real Housewives of New York City and she's always both impressed and entertained me," says Jennifer O'Connell, executive vice president of original non-fiction and kids programming, HBO Max.

"It's incredible to see her empire continue to grow and I know that candidates will be clamoring to work for her."

"Bethenny is that rare talent whose creative instincts are equal to her business acumen and working with her to create this series has been an amazing collaboration," said Barry Poznick, MGM's President of Unscripted & Alternative Television and Orion Television.

"We're giving fans what they want, access inside Bethenny's businesses so they can see how she runs her empire, all while offering one fan the chance of a lifetime to join her executive team. We've found the perfect home in HBO Max to bring this exclusive opportunity to viewers."

Added Frankel: "Aside from motherhood, what truly defines me as a person is being a driven, passionate and hard-working woman determined to make the impossible possible. My mantra is to come from a place of 'yes' and to find and create the solution. I am an executor of visions, and I share and impart that information to those who work with me."

"MGM has been neck-in-neck with me with ideas and their execution. I couldn't be more thrilled to continue my longstanding relationship with Mark Burnett on this series and pay this American Dream story forward."

Frankel is a self-made businesswoman, TV producer, multiple New York Times bestselling author, and mother. A frequent collaborator of MGM Worldwide Television Group Chairman Mark Burnett, Frankel appeared as a shark on two seasons of ABC's critically acclaimed series Shark Tank, and was the series' highest rated guest shark to-date.

Frankel is the Founder & CEO of Skinnygirl, a lifestyle brand offering practical solutions to women, and former star of the popular Bravo series "The Real Housewives of New York City." In 2011, she was named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities by Forbes.

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.