Call it an iteration of “When Animals Attack.”
CBS has given the green light to “Zoo,” a 13-part series that will air next summer and is based on the 2012 James Patterson novel of the same name. It’s described as “a global thriller about a wave of violent animal attacks against humans across the planet,” and a “young renegade biologist” who’s tasked with solving the killer crisis.
There’s no casting yet (the project was just announced Tuesday), but the series boasts nine — count ’em, nine — executive producers, including Patterson, Cathy Konrad, Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg.
CBS wasn’t the only network making some series news; Starz also announced it’s developing “American Gods” which, like “Zoo,” is adapted from a novel (written by Neil Gaiman and published in 2001) and also hasn’t cast any of it roles yet. The series pilot will be written by Bryan Fuller (NBC’s “Hannibal,” “Heroes,” “Pushing Daisies”) and Michael Green (“Kings,” “Heroes”), who will also be series showrunners.
More series news: NBC has renewed its late-season Texas (San Antonio)-based medical drama, “Night Shift,” for a second season with stars Eoin Macken, Jill Flint, Ken Leung and Brendan Fehr. The series premiered to 8 million viewers in mid-May and has held onto those eyeballs since, averaging 7.9 million viewers and a 1.7 in adults 18-49 thus far.
And Sandra Bernhard, who just did a sold-out performance at Guild Hall (East Hampton) flew out to LA directly afterward to film two TV appearances in FX’s “You’re the Worst” and IFC’s “Birthday Boys,” co-executive-produced by Ben Stiller. She’ll play herself in both shows.
Logo Meschach tribute
Logo TV will remember the late “Designing Women” star Meshach Taylor, who died last weekend at the age of 67, with a marathon called “The Fans Remember Meshach Taylor.”
Running Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., it will encompass “Best Of” episodes featuring Taylor’s “Designing Women” character, Anthony Bouvier (he played the part for the entire series run, 1986-93). Fans will be encouraged to tweet their favorite memories about Meshach, and Anthony, using the hashtag #MeshachTribute; select tweets will be featured on-air.
Last, but not least …
ABC’s “World News” (Diane Sawyer) won the 2nd Quarter in adults 25-54 (1.98 million viewers) — squeaking by the “NBC Nightly News” (1.96 million viewers) … “Ringo Starr: A Lifetime of Peace and Love,” taped last January in LA, airs July 13 (8 p.m.) on AXS TV … Oliver Proudlock and Stevie Johnson, from Britain’s reality show “Made in Chelsea” (which airs on Channel 4 over there), were seen at Haus (285 West Broadway) in TriBeCa last weekend. … Favorite publicist names, #48: Amanda Ice (WGBH).