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Jessica Chastain’s Tammy Wynette-George Jones Biopic to Become Limited Series for Spectrum, Paramount Network

Chastain is still set to star as Wynette, no word yet on who is playing George Jones (but Josh Brolin is producing)

| September 10, 2020 @ 12:31 PM Last Updated: September 11, 2020 @ 9:32 AM
Jessica Chastain

Paramount/Spectrum

Spectrum Originals and Paramount Network have optioned Abe Sylvia’s feature screenplay about George Jones and Tammy Wynette. Together, the platforms — and showrunner Sylvia — are turning the story into a limited series titled “George & Tammy.”

Jessica Chastain (pictured above) is (still) set to star as Wynette. She and Josh Brolin, the original actor attached to the George Jones role, were going to star opposite one another in the movie version.

No word yet on who will play Jones in the limited series. Brolin is attached as an executive producer.

The movie was a Fox Searchlight project.

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This “George & Tammy” will first run on Spectrum, and then nine months later migrate to both the upcoming ViacomCBS streaming service and to cable channel Paramount Network. It will chronicle the country music power couple, Wynette and Jones, whose complicated relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time. 

In addition to Sylvia, Andrew Lazar, who optioned the screenplay, will executive produce alongside Brolin and Chastain, David Glasser, David Hutkin, Bob Yari and Bryan Goluboff.

Sylvia’s script is based on the book “The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George,” penned by the couple’s daughter, Georgette Jones.

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Remembered as the “First Lady of Country Music,” Wynette’s lyrics tackled real life issues including loneliness, divorce and heartbreak. Wynette’s most successful song “Stand by Your Man” is one of the most iconic and best-selling country singles by a female artist.

Wynette’s 20 No. 1 songs on the country charts cemented her place as one of the most influential women in music. Her tumultuous marriage to country superstar Jones in 1969 gave life to iconic duets including, “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Golden Ring” and “Near You.”

“I first read Abe’s feature script a few years ago and couldn’t get it out of my head — the examination of human frailty and redemption was so unexpected, given the glitz and glamour of the subject matter,” Katherine Pope, head of Spectrum Originals, said in a statement on Thursday. “We all thought we knew who Tammy Wynette was, but there is so much more to her that we never saw.  Jessica brings her incredible depth of intelligence, empathy and strength to peel back all the layers of this country superstar. It’s an honor to work with this dream team — all the producers and our partners at 101 Studios and Paramount Network — we can’t wait to bring this incredible series to our viewers.”

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“I’ve been a massive fan of George & Tammy’s iconic music since I was a kid, leading me to chase this incredible script by Abe for years,” added Keith Cox, president of ViacomCBS’s Entertainment & Youth Studios. “It’s a dream come true to have Jessica at the forefront of the complex tale behind Tammy Wynette. We are thrilled to share this series about two legends with the world on ViacomCBS forthcoming streaming service and Paramount Network.”

“We are thrilled to be able to bring this story to life,” said Glasser, the CEO of 101 Studios. “This project has been a labor of love for everyone involved, especially Andrew (Lazar) and Jessica (Chastain). We first heard about it nearly seven years ago when it was pitched as a feature film. After Abe Sylvia’s success in television with ‘Nurse Jackie’ and ‘Dead to Me,’ we thought ‘George & Tammy’ could also be re-envisioned as a series. With Abe at the helm of the project, Andrew producing, and Jessica attached to star, we can finally bring George and Tammy’s story to the screen.”

“I am humbled to bring this incredible story to life with the breadth it deserves and that the Charter platforms allow,” Sylvia said. “Tammy Wynette is an American icon, and I can think of no one better to illuminate the woman behind the legend than Jessica Chastain. After having the honor of penning ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ for Freckle Films and Searchlight, I so look forward to another collaboration with her. This has indeed been a passion project for Andrew, Josh and me – and we are so grateful to our partners Katherine Pope, Keith Cox and David Glasser for tirelessly championing our labor of love.”

Fall TV 2020: All the Premiere Dates for New and Returning Shows - So Far (Photos)

  • fall premiere dates 2020 Fox/ABC/Amazon/FX
  • Teen Mom 2 MTV
  • 16 and Recovering - MTV MTV
  • Transplant - Season 1 NBC
  • House of Payne BET
  • Assisted Living BET
  • AP Bio Season 3 Peacock
  • HBO Max
  • Away Hilary Swank Netflix
  • Noughts and Crosses Peacock
  • Stormfront Aya Cash The Boys Season 2 Amazon Prime Video
  • Viola Davis and husband OWN
  • Method Man in Power Book II: Ghost Starz
  • American Ninja Warrior - season 11 NBC
  • LA's Finest - Season 1 - Episode 101 Spectrum Originals
  • Woke Lamorne Morris Hulu
  • Madison Reyes in "Julie and the Phantoms" on Netflix Netflix
  • The Duchess Netflix
  • our cartoon president trump colbert showtime Showtime
  • Dancing With the Stars ABC
  • The Third Day Katherine Waterston HBO
  • We Are Who We Are HBO
  • Enslaved Epix
  • Comedy Central
  • Challenger_ Final Flight Netflix
  • FXX
  • Departure - Season 1 Peacock
  • The Great Pottery Throw Down HBO Max
  • Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous Hulu
  • Pen15 Hulu
  • Ratched Sarah Paulson Netflix
  • Worlds Funniest Animals The CW
  • LA's Finest Fox
  • filthy rich Fox
  • Nick Cannon Masked Singer Fox
  • I Can See Your Voice Fox
  • Rainn Wilson Utopia Amazon
  • A Wilderness of Error FX
  • Simpsons Fox
  • Bless the Harts Fox
  • Bobs Burgers Fox
  • Showtime
  • Family Guy Fox
  • Fargo Year 4 - Chris Rock FX
  • The Weakest Link - Season 1 NBC
  • Gangs of London AMC
  • Salisbury Poisonings AMC
  • Monsterland Getty
  • Emily in Paris Netflix
  • Undercover Boss CBS
  • Warrior
  • snl saturday night live weekend update michael che on stay at home protesters NBC
  • Pandora
  • Ethan Hawke Good Lord Bird Showtime Showtime
  • britannia Epix
  • The Walking Dead World Beyond AMC
  • Soulmates AMC
  • Swamp Thing DC Universe
  • Ellen's Game of Games - Season 2 NBC
  • NEXT Fox
  • Devils Patrick Dempsey The CW
  • Coroner The CW
  • Supernatural The CW
  • Connecting - Season 1 NBC
  • CW - The Outpost The CW
  • Disney+
  • Haunting of Bly Manor Netflix
  • fear the walking dead ftwd season 6 premiere and trailer AMC
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  • Tell Me a Story The CW
  • The Amazing Race CBS
  • Sistas BET
  • Star Trek Discovery Season 3 CBS All Access
  • Helstrom Hulu Comic-Con at Home San Diego Comic-Con Trailer Hulu
  • Grand Army Netflix
  • Shark Tank ABC
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  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ABC
  • Card Sharks ABC
  • Unsolved Mysteries Netflix
  • The Voice NBC
  • The Goldbergs ABC
  • The Conners ABC
  • Blackish ABC
  • Queens Gambit Netflix
  • The Undoing HBO
  • NBC
  • American Housewife ABC
  • Superstore - Season 4 NBC
  • Mandalorian Disney+
  • The Good Doctor ABC
  • Young Sheldon CBS
  • B Positive CBS
  • Mom CBS
  • CBS
  • NCIS New Orleans CBS
  • A Teacher Kate Mara FX on Hulu
  • Chicago Med - Season 4 NBC
  • Chicago Fire - Season 7 NBC
  • CBS
  • Chicago P.D. - Season 6 NBC
  • Station 19 ABC
  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Season 21 NBC
  • ELLEN POMPEO Greys Anatomy ABC
  • The Unicorn CBS
  • The Blacklist Red NBC
  • the crown season 3 queen elizabeth conspiracy theories harold wilson anthony blunt russian Netflix
  • The Neighborhood CBS
  • Bob Hearts Abishola CBS
  • All Rise CBS CBS
  • His Dark Materials HBO
  • Bull cbs CBS
  • NCIS CBS
  • FBI - "Emotional Rescue" CBS
  • FBI Most Wanted CBS
  • Kylie Bunbury Big Sky ABC
  • For Life ABC
  • A Million Little Things ABC
  • Animaniacs Hulu
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  • HBO Max
  • Virgin River Netflix
  • Shameless Showtime
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1 of 125

Here’s when 125 broadcast, cable and streaming series debut and come back

Fall is in full swing, but not much has changed since this summer with many people still staying at home as much as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Luckily, dozens of new and returning shows are premiering this autumn to keep you company. TheWrap has rounded up all the dates we know -- so far -- for Fall TV shows' debuts. We will continue to update the list as more become available.

For the purposes of this gallery, we've designated Sept. 1 as the beginning of fall rather than the official Sept. 22 start, since "Fall TV" is sure to be more loosely defined this year.

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