Apple TV Plus has renewed thriller Severance. Dan Erickson created the show and Ben Stiller is executive producer and director. Severance began in February and the season one finale arrives April 8. 

“Thanks to creator Dan Erickson, the brilliant Ben Stiller, and an incomparable cast and crew, Severance has imagined an existence that‘s equal parts riveting and enthralling as viewers around the globe can’t get enough of these rich characters,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming at Apple TV Plus. “We’re excited to go deeper into this wholly unique world and unpack more layers of Lumon in season two.”

The show details Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leading a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of a mystery that will force him to confront some tricky topics. 

“It’s really exciting to see the response from people who are loving the show—and the level of fan engagement,” said Stiller. “It has been a long road bringing Severance to television. I first read Dan’s pilot over five years ago. It has always been a multi-season story, and I’m really happy we get to continue it. I’m grateful to our partners at Apple TV Plus, who have been behind it the whole way. Praise Keir!”

Patricia Arquette, John Turturro and Christopher Walken are also in the cast.

The series is written and created by Erickson. Mark Friedman, Chris Black, John Cameron and Andrew Colville are executive producers alongside Erickson. Stiller, Nicky Weinstock and Jackie Cohn executive produce through Red Hour Productions. 

Endeavor Content produces the show. ■

Paramount Pictures will be promoting its upcoming film Zoolander 2 across NBCUniversal platforms with a campaign that spoofs NBC’s “The More You Know” PSA campaign.

Created by NBCU’s in-house Content Innovation Agency, the parody ads feature Ben Stiller, who plays male model Derek Zoolander in PSAs pushing the message “The Outside Matters,” emphasizing the importance of appearance.

The spots — tailored to fit each NBCU network’s audience — will appear on NBC, USA, Bravo, E! and Telemundo, as well as on those networks’ digital and social platforms.

“The combination of the renowned ‘The More You Know’ campaign and Zoolander’s cultural legacy were a natural fit and will make you think about this venerable campaign in wholly new ways,” said Steve Siskind, president of domestic marketing at Paramount Pictures.

Read more, and watch the #TheOutsideMatters video, at broadcastingcable.com.

Comedy Central in 2015 will air a pair of scripted series from Ben Stiller’s production company Red Hour, the network said during its Television Critics Association Winter press tour.

The first series, Big Time In Hollywood, Fl., premieres March 25 and stars young filmmakers [Alex Anfanger and Lenny Jacobson] who are forced to live on their own while looking to create a successful film. The series, co-produced by Red Hour and Brillstein Partners, also stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Michael Madsen, Kathy Baker and Keith David, according to the network.

Another Period, which will premiere in summer 2015, follows the exploits of a well-to-do Newport R.I. family in 1902 and two sisters – played by Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome – who are only concerned about becoming famous, according to network officials.

Stiller, along with Jack Black, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Missi Pyle, will have guest starring roles in the series.