The latest edition of Deadline’s Sound & Screen Television event is underway Wednesday evening, bringing into focus one of the most vital and yet often unseen elements of storytelling: music. From sweeping, orchestral themes to more intimate, character-driven pieces, a project’s score and songs are integral parts of the puzzle when it comes to shaping how audiences connect with what they see on screen. 

Sound & Screen, which has quickly become one of Deadline’s most popular events, is back at UCLA’s Royce Hall for the 2026 edition, featuring another fantastic lineup of musicians and their scores from this year’s most striking television offerings, with the music performed live with the backing of a full orchestra. 

This year’s roster is an excellent one. We’ve got Jeff Russo, a founder of Tonic and previous member of Low Stars, who is the composer behind FX’s Alien: Earth; as well as Emmy-winning composer and musician Amanda Jones, who is behind the sound of Apple TV’s Murderbot. Siddhartha Khosla will also join us onstage to showcase his score for Imperfect Women starring Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara.

Netflix is in the house tonight with two shows: Beef and Wednesday. Finneas O’Connell, who has already won two Oscars, two Golden Globes and 11 Grammys, is the mastermind behind the score for the much anticipated second season of Beef, and he’ll outline his approach for us this evening in front of the packed house of awards-season voters. Meanwhile, two-time Emmy nominee Chris Bacon, whose credits include Source Code, Heretic and Alpha and Omega, will talk how he’s built on Wednesday‘s gothic score for the show’s latest season.

Renowned composer Jeff Beal, whose credits include House of Cards and The Newsroom, is also in the building, where he’ll walk us through the process of writing the music for Peacock’s hit All Her Fault that stars Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning. 

Meanwhile, Christopher Lennertz and Matt Bowen are returning this year to talk about their approach to composing the score for Prime Video’s wild superhero series The Boys, while Tyler Strickland will walk us through the emotional journey of scoring John Candy: I Like Me, which explores the life and legacy of the iconic Canadian funnyman. 

Breton Vivian, who earned an Emmy nomination for his prominent work on Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone, also returns this year to talk composing Sheridan’s follow-up Paramount+ series The Madison. 

HBO Max series The Pitt is coming off the back of winning the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, and composers Gavin Brivik and Andrew Bird are on hand to break down crafting the show’s original song “Need Someone.” 

And last, but certainly not least, David Archuleta, Sophie Rose and Michael Blum are here to talk about their original song “Wish That You Were Me” for Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. 

Check back Thursday for our Sound & Screen coverage, and on Monday when Deadline launches the event’s streaming site featuring all the panel videos. In the meantime, here’s the full lineup of who’s hitting the stage.

Sound & Screen Television 2026

PRIME VIDEO

The Boys

Christopher Lennertz (Composer)
Matt Bowen (Composer)

PARAMOUNT+

The Madison

Breton Vivian (Composer)

APPLE TV

Murderbot

Amanda Jones (Composer)

HBO MAX

The Pitt

Gavin Brivik (Composer/Songwriter)
Andrew Bird (Songwriter)

PEACOCK

All Her Fault

Jeff Beal (Composer)

FX

Alien: Earth

Jeff Russo (Composer)

APPLE TV

Imperfect Women

Siddhartha Khosla (Composer)

HULU

Only Murders in the Building

David Archuleta (Co-Writer)
Sophie Rose (Co-Writer/Singer)
Michael Blum (Co-Writer/Producer)

PRIME VIDEO

John Candy: I Like Me

Tyler Strickland (Composer)

NETFLIX

Wednesday

Chris Bacon (Composer)

Beef

Finneas O’Connell (Composer)

EXCLUSIVE: Hulu has passed on its YA drama pilot Foster Dade, from Greg Berlanti, Bash Doran, Warner Bros. Television and studio-based Berlanti Productions. The project already is being shopped to other platforms by the studio, which remains high on the pilot, sources said.

Based on Nash Jenkins’ debut novel Foster Dade Explores the Cosmos, Foster Dade was one of three YA pilots Hulu had ordered over the past year as the streamer has been looking to beef up its offerings in the arena following the breakout success of its college drama Tell Me Lies. None of them moved forward, with Foster Dade following the recent passes to drama Buffy: New Sunnydale and comedy Don’t Get High.

Hulu did pick up to series its 2024 YA comedy-mystery pilot Phony, starring Connie Britton and Sam Nivola, and it also has coming up Mindy Kaling’s 20-somethings comedy series Not Suitable For Work as it remains committed to the space, sources said.

This marks the first Hulu pickup decision following the March restructuring which saw Debra OConnell add Hulu Originals to her purview in her new role as chairman of Disney Entertainment Television. It came after initial positive internal buzz on Foster Dade while the pilot was still in production.

Described as a sophisticated mystery set at an East Coast boarding school that explores privilege, scandal, sexuality and masculinity amid the rise of social media, millennial anxiety and pharmaceuticals, Foster Dade is said to be pushing the envelope of edgy, sexual content.

That may not have been a good fit for Disney’s Hulu, though the exact reasons for the pass are unclear. (Hulu has racy shows on, with the British series Rivals as a prime example.) The team behind Foster Dade is likely hoping that the recent success of Heated Rivalry, which came out after Foster Dade had been greenlighted to pilot at Hulu, has increased the appetite for such programming among streamers, including WBTV sibling HBO Max, the home in the U.S. and other territories of the hugely popular hockey romance.

Berlanti and Doran already have a high-profile pilot at HBO Max, drama How To Survive Without Me starring Ray Romano, Joshua Jackson, Kaley Cuoco and Rita Wilson.

The hope is for Foster Dade to follow another racy Berlanti Prods./WBTV series targeting younger viewers, You, which started at Lifetime before finding a long-time (and more suitable) home at Netflix.

The cast of the Foster Dade pilot, written by Greg Berlanti and Bash Doran and directed by Daniel Minahan, includes Jack Alldridge, Chloe East, Cameron Mann, Matt Bomer, Wyatt Aubrey, Olivia Campos-Tarantino and Vinny Chhibber.

Executive producing are Berlanti Prods.’ Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Leigh London Redman alongside Doran, Jenkins, Robbie Rogers as well as Donald De Line of De Line Pictures.

EXCLUSIVE: As Fox is getting ready to launch a reboot of one of its 1980s TV series, Baywatch, this coming season, the network is bringing back another classic ’80s TV title, Highway To Heaven, for the following season.

Looking ahead, Fox has ordered a new take on Michael Landon‘s Highway To Heaven from writer-producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood), Amblin Television and Michael Landon Productions to premiere during the 2027-28 season.

The contemporary reimagining is produced by Fox Entertainment Studios and owned by Fox as part of its push to control a significant portion of its content. It will be distributed worldwide by Fox Entertainment Global.

The new series will keep the original’s uplifting, emotional storytelling and themes of compassion, humanity and second chances while putting an original spin on its premise of a “probationary angel,” who is sent to Earth to earn his wings by helping people in need. 

“I’m excited by the challenge of putting a contemporary lens on this classic tale,” Katims said. “The idea of telling a very grounded, human story about an angel feels immediately emotional to me — and fun. I love going outside my comfort zone to tell a tale about someone trying to do better as an angel than he did as a man.”

Highway To Heaven taps into the current popularity of feel-good programming. Possibly fueled by what is going in the the world, the trend has viewers gravitating towards shows with adventure and optimism. Fox got into that lane a couple of years ago and has found success there with such series as Doc and the fully-owned Best Medicine, a streak it is looking to continue with Baywatch.

The new Highway To Heaven is executive produced by Katims, who will serve as showrunner, Amblin Television’s Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, and Todd Cohen, alongside Mark Itkin and Michael Landon Productions’ Cindy Landon – widow of creator Michael Landon – and Wayne Lepoff.

Katims’ expansive resume includes several shows with similar emotional, uplifting — while grounded — storytelling, most notably his signature series, Friday Night Lights and Parenthood, on which he served as showrunner and executive producer. (He also developed Parenthood.)

That hopeful tone is part of Amblin’s DNA too, with such Spielberg movies as E.T. and the Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park franchises.

“With the incredible pairing of Jason Katims, Cindy Landon, and the Amblin team, we’re building on Highway to Heaven’s timeless legacy of transformation and optimism in a way that feels deeply relevant and relatable to our audience,” said Michael Thorn, President of Fox Television Network.

Created by Landon, Highway To Heaven aired on NBC for five seasons, from 1984-89. Landon starred as Jonathan Smith, an angel in probation sent to Earth by The Boss (God) to do good deeds. Victor French co-starred as Mark Gordon, a retired policeman who traveled with Smith to help him with his “assignments”.

“Highway to Heaven has always been about connection, compassion and the idea that small acts can have big ripple effects and make a lasting difference,” Cindy Landon said. “I’m proud to help carry Michael’s legacy forward with partners like Fox and Amblin, who understand the heart of this series and are bringing it to a new generation at just the right moment.”

Katims’ series credits also include We See It, My So-Called Life, The Path, Away, Dear Edward, Roswell, About A Boy, Boston Public, and Rise. He has received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, a Peabody Award, and multiple Humanitas Prizes. Katims is repped by CAA and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.