In Brief: ‘Real Time’ renewed by HBO, and more

Busy Phillips is getting another shot at a talk show, Variety reports. The former host of E!’s Busy Tonight will host Busy This Week, which will stream on QVC+. Per the streaming service, “During each half-hour episode, viewers will join Busy on the couch to get an unscripted take on whatever has kept us busy this week,” according to Variety. “From celebrity guest interviews and laugh-out-loud moments to personal stories and her favorite curated shopping finds, Busy will give her audience a healthy dose of [retail] therapy.” The show premieres May 8 at 10 p.m. ET …

Lovecraft Country star Jurnee Smollett has joined the cast of Apple TV+’s Firebug, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The drama series, per the outlet, will follow “an enigmatic arson investigator,” played by Taron Egerton, who is “pursuing two serial arsonists in the Pacific Northwest.” Smollett will play Michelle, who is also a rising star in her department …

HBO has renewed Bill Maher‘s Real Time for two more seasons, the premium cable network announced on Wednesday. The new deal will carry the series through 2026. “Two more years in the dream job of a lifetime, on the network so many dream of being on – I think that’s what we call a no-brainer,” Maher said in a statement on Wednesday. Real Time with Bill Maher is currently in its 22nd season on HBO …