FIRST LOOK
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ON TELEVISION (TUESDAY 4/26/16)
FOOD: Chopped Junior (Premiere) at 8pm
HISTORY: Top Gear (Premiere) at 9pm
SCIENCE CHANNEL: Space’s Deepest Secrets (Premiere) at 9pm
Z LIVING: X-Weighted Families (Premiere) at 8pm
CBS: Limitless (Finale) at 10pm
CNBC: Billion Dollar Buyer (Premiere) at 10pm
Jennifer Hudson and Harvey Fierstein will star in NBC musical event Hairspray Live!, set to air Wednesday, December 7. Hudson landed the role of Motormouth Maybelle while Fierstein takes on Edna Turnblad, the part he played in the 2002 Broadway production. They’ll be in experienced hands – Grease: Live director Alex Rudzinsky and Kenny Leon (The Wiz Live!) are co-directing.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The U.S. Justice Department said Monday it will allow Charter Communications to buy Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, which would create the second-biggest home internet provider after Comcast. FCC chairman Tom Wheeler recommended governmental approval of the acquisition, subject to seven-year conditions aimed at “bringing and protecting competition to the video marketplace and increasing broadband deployment.” No problem, responded Charter: “The conditions that will be imposed ensure Charter’s current consumer-friendly and pro-broadband businesses practices will be maintained by New Charter.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Saturday Night Live is reducing commercial load by 30 percent next season. Instead of ads, viewers will see original sponsored content from ad partners. “We are excited to try something new and unique that will shape and drive advertiser content too,” said Linda Yaccarino, chairman, advertising sales and client-partnerships, NBCUniversal.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Megyn Kelly landed an interview with Donald Trump for Megyn Kelly Presents, her May 17 special on Fox. Kelly had been a target of the GOP frontrunner in attacks Fox News Channel called “a sick obsession,” but the two appear to have cleared the air during a private meeting on April 13. “He was gracious with his time and I asked him to consider an interview. I am happy to announce he has agreed, and I look forward to a fascinating exchange,” said Kelly. Portions of the interview will also air on FNC’s The Kelly File the following night.
(Source: Cynopsis)
WGN America renewed Underground for a second season. WGN’s most-watched program ever, the Underground Railroad thriller is averaging 3 million total viewers in Live+7 delivery. A ten-episode season will begin production this summer for a 2017 debut; season one finale airs Wednesday, May 11 at 10p, preceded by a marathon starting at 1p. Underground is outpacing the net’s 2015-2016 primetime average by 508 percent in total viewers and 1005 (!!!) percent among A18-49.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Mom co-creator Chuck Lorre, series stars Allison Janney and recurring guest star Emily Osment will be part of the “White House of Champions of Change for Advancing Prevention, Treatment and Recovery” event on April 29. The trio will participate in a panel discussion about addiction. It’s familiar territory for the Mom family – Janney plays a recovering addict on the CBS comedy, while Osment’s character died of a drug overdose in February.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Revolt CEO Keith Clinkscales joined the cable chorus objecting to an FCC set-top box proposal that would require cable operators to make programming available to third parties. “The rules would force existing TV companies to hand over programs they create to companies like Google to use and monetize without negotiating with, or paying, creators anything for the rights to that programming,” said Clinkscales in a letter to President Obama, who came out in favor of the measure. “This kind of economic exploitation will devalue the work of all creative and allow others to poach their value.” Minorities, he added, would be particularly at risk. “We are the canaries in coalmine for this radial experiment to reshape the video market by FCC fiat,” said Clinkscales, “and you know what happens to the canaries.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Hallmark’s “June Weddings” stunt will include four original movies, one every Saturday night. First up: Wedding Bells on June 4 at 9p, starring Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years). Last year’s June wedding event delivered year-over-year increases of 13 percent in total day and ten percent in primetime among viewers W25-54.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The Go-Go’s, Shawn Mendes and DNCE will be among the performers at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. Show airs live on ABC Sunday, May 22 at 8p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Skate contest doc King of the Road offers “pants-wettingly absurd scenarios” on Wednesday, April 28 at 11p. On Viceland, of course.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Showtime revealed the cast of its Twin Peaks revival – all 217 members. Joining returnees Kyle MacLaughlan, Madchen Amick, Sherilyn Fenn, Miguel Ferrar, David Duchovny, Sheryl Lee and Harry Dean Stanton, among others, are Naomi Watts, Amanda Seyfrid, Tom Sizemore, Laura Dern, Ernie Hudson, Eddie Vedder, Jim Belushi, Monica Bellucci, Matthew Lillard, Jessica Szohr and Balthazar Getty. Among others.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Nia Long (The Best Man) and Brian Baumgartner (The Office) landed roles in season two of Amazon’s Hand of God, slated to premiere later this year.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Keke Palmer (Scream Queens) will guest voice on Nickelodeon’s animated Bubble Guppies. Hour-long episode airs Friday, April 29 at 11a.
(Source: Cynopsis)
John D. Brotherton has been promoted to series regular for season two of Netflix’s Fuller House. Brotherton plays a love interest for D.J.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Saturday Night Live’s Prince tribute episode delivered a 4.5 rating in metered market households and 2.1 among A18-49, up from 3.9/1.9 last week. The show featured SNL performances and skits with the music legend.
(Source: Cynopsis)
It was good news coming and going for AMC. The April 19 series premiere of The Night Manager delivered 1.6 million total viewers and 455,000 among A18-49 in Live+3, up a net debut record 70 percent in total viewership and 72 percent in the demo versus Live+SD Nielsens. And the season two finale of Better Call Saul delivered 4.4 million viewers and 2.6 million A25-54 in Live+3 ratings; season average was 4.3 million/2.6 million. Saul wrapped its sophomore run as a top ten cable show in both A18-49 and A25-54; not surprisingly, it will be back for a third season.
(Source: Cynopsis)
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Today’s Jackpot is $108 million
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Keely's Korner 