Keely's Korner

ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC have teamed for a lawsuit against free streaming app Locast, provider of local TV signals, reports the Wall Street Journal. Despite its non-profit status, the nets say Locast’s “founding, funding and operations reveal its decidedly commercial purposes.” Locast contends it operates within copyright laws which allow “boosters” of local broadcast signals.
(Source: Cynopsis)

The Hulu Scripted Originals content team is joining forces with Walt Disney Television to integrate development of original scripted drama and comedy programming for the streaming service with Disney’s TV resources. Craig Erwich, SVP of Scripted Originals for Hulu, will report to Dana Walden, Chairman of Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment. Erwich will continue to lead scripted originals planning, development and commissioning for Hulu’s original comedies and dramas. Hulu’s unscripted original programming, original film development and licensed live and on-demand content acquisition teams will remain in their current structure, reporting to Hulu CEO Randy Freer. Content strategy and marketing will continue to be led by Hulu’s business and marketing teams. Disney assumed full operational control of Hulu in May.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Woody Allen had a major setback in his $68 million lawsuit over Amazon backing out of his production deal. A federal judge dismissed four of Allen’s causes of action, curtailing his claims. Amazon had terminated its contract with Allen after accusations resurfaced that he had molested his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, in 1992. Allen has called the accusations baseless.
(Source: Cynopsis)

The stars of Netflix’s On My Block scored big pay raises for season three of the comedy. Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Brett Gray and Diego Tinoco, plus a fifth star, Jessica Marie Garcia negotiated as a group, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Their $20,000-per-episode fee jump to $81,250. Production begins this month.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Showtime gave a straight-to-series order to Rust, starring Jeff Daniels (The Looming Tower), who will executive produce and reteam with writer Dan Futterman (Capote). Family drama, co-produced with Platform One Media, will explore the tattered American dream through the eyes of a compromised chief of police in a Rust Belt town.
(Source: Cynopsis)

First Responders Live has been picked up by Fox for an additional six episodes. Series is produced by 44 Blue Productions and Wolf Entertainment.
(Source: Cynopsis)

History three-part miniseries The Food That Built America tells stories of food industry innovation and rivalries starting Sunday, August 11 at 9p.
(Source: Cynopsis)

HarmonQuest is back for season three on VRV on Sunday, August 18. New episodes of the part animation, part live-action comedy will air Sundays for a total of ten episodes.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls’ Luke) will be back as host of UPtv’s Thanksgiving week “GilMORE the Merrier” binge-a-thon, running Sunday, November 24 at 9p-Sunday, December 1 at 7p. Last year, the stunt drove UPtv’s strongest week of 2018 in all key demos.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Cinelatino will air the U.S. premiere of Mexican box office hit Como Cortar a Tu Patan on Sunday, August 4 at 9p.

Noticias Telemundo is broadcastin Puerto Rico, ¿y ahora qué? (Puerto Rico – What’s Next?), a special about the recent crisis in Puerto Rico and the island’s future, tomorrow, August 2 at 9p on Telemundo.
(Source: Cynopsis)

The July 29 finale of Telemundo’s La Reina del Sur was the #1 show in prime time across broadcast and cable, regardless of language, among A18-49 (1.14 million) and A18-34 (463,000), according to Nielsen. In its second season, the revival reached 12.5 million total viewers.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Hallmark Channel ’s annual Christmas in July programming event elevated the network to become the highest-rated on cable in both Total Day and Prime Time (excluding news) throughout the second two weeks of July. In addition, the event resulted in Hallmark Channel ranking as the #2-rated in Primetime for the month. “Christmas Keepsake” ran from July 12-28 and reached 23 million unduplicated viewers.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Season one of HGTV’s Christina on the Coast, which wrapped Thursday, July 18, delivered a .70 Live+3 rating among P25-54, a 32% increase in the demo for its Thursday 9-9:30p timeslot over the prior six weeks. The series helped HGTV rank as the #2 cable net in the timeslot among W25-54 and in the top 5 networks among upscale P25-54, and attracted more than 12 million total viewers during the season.
(Source: Cynopsis)