Keely's Korner

CBS and Viacom shook up content and digital leadership teams ahead of their merger, effective upon the deal’s closing. “ViacomCBS will be one of the largest premium content creators in the world, with the capacity to produce content for both our own platforms and for others,” said Bob Bakish, President and Chief Executive Officer, Viacom, who will hold the same roles at ViacomCBS. “This talented team of content leaders will work together to ensure we realize the full power of our brands, our deep relationships with the creative community and our intellectual property to drive our growth as a combined company.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

On the content side, Jim Gianopulos  will oversee Filmed Entertainment, continuing as Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures; Chris McCarthy, President of MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo, will serve as President of Entertainment & Youth Brands, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks – adding Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel and TV Land brands and their respective content studios to his current portfolio; David Nevins, Chief Creative Officer, CBS, and Chairman and CEO, Showtime Networks, will oversee CBS Television Studios, the CBS Television Network’s Entertainment division, the Showtime Networks and Pop, as well as the programming of CBS All Access. He will also have oversight of CBS’ interest in The CW, a joint venture between CBS and Warner Bros. Entertainment. In addition, Nevins will oversee BET, which will continue to be led by Scott Mills as President of BET; Carolyn Kroll Reidy will lead the company’s publishing assets, continuing in her role as President and CEO of Simon & Schuster, Inc.; Brian Robbins, President of Nickelodeon, will oversee the company’s kids and young adult-focused offerings as President, Kids & Family Entertainment, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Leading ViacomCBS digital efforts, Marc DeBevoise , President and COO, CBS Interactive, will serve as Chief Digital Officer, ViacomCBS, and President and CEO, CBS Interactive; Kelly Day, President, Viacom Digital Studios, will continue to lead the digital content strategy; Phil Wiser, Chief Technology Officer, CBS, will serve as CTO for the combined company; Tom Ryan, CEO and Co-Founder of Pluto TV, will continue to lead Pluto TV.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Leaving the company when the CBS/Viacom deal closes are Kent Alterman, who runs Comedy Central, TV Land and Paramount Network, and Sarah Levy, COO of Viacom’s Media Networks group. “We were given a rare opportunity to create and maintain our own culture within the confines of an ever-changing and challenging corporate environment,” wrote Alterman to colleagues. “While some might call me delusional, I contend that our ethos is defined by passion, respect, strong points of view, collaboration and kindness to each other. Dare I call it soulful? Maybe I just did.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

Amazon Studios inked a new first look deal with writer/director Will Graham and his Field Trip Productions. Graham has boarded Amazon original series Daisy Jones & The Six, from Hello Sunshine, as showrunner, and Field Trip is producing Amazon pilot A League of Their Own.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Live action superhero series Titans , based on DC Comics’ Teen Titans, will return for season three on DC Universe in fall 2020.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Disney+ will have collected 101 million subscriptions by 2025 , projects Digital TV Research. Netflix will hit 235.6 million, according to the study, Amazon Prime Video will have amassed 135 million, HBO Max will have reached 30.1 million and AppleTV+ will have drawn 27.2 million.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Highlights from CBS’s winter slate include new drama FBI: Most Wanted, premiering Tuesday, January 7 at 10p; Undercover Boss and Criminal Minds – heading into its 15th and final season – returning Wednesday, January 8 at 8p and 9p; the series premiere of Tommy on Thursday, February 6 at 10p; MacGyver back for season four on Friday, February 7 at 8p; and Survivor back for season 40 with a two-hour premiere on Wednesday, February 12 at 8p. No word yet on dates for returning comedy Man With a Plan, Amazing Race and new comedy Broke.
(Source: Cynopsis)

E! is serving fresh episodes of The Soup, with a new host. Comedian and actress Jade Catta-Preta will oversee the reimagined version, set to debut in early 2020. Franchise premiered in 1991 as Talk Soup, with hosts Greg Kinnear (1991–1995), John Henson (1995–1999), Hal Sparks (1999–2000) and Aisha Tyler (2001–2002). The show  was re-launched as The Soup in 2004 with host Joel McHale, and ran until 2015.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Barron’s Group’s Barron’s and MarketWatch launched a live, weekly 10-minute digital show covering financial news. MarketBrief, hosted by Caroline Woods, tapes from the Nasdaq MarketSite in NYC’s Times Square at 9a on Mondays.
(Source: Cynopsis)

New monthly series Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions begins streaming on WWE Network immediately following Survivor Series on Sunday, November 24 at approximately 11p. Hosted and produced by Austin, series will feature one-on-one conversations with the biggest names in WWE history.
(Source: Cynopsis)

You, transplanted from Lifetime to Netflix for season two, drops on the streamer Thursday, December 26, following Penn Badgley’s creepy character as he moves to LA.
(Source: Cynopsis)

PBS will broadcast season one of World on Fire , starring Helen Hunt, starting Sunday, April 5, 2020, as part of Masterpiece. PBS is teaming with the BBC for season two of the Word War II drama.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Amazon original film Troop Zero , starring Viola Davis and Allison Janney, will drop on Amazon Prime Video on January 17. The feature debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Shania Twain will perform a medley of her greatest hits at the American Music Awards, the Man! I Feel Like a Woman!’s  first time taking the stage for the event since 2003. Show broadcasts live LA on Sunday, November 24, at 8p on ABC.
(Source: Cynopsis)

HITN TV announced Tú Cuentas! Census 2020 Town Hall , streaming live from Northeastern Illinois University tomorrow, November 13 at 6:30p. The Town Hall will include community leaders, educators, students and local elected officials for a discussion on the importance of accurate count in the Census 2020.
(Source: Cynopsis)

French drama Balthazar launches on Acorn TV on Monday, November 25. Series focuses on a forensic pathologist.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Emma Coronel Aispuro, wife of drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán , will make several appearances on VH1 docuseries Cartel Crew. The former beauty queen opens up about her life after El Chapo and her upcoming business venture. Her first appearance airs Monday, November 18 at 9p.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Quibi comedy The Now added O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Just Mercy), Daryl Hannah (Sense 8) and Jimmy Tatro (America Vandal) in lead roles, and will also feature Alyssa Milano (Insatiable), Rob Yang (Succession) and Lex Scott Davis (Superfly) in recurring parts…Samantha Richelle (Syd) , Arthur Acuña (Princess and I), Nonie Buencamino (Sparks) and Ces Quesada (Invisible) have been added to the cast of WGN America’s upcoming drama Almost Paradise… Jake Borelli (Grey’s Anatomy), newcomer Niko Terho, Karamo (Queer Eye), Britt Baron (GLOW) and Peter Paige (Queer as Folk) will star in Freeform Valentine film The Thing About Harry, from director Paige…Ambyr Childers has been promoted to series regular in Netflix’s You.
(Source: Cynopsis)

NBC’s Sunday Night Football averaged 23 million viewers , the 100^th time over the past 10 years that the NFL series has topped an audience of 20 million.
(Source: Cynopsis)