FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news
ON TELEVISION (FRIDAY 2/21/20)
COMEDY CENTRAL: This Week at the Comedy Cellar (Premiere) at 11pm
ID: Young, Hot & Deadly (Premiere) at 9pm
TRAVEL CHANNEL: Haunting in the Heartland (Premiere) at 10pm
ABC: Fresh Off The Boat (Finale) at 8:30pm
(SATURDAY 2/22/20)
CLEO TV: Just Eats with Chef JJ (Premiere)at 12pm
DISCOVERY FAMILY: Waves, Watermelons and Wipe Outs (Premiere) at 9pm
UNIVERSAL KIDS: American Ninja Warrior Junior (Premiere) at 7pm
FOX: Almost Family (Finale) at 8pm
(SUNDAY 2/23/20)
BET: 51st Annual NAACP Image Awards at 6pm
AMC: Better Call Saul (Premiere) at 10pm
DISNEY CHANNEL: Fam Jam (Premiere) at 8:25pm
HALLMARK CHANNEL: When Calls The Heart (Premiere) at 8pm
SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL: Rise of the Supercarrier (Premiere) at 8pm
TLC: 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days
TLC GO: 90 Day Fiance: What Now?
TV One: Unsung (Premiere) at 10pm
PBS: Sandition on Masterpiece (Finale) at 9pm
PBS: Vienna Blood (Finale) at 10pm
CBS will spend less on pilots this year. That’s the word from ViacomCBS president/CEO Bob Bakish, who said during yesterday’s Q4 investor call the company feels “very good about where the network is and therefore are able to be more prudent.” Thus far CBS has picked up six drama and seven comedy pilots this year, including a straight-to-series order for The Lincoln Lawyer, Chuck Lorre-produced comedy United States of Al, The Silence of the Lambs sequel Clarice and Patrick Dempsey-fronted political drama Ways & Means. This year’s tally is down from seven drama and nine comedy pilots last year.
(Source: Cynopsis)
ViacomCBS shares plunged nearly 15 percent yesterday immediately after the company’s quarterly analyst call, reflecting unease over the company’s Q4 numbers and Bakish’s turnaround plans. In what Bakish categorized as a “transitional” period due to the merger, ViacomCBS reported a net loss from continuing operations of $273 million, down from a profit of $884 million in Q4 2018, when Viacom and CBS were separate companies. Revenue dipped 3 percent to a combined $6.9 billion. The company said integration is moving swiftly, and it sees cost savings at $750 million, up from $500 million it anticipated at the time of the merger. In specific Q$ numbers, revenue at cable networks declined 2 percent, while television entertainment ad sales dipped 5 percent to $1.7 billion, affiliate fees rose 27 percent to $682 million and content licensing revenue dipped 9 percent to $715 million.
(Source: Cynopsis)
YouTube TV will add WarnerMedia’s HBO, HBO Max and Cinemax content as part of an expanded distribution relationship. YouTube TV already carries WarnerMedia networks TBS, TNT, truTV, CNN, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, Adult Swim and Cartoon Network. Linear and on-demand HBO and Cinemax content will debut on YouTube TV this spring.
(Source: Cynopsis)
In more ViacomCBS synergy, Showtime sister network Showcase this summer will rebrand as SHO*BET, and relaunch with scripted content from both Showtime and BET. “We see this as a compelling value creation play that will allow us to benefit from the growing demand for premium, African-American content across platforms,” Bakish said during yesterday’s call.
(Source: Cynopsis)
BET Networks announced #ReclaimYourVote, a campaign in partnership with the National Urban League and other national organizations aimed at increasing the participation of blacks in the 2020 Census and the 2020 Presidential election. Campaign will kick off with spots starting tomorrow (February 22) during the 51st NAACP Image Awards airing live at 8p on BET.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Laura Neal (Sex Education, Secret Diary of a Call Girl) will be the next lead writer of BBC America hit Killing Eve. The network renewed the series, from Sid Gentle Films, for a fourth season last month, ahead of the season 3 premiere April 26 on BBC America and AMC.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Sheela, a Barry Levinson-directed drama about Ma Anand Sheela, the ‘80s guru who perpetrated the largest bio-terrorist attack executed on US soil, is in the works at Amazon with Priyanka Chopra starring as Sheela.
(Source: Cynopsis)
A&E Network greenlit a second season of Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole. Documentary series tells the stories of convicted juvenile offenders who received mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole. Due to a recent US Supreme Court ruling that such sentences for minors are unconstitutional, these inmates now can petition the court for a new sentencing hearing.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Five Women, a limited series about a serial sexual harasser and his female employees, is in the works from Marielle Heller and Big Beach, the respective director and producers of feature film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Series is based on an ep of the NPR show and podcast This American Life. Heller will direct and serve as showrunner and exec producer through her new Defiant by Nature production company.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Broadcast net renewals: NBC renewed The Blacklist for an eighth season, ahead of its season 7 premiere on Friday, March 20 at 8p… Fox gave a Season 17 renewal to So You Think You Can Dance, hosted by Cat Deeley.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Danai Gurira (Black Panther, The Walking Dead) signed a two-year overall deal with ABC Studios, where she’ll develop, write and produce for the studio across all platforms. Gurira currently is showrunner and exec producer on HBO Max miniseries Americanah.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Simon West, who directed Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, will helm Boundless, an Amazon miniseries about Juan Sebastian Elcano and Ferdinand Magellan, the two 16th century explorers who set out to disprove the theory that the world is flat. Four-part drama is a co-production between Amazon and Spanish broadcaster RTVE.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Fixer to Fabulous will get a second season on HGTV, after attracting more than 17.9 million viewers during season 1. The network ordered 13 new eps of the series, which stars husband and wife duo Dave and Jenny Marrs, for a premiere in fall 2020.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Unsung returns to TV One this Sunday, February 23 at 10p, followed by a performance by first ep featured act Dru Hill immediately following on Unsung Live at 11p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
90 Day Fiance: What Now? heads back to the TLC Go app this Sunday, February 23, with a new season that follows fan favorites from across the 90 Day franchise. Season 4 will post weekly eps TLC GO beginning this weekend, and will air on Monday nights on TLC starting April 20.
(Source: Cynopsis)
In Dishing With Julia Child, nine renowned chefs—including Jose Andres, Rick Bayless, Jacques Pepin and Martha Stewart — gather to screen and share stories around episodes of Julia Child’s iconic series The French Chef, which debuted in 1963. Series will stream on PBS Living beginning February 28 and premiere on PBS on three consecutive Fridays, April 3-17 at 10p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
AMC released the opening minutes of the premiere of Dispatches From Elsewhere, created by and starring Jason Segel. Anthology series, about four people searching for greater meaning in life who come together to solve a mysterious puzzle, debuts with a two-night premiere Sunday, March 1 and Monday, March 2.
(Source: Cynopsis)
A new trailer for the new season of Westworld, dropped yesterday by HBO, confirms the action will step out of the park and into the real world this season. “I was born into this world, and my first memories of it are pain,” says Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores in the teaser. “For my kind, there was one place we were never allowed to go, one place we were never allowed to see: your world.” Season 3 premieres Sunday, March 15.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Travel Channel’s Portals to Hell will descend into new eerie encounters when it returns for season 2 Friday, March 13 at 9p with paranormal investigators Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman. Eight additional hourlong eps will move to their regular 10p timeslot beginning Friday, March 20.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Call the Midwife returns on PBS on Sunday, March 29 at 8p. The show returns to Nonnatus House for a ninth season of laughter, tears and inspiring stories as the medics and midwives encounter new challenges as the population shifts, rules change and old diseases return.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Epix dropped a new trailer and official key art for new series Belgravia, which premieres Sunday, April 12 at 9p. Series is a story of secrets and scandals among the upper echelon of London society in the 19th Century.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Hollywood, Ryan Murphy’s post-WWII limited series for Netflix, will premiere Friday, May 1. From Murphy and Ian Brennan, seven-parter follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers as they try to make it in post-war Tinseltown, no matter the cost.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Choose your fighter. BattleBots returns to Discovery on Friday, May 15 at 8p. New season features an unprecedented 50 hours of programming, with competitors from around the world facing off to prove who is the ultimate robot-building genius.
(Source: Cynopsis)
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars is sashaying over to Showtime, premiering a new edition Friday, June 5 at 8p. Viewers will be able to catch their favorite queens as they return for a second attempt to earn the crown. Showtime’s debut will follow the season finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race on VH1; that series bows Friday, February 28.
(Source: Cynopsis)
RuPaul launched a 16-lesson self-help online course to help people find their identity and live their best life. Offered via online-education platform MasterClass, the $90 class features RuPaul spilling secrets and encouraging students of life on topics such as how to embrace self-love, identify strengths and cultivate a tribe.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Steven Universe Future is drawing to a close on Cartoon Network. The first of the final 10 eps of the Rebecca Sugar-created animated series, the denouement to her long-running Steven Universe, will debut Friday, March 6 at 7p; the series will wrap Thursday, March 27 with a four-part finale.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Factory Entertainment and Mattel are in a licensing partnership to produce collectibles for the Masters of the Universe brand, with first product due out this summer.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Melanie Mayron and Polly Draper are the latest OG thirtysomething cast members to sign on for ABC pilot thirtysomething(else), a sequel to Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick’s 1987-91 drama series. They join fellow original cast members Ken Olin, Mel Harris, Timothy Busfield and Patty Wettig; all are reprising their characters as supporting series regulars.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Bebe Neuwirth will recur opposite Zosia Mamet in HBO Max’s drama The Flight Attendant, starring and exec produced by Kaley Cuoco… Harriet Dyer (The InBetween) scored a lead role in NBC comedy pilot American Auto… Matt Borlenghi landed a supporting role opposite Rachel Hendrix on TV movie Unveiled, for Reel One Network…Niecy Nash, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Cedric Yarbrough, and Carlos Alazraqui join the cast of Quibi and Comedy Central Productions’ Reno 911.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Delroy Lindo, co-star of The Good Fight, is in negotiations to headline Harlem’s Kitchen at ABC. The move would see him leaving the CBS All Access legal drama at the end of this season.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Wednesday night’s Democratic Presidential debate did more than elicit barbs among debaters. It drew a record 19.7 million viewers for NBC News and MSNBC, according to Nielsen fast national numbers. The networks are calling the debate, which brought contender Michael Bloomberg to the stage for his first bout, was the most watched Democratic debate in history. It topped the 18.1 million who watched the second night of the Dem debate in June, and generated 13.5 million live video streams and 22 million video views across all platforms for NBC.
(Source: Cynopsis)
MOVIES
The Call Of The Wild – Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens, Omar Sy, Karen Gillan, Bradley Whitford, Colin Woodell, Wes Brown
Brahms: The Boy II – Katie Holmes, Ralph Ineson, Owain Yeoman, Christopher Convery, Anjali Jay
Emma (Limited Release) – Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth, Miranda Hart, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Rupert Graves, Gemma Whelan, Amber Anderson, Tanya Reynolds, Connor Swindells
Swift (Animated, Limited Release) – Kate Winslet, Willem Dafoe, Josh Keaton, Cassandra Steen
MEGA MILLIONS
Today’s Jackpot is $50 million
You can now play in 43 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
POWERBALL
Saturday’s Jackpot is $60 million.
Powerball is played in 43 states.
Keely's Korner 