FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news
ON TELEVISION (TUESDAY 3/3/20)
DISCOVERY: Master Distiller (Premiere) at 10pm
ID: Reasonable Doubt (Premiere) at 10pm
ID: Murder Comes Home (Finale) at 9pm
Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s Hardball was the last for Chris Matthews. “Let me start with my headline tonight: I’m retiring. This is the last Hardball on MSNBC,” he said at the show’s opening. Matthews had drawn criticism recently for remarks comparing Senator Bernie Sanders’ Nevada caucus victory to the Nazis’ takeover of France in World War II, and for an interview with Elizabeth Warren during which he appeared to be disbelieving. Last week, a journalist alleged in GQ that Matthews had made inappropriate remarks to her. The decision that 74-year-old Matthews would retire was reportedly a mutual one between the network and the anchor, but it was sudden – a clearly shocked Steve Kornacki took over for Matthews and finished the show after a break. Matthews, a respected journalist who has been with the network for 20 years, had several years left on his contract.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Judy Sheindlin’s top-rated syndicated show, Judge Judy, will end in 2021 after a 25-year run. “I am looking forward to a banner 25th anniversary season,” Sheindlin said in a statement. “CBS has been a fine partner for 20 plus years. They have decided to monetize their Judge Judy library of reruns. I wish them good luck with their experiment.” But since she’s “not tired,” Sheindlin told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview that aired Monday, a new show, Judy Justice, will come out a year later. Where? “I can’t tell you yet,” Sheindlin told the talk show host.
(Source: Cynopsis)
James Lipton, creator and host of Inside the Actors Studio from 1994-2018, died March 2 of bladder cancer. He was 93. His sympathetic approach, and focus on the craft of acting rather than gossip, won him interviews with top Hollywood talent. “I had the pleasure of working with Jim for 20 years on Bravo’s first original series, his pride and joy Inside the Actors Studio,” said Frances Berwick, President of NBCUniversal Lifestyle Networks. “We all enjoyed and respected his fierce passion, contributions to the craft, comprehensive research and his ability to bring the most intimate interviews ever conducted with A-list actors across generations.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Concern about the spread of the coronavirus has prompted CNN to restrict employee travel between continents to “only the most necessary, business-critical need,” Jeff Zucker, Chairman of WarnerMedia News and Sports, wrote to employees. Domestic travel will be done “only if absolutely necessary,” and internal meetings held via phone or teleconference.
(Source: Cynopsis)
MIPTV will take place in Cannes March 30-April 2 as planned – at least for now – according to the trade event’s web site, despite France banning events involving 5000 people or more. “We are continually monitoring developments related to coronavirus and following the latest guidance from local, national and international authorities,” said the notice.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Atomic Focus Entertainment, offering multi-platform content creation, acquisition, production and distribution services, is open for business, with offices in Charleston, South Carolina, LA New York. “I am proud to be at the helm of a wholly female-owned entertainment company with my business partner and friend, Hope Shangle,” said Jenn Dumas Wiggin, Co-Founder and Executive Producer. “Due to our team’s existing relationships, we already have twelve projects in development or pre-production, have created and filmed a spec pilot, and filmed and edited a literary festival for a major broadcaster.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
National Lampoon landed a series deal with Quibi for Let’s Go, Atsuko! A (woke) Japanese Game Show. Eight episodes are based on the live show and podcast by Atsuko Okatsuka. Patreon, the membership platform, is providing three membership levels for people to be part of the Lampoon family. Said Evan Shapiro, President, National Lampoon, “Five decades ago, our original magazine, Radio Hour and live shows created a community, that made fun of itself. Patreon gets the joke and is helping us reopen our twisted community to the world.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Playwright Jeremy O. Harris (Slave Play) inked an overall deal with HBO that calls for him to develop a pilot, and return to Euphoria as a producer. The agreement also gives Harris a fund he can use for new theatrical projects.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Heyday Television (The Capture) is adapting the Greg Howard novel Middle School’s a Drag, You Better Werk! for television, reports Deadline. Story centers on a a 12-year-old boy who starts his own junior talent agency.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Clare Crawley will be looking for love again when ABC’s The Bachelorette returns for season 16 on Monday, May 18 at 8p. Crawley made it to the final two on season 18 of The Bachelor in 2014, then wound up in a short-lived engagement thanks to 2018’s The Bachelor Winter Games.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Look for bigger builds than ever at Gas Monkey Garage when Discovery’s Fast N’ Loud returns for a new season on Monday, March 30 at 10p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Quibi looks at the ways couples got together in docu-series How We Met, from filmmakers Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin. Mobile entertainment service debuts April 6.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Doctor Who will return to BBC America for a holiday episode. The special will see the return of one of the Doctor’s most feared enemies – the Daleks. “We can’t leave the Doctor there! On that cliffhanger! Well, we did,” said Doctor Who Showrunner Chris Chibnall. “But rest assured, the Doctor and her friends will be back for a one-off extended special around Christmas and New Year. (I don’t know when they’re going to put it on yet, otherwise we’d tell you!). There will be Daleks. There will be exterminations. Thrills, laughter, tears. You know. The usual. See you at the end of the year.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Ovation TV airs the 200th episode of Murdoch Mysteries on Saturday, March 7 at 7p. What does the milestone mean? “It gives us the opportunity to look back and acknowledge the many creative talents we’ve worked with over the years,” Christina Jennings, Chairman & CEO, Shaftesbury, tells Cynopsis. “The 200th episode welcomes back some familiar Murdoch faces to play Nikola Tesla and Marie Curie amongst others, and we know fans are going to love it.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
ID investigates a 1993 triple murder in The West Memphis Three: An ID Murder Mystery, premiering Sunday, April 5 at 9p. The three-hour special event is the latest in ID’s Murder Mystery franchise.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Univision Digital has developed a 20-minute video special connected to the company’s overall efforts to leverage equality for women at a global scale. #7Mujeres7Preguntas (7 Women, 7 Questions), featuring Univision talent in a roundtable aimed at raising awareness about women equality topics, will be available on Univision.com and YouTUbe starting March 5.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Netflix is teaming with Live Nation for Netflix Is A Joke Fest, bringing over 100 live shows and events to LA venues from April 27-May 3. Lineup includes Ali Wong, Amy Schumer, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, David Letterman, Jamie Foxx, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, Kevin Hart, the cast of Schitt’s Creek and more, as well as STAND OUT: An LGBTQ Celebration.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Ovation TV is airing a special block of Inside the Actors Studio in memory of James Lipton on Wednesday, March 4 beginning at 7p. “We celebrate and honor the great legacy of James Lipton. James is beloved around the world for his passion, insight, and dedication to the craft of acting,” said a statement from Ovation TV, where the show moved in 2019 after its run on Bravo, with rotating hosts “It’s very gratifying to see the legacy of Inside The Actors Studio being carried forward for a new generation to appreciate and enjoy,” Lipton said at the time. “I’m excited to see the new hosts engage with the guests and students and continue to entertain viewers in the U.S. and around the world.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) has joined the cast of AMC comedy pilot My Village, in the lead role of an empty-nester mom…Ashley Zukerman (Succession) will play the title role in NBC pilot Langdon, based on Dan Brown novel The Lost Symbol…Kendrick Sampson (The Vampire Diaries) landed a lead role in ABC pilot sequel thirtysomething(else)…Brian Geraghty (Chicago P.D.) will star in upcoming ABC drama The Big Sky, from David E. Kelley…Gina Torres (Pearson) will head the cast of ABC supernatural drama pilot The Brides.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The new season of TLC’s 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days, which returned February 23, became the franchise’s highest-rated season premiere among all key demos, drawing 1.2 million W25-54 (3.0 W25-54 rating), and 1.7 million P25-54 (2.2 P25-54 rating) as well as 3.3 million P2+ viewers.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The premiere telecast of the Disney Channel original movie Zombies 2 on February 14 was the #1 cable telecast of 2020 to-date (excluding sports/news programming) in Live+7 Nielsens, with nearly 5 million Total Viewers 2+. It was watched by 1.9 million Kids 6-11 (12.56 rating), 1.4 million Girls 6-11 (18.43 rating), 1.6 million Tweens 9-14 (9.98 rating), 1.1 million Girls 9-14 and 4.9 million total viewers, beating its Feb. 2018 predecessor, Zombies.
(Source: Cynopsis)
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Keely's Korner 