FIRST LOOK
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ON TELEVISION (WEDNESDAY 4/15/20)
BRAVO: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Premiere) at 8pm
FX: What we Do In The Shadows (Premiere) at 10pm
HULU: Mrs. America (Premiere)
ID: Deadly Recall (Premiere) at 10pm
NETFLIX: The Innocence Files (Premiere)
NETFLIX: Outer Banks (Premiere)
FOX: LEGO Masters (Finale) at 9pm
LIFETIME: Married At First Sight (Finale) at 8pm
NBCUniversal streaming service Peacock kicks off for Xfinity X1 and Flex customers today, and while this is a challenging time on many levels, “We are very optimistic and encouraged with what we are seeing with advertisers that got in to work with us,” said Matt Strauss, Chairman of Peacock and NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises, on a call on Tuesday to introduce the streamer. “We do not see any degradation to the targets we laid out with our advertising sponsors.” Tal Chalozin, co-founder and CTO of Innovid, would agree. “Peacock is launching at a strong moment to capture advertising revenue,” he tells Cynopsis. “Ad supported CTV platforms are gaining share of total video ad dollars as consumers in isolation are increasingly watching CTV right now. NBC launching an ad-supported CTV service with super premium content and brand recognition will be attractive to advertisers. This is partially because Peacock has put forward a very unique focus on innovation and user experience which they can use as their differentiation in a sea of competitive streaming products. A better ad experience becomes a big selling point for viewers, hence also for marketers.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, recovered from COVID-19, along with Strauss sent an email to employees about the Peacock launch. “This is a marathon and not a sprint,” the letter said in part. “While we are launching with a strong array of news and entertainment offerings, much more content will be on the platform down the road, including our original productions and many more sporting events (which are delayed in the wake of COVID-19). The product itself is in its beginning phase and will undergo continuous updates and enhancements.” While Peacock is on track to roll out nationally on July 15, Strauss said the company is “evaluating” an earlier debut.
(Source: Cynopsis)
AMC is borrowing a show from its corporate sib, streaming service Shudder: Two episodes of horror anthology series Creepshow will air back-to-back on Mondays at 9p from May 4 through May 18. “As we continue to experiment with show sharing across our portfolio of defining brands at AMC Networks, it felt like a no brainer to give fans of Greg Nicotero’s masterful zombie work on The Walking Dead Universe a chance to see this, his passion project,” said Sarah Barnett, President of AMC Networks’ Entertainment Group and AMC Studios. “Greg’s Creepshow is a brilliant homage to the original classic horror film and we couldn’t happier to air it on AMC, or more grateful to our colleagues at Shudder.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
CBS canceled God Friended Me after two seasons. “We’re extremely proud of the unique concept and uplifting stories God Friended Me has told over the past two seasons,” said CBS and Warner Bros. Television in a statement. “We thank the brilliant cast, writers, production team and crew for a show that stirred thoughtful conversation about faith, life and happiness, and made viewers feel good at the end of each episode.” The show is averaging under an 0.7 rating among A18-49, and 6.2 million viewers in Live+SD Nielsens, down 27% and 20% versus its freshman season. A two-hour series finale airs Sunday, April 26 at 8p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Displaced “March Madness” viewers increased their viewership of news by 32.3% as they turned to TV during the COVID-19 shutdown, a larger increase than seen among the total population (+30.6 percent), according to insights from 605. Among 2019 March Madness viewers, 64.8% more households are watching CNN; 36.7% more are watching Fox News, and 11.7% more are watching MSNBC. Across households in the US, minutes spent viewing news went up 31.5% in March 2020 compared to the previous month – resulting in a 79% increase in households watching CNN, a 44% increase for FOX News and a 20.1% increase for MSNBC versus February.
(Source: Cynopsis)
More big names joining the broadcast of Once World: Together At Home: Alicia Keys, Amy Poehler, Awkwafina, Camila Cabello, Celine Dion, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, LL COOL J, Lupita Nyong’o, Matthew McConaughey, Oprah Winfrey, Pharrell Williams, Sam Smith, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift, Usher and Victoria Beckham are all onboard. The special, hosted by late night super trio Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, will air on networks and platforms from NBCUniversal, Walt Disney Television, ViacomCBS and Bell Media, as well as digital platforms. The show airs Saturday, April 18 from 8-10p; a six-hour digital broadcast starts at 2p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The National Association of Broadcasters is moving online with its annual show, which was originally scheduled for April 18-22 in Las Vegas. The “NAB Show Express” will run May 13-14 and include exhibitor content, product news and demonstrations along with educational sessions.
(Source: Cynopsis)
MTV gave a green light to Revenge Prank with DJ Pauly D and Vinny, from UK’s Gobstopper TV. The internet prank series is slated to launch this summer, hosted by Jersey Shore Family Vacation’s Paul “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio and Vinny Guadagnino. The duo’s Double Shot at Love with DJ Pauly D and Vinny was the number one new cable series of 2019 among P18-34, airing Thursdays.
(Source: Cynopsis)
ABC’s American Idol is moving ahead this season with an episode on Sunday, April 26 that will have judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Ritchie judging from their homes. The top 20 contestants will be performing remotely.
(Source: Cynopsis)
INSP greenlit 12 episodes of Western docu-drama series Wild West Chronicles, featuring personal accounts of the West’s most notorious events. Each 30-minute episode offers storytelling aimed at letting viewers see and feel what it was like to survive in the American West.
(Source: Cynopsis)
LA-based production company NiteLite Pictures unveiled the Coronavirus Positivity Initiative, a worldwide effort to create programming that promotes togetherness and community during the global lockdown. NiteLite is launching a series of programs that spotlight the heroes on the front lines, inspiring individuals, and comedy shows that take a lighter look at life during the pandemic.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Animated science fiction comedy Filthy Animals is in development at Quibi. The series featuring Rashida Jones, written by artists and brothers, Nikolai and Simon Haas, and produced by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios follows a lonely, 12-year-old suburban middle schooler who befriends a selfish, renegade, messy cat.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Sling TV is making its service free for everyone starting at 5p every night, with “Happy Hour Across America.” “Since we can’t serve you a beverage or basket of hot wings, we’re introducing a new kind of happy hour – TV ‘on the house’ every night,” said Warren Schlichting, Group President at Sling TV. “Much like a real happy hour, TV is often a shared experience. So, grab your favorite refreshment, tune in with your friends and family, and get those group chats ready.” Sling TV said TV consumption on the platform is up 164%, with peak viewing around 10p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The share of demand for SVOD service Apple TV+, launched five months ago, is up over 10% since March 11, when the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic, reports Parrot Analytics, registering the largest growth in the two weeks following the WHO declaration, compared to the prior two weeks. “Apple TV+ may have gotten off to a slow start last November when it launched, but we have seen demand for the platform’s content overall rise considerably,” said Steve Langdon, Partnership Director, Parrot Analytics. “It is certainly a by-product of the general rise in content consumption we are seeing as a result of consumers abiding by self-quarantine orders, but the introduction of two new original series on the platform is also a factor in this increase in demand.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Dropping its movie, Trolls World Tour, on premium VOD rather than delay its launch due to the health crisis led to a record opening for a digital movie, Comcast Universal Pictures told Variety. Comcast noted the movie became the #1 title on major platforms including Amazon, Apple, Comcast and FandangoNow.
(Source: Cynopsis)
No butts about it: Disney+ is catching flak for the way it edited the 1984 movie Splash for the service. In the original version, there is (non-sexual) nudity; to make the film conform to its family-friendly standards, scenes like the one during which a nude Daryl Hannah’s mermaid dives into the water have been blurred with what CGI YouTuber Allison Pregler called “digital fur technology,” a la much-maligned Cats.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Stay-at-home orders have prompted YouTube to accelerate the launch of a free tool for businesses that can help users create quality video.For businesses without the resources to create videos from scratch, Video Builder animates static assets like images, text and logos with music, to generate a 6- or 15-second YouTube video. “With this tool, any business who needs a video can create one that helps connect with their customers and keep them informed,” said YouTube.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Telemundo’s 100 Dias Para Enamoratnos (100 Days to Fall in Love) makes its debut Tuesday, April 28 at 9p. The dramedy follows two women who decide to separate from their husbands after 20 years of marriage.
(Source: Cynopsis)
ABC announced premiere dates for May and June:
Thursday, April 30: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire at 8p (new time slot)
Tuesday, May 19: The Genetic Detective at 10p (series premiere)
Thursday, May 21: Holey Moley II: The Sequel at 9p, To Tell the Truth at 10p
Wednesday, May 27: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. at 10p (season premiere
Sunday, May 31: Celebrity Family Feud at 8p, Press Your Luck at 9p, Match Game at 10p (season premieres)
Thursday, June 11: Holey Moley II: The Sequel at 8p (new time slot)
(Source: Cynopsis)
Bloomberg Media launched digital series Leadership Live with David Rubenstein, hosted by the Carlyle Group Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman, and Bloomberg Television host. In the weekly half-hour interview show, Rubenstein will take viewers into the home offices of executives as they navigate the pandemic.
(Source: Cynopsis)
For its 15th season, Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out is pitting Old School and New School teams against each other, beginning Tuesday, April 21 at 8p on VH1. This season’s roster includes T.I., Chance the Rapper, Da Baby, Doja Cat, Lil Baby, Sisqó, Tommy Davidson, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Marsai Martin, MC Lyte, Miles Brown, Montel Williams, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Juvenile, Lil Durk, Naughty By Nature, Sean Paul, YBN Cordae, Ying Yang Twins and more.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind debuts on HBO Tuesday, May 5 at 9p. In the doc, Gregson Wagner explores her mother’s public life and private persona with those closest to her.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The on-again, off-again, on-again Disney on Broadway benefit concert for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has a new streaming date: Friday, April 17 at 7p. The project hit pause when Ray Hair, International President of the American Federation of Musicians, withheld streaming rights because fees were waived, but reversed that decision after union members urged him to allow the show to go on. Streaming of the concert, which took place in November, will raise money for COVID-19 relief.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Telemundo Deportes is offering Spanish-language coverage of the EA Sports FIFA 20 Stay and Play Cup starting today, April 15 through Sunday, April 19. The tournament will livestream on the Telemundo Deportes app, TelemundoDeported.com and Twitter, Facebook Twitch and YouTube starting at noon.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Lifetime’s “Ripped From the Headlines” feature I Was Lorena Bobbitt premieres Monday, May 25 at 8p. Dani Montalvo (Dispatches from Elsewhere) and Luke Humphrey (Tiny Pretty Things) star as the troubled couple. Lifetime will run a PSA for the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence featuring the actors and Lorena Bobbitt, as part of Lifetime’s public affairs campaign, “Stop Violence Against Women.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
FETV (Family Entertainment TV) will celebrate Carol Burnett’s 87th birthday with a marathon on Sunday, April 26 from 2-8p and an encore presentation from 8p-2a. Look for “Went with the Wind,” “The Dentist,” “The Family” and more.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The season three debut of Killing Eve on AMC and BBC America averaged 1.1 million viewers across networks, with 424,000 among A25-54 and 330,000 among A18-49. Versus the drama’s season two average, the episode was up 4% in total viewers, 8% in A25-54 and 12% in A18-49.
(Source: Cynopsis)
ABC spin-off The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart premiered to just under 3 million viewers and an 0.7 rating among A18-49, followed by 0.5 and 2.7 million for the premiere of The Baker and the Beauty.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The premiere of Univision’s Te Doy La Vida reached 3.1 million Total Viewers 2+, and averaged 1.8 million Total Viewers 2+, 690,000 A18-49 and 330,000 A18-34 on Monday. The week of April 6, Univision was the #2 broadcast network during primetime with A18-34 with 286,000 in the demo.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Unimas delivered week-to-week double-digit audience growth in the 7p-11p time period among Total Viewers 2+ (+60% to 1.1 million), A18-49 (+46% to 473,000) and A18-34 (+67% to 199,000) the week of April 6.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Live with Kelly and Ryan (2.5 Live+SD national Nielsen rating, down 4% from the week before) was syndication’s highest-rated talk show for the second week in a row in the session ending April 5, up 9% from last year at this time. Dr. Phil (2.1, steady), which was partially in repeats, was hit with numerous pandemic news preemptions.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The only first-run strip moving up at a double-digit pace was freshman talker Tamron Hall (1.1, up 10%), matching its season high. The show began featuring fresh segments originating from Hall’s home about the coronavirus, in addition to highlights from previous episodes, drawing a show record 1.49-million viewers, up 19% over its season average.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The freshman season of HGTV’s Unsellable Houses averaged a 0.77 Live+3 rating among W25-54 on Tuesday, a 22% increase in the demo over the prior six weeks. Attracting more than 17 million total viewers since its February 4 premiere, it ranked as a top 10 new unscripted original series in all of cable among W25-54 year-to-date.
(Source: Cynopsis)
FETV’s Perry Mason earned the network’s largest C3 audience ever with Households (327,000), Total Viewers (382,000), A18-49 (375,000), Males 2+ (163,000), and Men 18+ (157,000).
(Source: Cynopsis)
Documentarian Craig Gilbert died April 10 after a brief illness. He was 94. Gilbert created 1973’s pioneering public television show An American Family.
(Source: Cynopsis)
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