FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news
ON TELEVISION (TUESDAY 3/21/23)
NAT GEO: Restaurants at the End of the World (Premiere) at 10pm
HGTV: Fixer to Fabulous (Finale) at 9pm
More layoffs at Amazon. “We intend to eliminate about 9,000 more positions in the next few weeks—mostly in AWS, PXT [People Experience and Technology], Advertising, and Twitch,” said CEO Andy Jassy in a memo to employees. “This was a difficult decision, but one that we think is best for the company long term.” Amazon also made cuts in November and January.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Julianne Hough is taking on a new job at an old stomping ground. Days after Tyra Banks announced she is leaving Disney+’s “Dancing With the Stars,” which she has hosted since 2020, comes word that Hough will co-host with the returning Alfonso Ribeiro. Hough appeared on “DWTS” as a pro dancer from 2007-2009, and a judge from 2014-17 and 2021.
(Source: Cynopsis)
NBCUniversal Checkout, part of NBCU’s One Platform Commerce Suite, is now powering the NBC Today shopping experience for “Jill’s Steals & Deals.” The segments, featured on “Today” for 13 years, have been enhanced to offer viewers the ability to make purchases by scanning on-screen QR codes. “Enabling NBCUniversal Checkout as our shopping cart platform for Steals & Deals not only preserves the seamless viewing experience, but demonstrates the power of NBCUniversal’s properties and technologies,” said Ashley Parrish, SVP, NBC News Group Commerce.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Hulu’s “How I Met Your Father” will get a linear run. While season two episodes continue to roll out on Hulu, season one will air on Freeform starting with two episodes on Tuesday, April 25 at 10p; weekly back-to-back eps will continue to air until the season finale on May 23.
(Source: Cynopsis)
HGTV has greenlit “Building Paradise,” documenting the overhaul of a rickety motel into a boutique hotel in the Costa Rican surf town of Jacó. The series is slated to premiere in 2024.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Big Media has ordered a second season of “Truthseekers: Greatest Mysteries.” The historical/investigative series explores the disappearance of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, the impossibly advanced construction of the ancient Incan city Machu Picchu, the controversy around the Shroud of Turin, and why it took nearly 2,200 years to discover the vast tomb site in China housing the Terracotta Warriors.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Superchef Grudge Match” is headed for a sophomore run on Food Network. The series has reached more than 8 million P2+ viewers to date and is currently Food Network’s highest-rated freshman launch of the year.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Marti Noxon (“UnReal”) has inked a two-year first look deal with eOne. Noxon worked with the studio on “Sharp Objects.” “Building upon our previous partnership with Marti, whose talent and passion spans across multiple genres, is an incredible moment for us, and we look forward to all the exciting things to come,” said Pancho Mansfield, President, Global Scripted TV at eOne.
(Source: Cynopsis)
ITV Studios America struck an acquisition deal for three novels from Roselle Lim, a Canadian author of Filipino-Chinese heritage whose romantic comedy-style books explore the Chinese-American experience. ITV Studios America will adapt for television Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune (2019), Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop (2020) and Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club (2022). The books were optioned through ITV Studios America’s development deal with Laurie Zaks (“Castle”) and her newly established Rosewood Television.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Creative marketing agency 19th & Park has launched 1Park9, a production company for commercials, branded content, experiences, film, and TV. Tahira White and Whitney Headen set up 1Park9 break down barriers for emerging and underrepresented creators. “Production has been a part of 19th & Park’s DNA from day one,” said White. “But five years into our journey, we’ve evolved into something bigger than a production unit executing campaigns; we are dreaming up the ideas behind them, working hand-in-hand with extraordinary talent to reshape the cultural narrative with a digitally-native mindset.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
FilmRise has acquired the exclusive rights to over 200 hours of content from National Black Television Media’s library. The territories include the US, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. In addition to linear, TVOD, SVOD and AVOD, FilmRise will curate and distribute programs as single series FAST channels. The deal features 331 episodes across 14 series.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Casting notes: Michael Chiklis (“The Shield”) has been tapped to star in upcoming MGM+ crime thriller “Hotel Cocaine,” set in the 1970s Miami cocaine scene….Ciaran Hinds, Rory Kinnear and Tanya Moodie have been added to the season two cast of Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” in recurring roles….Matt Borlenghi (“Cobra Kai”) has joined the casts of two TV pilots, “Letters to Addy” in a recurring role and “Townsend” in the title role.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Paramount+ competition series “The Fashion Hero: A New Kind of Beautiful” premieres Friday, March 31 in Canada. The series filmed in South Africa and is hosted by Backstreet Boy AJ McLean.
(Source: Cynopsis)
New AXS TV music series “Vinyl Obsession,” following musicians as they discuss their careers and biggest influences while picking out the five albums that have impacted them the most on vinyl, joins the net’s “Sunday Night Rocks” lineup on April 2 at 8:30p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Casa Grande” starts streaming on Amazon Freevee on Monday, May 1. The bilingual limited series follows the lives of families in the farmlands of Northern California.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Disney+ docuseries “Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All,” spotlighting how an unlikely child with a stutter rose to fame, is set to premiere Wednesday, May 3.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” is back for season 10 on BET starting Wednesday, March 22 at 9p, followed by the season four kick-off of “Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Leanne Morgan’s first Netflix stand-up special premieres April 11. “It’s been such a wild time traveling the country sharing my stories and experiences with so many of you,” said Morgan. “I just want to straddle all of you, kiss you on the mouth, and do your laundry.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Netflix is adding 40 games in 2023 and 2024, including “Monument Valley” titles. The streamer has struck a deal with Ubisoft for three exclusive games and is working with developer Nanobit on a game based on the show “Too Hot to Handle.” Netflix said over 70 additional games are in early development, 16 of which are part of its internal studios; new games will be released every month in 2023.
(Source: Cynopsis)
In a streaming first, Eva Longoria’s feature directorial debut, “Flamin’ Hot,” will be released Hulu and Disney+ simultaneously, on June 9. The film made its world premiere at SXSW with sold-out screenings.
(Source: Cynopsis)
MEGA MILLIONS
Today’s Jackpot is $272 million.
You can now play in 43 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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