FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news
ON TELEVISION (THURSDAY 12/21/23)
ABC: iHeart Radio Jingle Ball (Premiere) at 8pm
NETFLIX: Like Flowers in Sand (Premiere)
NETFLIX: Supa Team 4 (Premiere)
PARAMOUNT+: Willie Nelson & Family (Premiere)
PEACOCK: Dr. Death (Premiere)
PRIME VIDEO: Gigolo per Caso (Premiere)
THE AFRICA CHANNEL: African Royale (Finale) at 8pm
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin (Finale) at 9pm
Paramount Global is in talks to sell BET to an investor group, reports Bloomberg. Paramount had explored the sale of a majority stake in BET Media Group earlier this year, but did not receive a satisfactory proposal. Possible buyers now include BET CEO Scott Mills and Chinh Chu, who runs CC Capital Partners, for a price “a little under $2 billion,” according to Bloomberg. Byron Allen, who expressed interest in the network last time around, sent a message to Paramount on Tuesday, repeating his offer of $3.5 billion for both BET and VH1. “You are pursuing an inside sale at a below-market price with management that will not yield the highest price for the stockholders,” Allen wrote in a message reviewed by Bloomberg. The last time BET was sold, to Viacom in 2001, it fetched $3 billion.
(Source: Cynopsis)
A helicopter carrying a pilot and a photographer for the Action News Team at Philadelphia’s WPVI crashed Tuesday night over New Jersey’s Wharton State Forest. Both long-time Action News team members were killed. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Shining Vale” has been canceled by Starz after failing to scare up enough viewers. The second season finale of the horror comedy starring Courteney Cox and Greg Kinnear aired December 1. Both seasons of the series will be removed from the Starz streaming platform at the end of the year.
(Source: Cynopsis)
ABC, CBS, FOX News and NBC were found to be the networks voters most often named as their dominant source of news in a New York Times/Siena College poll. Each network was named by 13% of respondents. CNN was cited by 10% of those surveyed, and MSNBC by 3%.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The Federal Trade Commission has proposed major changes intended to fortify the rules underlying the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998. “Kids must be able to play and learn online without being endlessly tracked by companies looking to hoard and monetize their personal data,” said Lina M. Khan, chair of the FTC. “By requiring firms to better safeguard kids’ data, our proposal places affirmative obligations on service providers and prohibits them from outsourcing their responsibilities to parents.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Feature film “Self Reliance,” snapped up by Hulu in a deal with MRC and Paramount Global Content Distribution after its premiere at the 2023 SXSW Festival, will have a one-night-only run in 225 AMC theaters on January 3. The comedy thriller lands at Hulu on January 12.
(Source: Cynopsis)
FOX News Channel has named Madeleine Rivera as a Washington based correspondent, effective January 2. Rivera has been a reporter for the network’s affiliate news service FOX News Edge since 2021.
(Source: Cynopsis)
VH1 ordered “The Impact New York,” an extension of “The Impact” franchise from executive producers Entertainment One and Quality Films, and sib to BET+ original “The Impact Atlanta.” The spin-off premieres Monday, January 22 at 9p on VH1.
(Source: Cynopsis)
HBO’s “The Regime” debuts Sunday, March 3 at 9p. The limited series, set in a modern European palace, stars Kate Winslet.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Elkhorn,” centered on Theodore Roosevelt’s life before he was president, debuts Thursday, April 11 at 9p on INSP. Season one is inspired by Roosevelt’s first months in the Badlands of the Dakota Territory.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Pedro ‘La Divaza’ Figueira, the Latin American LGBTTTIQ+ content creator, will live under the same roof with other celebrities, including the previously announced Thalí García, Gregorio Pernía, Lupillo Rivera and Maripily Rivera, on the new season of Telemundo’s “La Casa de los Famosos,” premiering Tuesday, January 23.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Alison Oliver (“Saltburn”) and Fabien Frankel (“House of the Dragon”)have boarded the cast of HBO’s upcoming, as-yet-untitled crime drama from Brad Ingelsby (“Mare of Easttown”). They join Mark Ruffalo, who stars as an FBI agent out to end a string of drug-house robberies.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The second annual “People’s Choice Country Awards” are set to air live from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Thursday, September 26 at 8p across NBC and Peacock. This year’s telecast drew 4.3 million viewers.
(Source: Cynopsis)
ABC has two end-of-year specials on deck, hosted by Robin Roberts. “The Year: 2023” will air Wednesday, December 27 at 9p, with Roberts joined by ABC News colleagues to look back on events of the past year. “The Year: Countdown to 2024” is set for New Year’s Eve at 7p. Both specials come from ABC News Studios.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“NCIS” will pay tribute to original cast member David McCallum, who died on September 25 at age 90, with a special episode airing Monday, February 19 at 9p. “Everyone at NCIS felt it was important to do an episode that honors such a legendary actor, not to mention a dear friend,” said a statement co-showrunners/executive producers Steven D. Binder and David North gave to TVLine. “In the episode, the team will learn of Ducky’s passing and reflect on their memories of him as they grieve. And true to Ducky’s meticulous and compassionate nature, even after he’s gone, he still manages to solve one last crime with the team.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
The Paley Center for Media announced the first program selection and dates for the 41st annual PaleyFest LA, taking place in Hollywood from April 12-21. And the winner is…HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which will celebrate its twelfth and final season.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The annual HBCU Showcase sponsored by KPMG takes place at the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory in NYC. For the first time, the event will live stream on Peacock, on Saturday, January 13 at 3p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The first three episodes of Prime Video’s “Reacher” dropped December 15, and became the #1 title of the year for the streamer in total audience, surpassing the season one audience by 50%.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Survivor” is aging well for CBS, which expanded the show to 90 minutes for its 45th season. The reality show is averaging 6.59 million viewers and a 1.6 rating among A25-54, up 4% in audience year-over-year.
(Source: Cynopsis)
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