FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news
ON TELEVISION (TUESDAY 1/2/24)
A&E: Road Wars (Premiere) at 9pm
DISCOVERY: Moonshiners (Premiere) at 8pm
FOX: The Floor (Premiere) at 9pm
PBS: Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Premiere) at 8pm
Prime Video has informed subscribers that “limited advertisements” will appear in series and movies starting January 29. “This will allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time,” said Amazon in a message to subscribers. “We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers.” An ad-free option will be available for $2.99 per month. The company announced in September that ads would be introduced in early 2024.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Snoop Dogg has been tapped to serve as Special Correspondent for NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I grew up watching the Olympics and am thrilled to see the incredible athletes bring their A-game to Paris,” said the rapper/actor, who teamed with Kevin Hart to offer commentary on the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. “We’re going to have some amazing competitions and, of course, I will be bringing that Snoop style to the mix. It’s going to be the most epic Olympics ever, so stay tuned, and keep it locked.” The Games begin July 26 on NBC and Peacock.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Comcast and Paramount Global quietly reached a carriage renewal deal for Paramount’s cable channels and CBS-owned stations. The news comes amid rumors that Warner Bros. Discovery, Skydance Media and Comcast are contemplating making a play for Paramount.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Lionsgate closed on its acquisition of eOne (“Yellowjackets,” “Naked & Afraid”) from Hasbro, adding 6500 TV and film titles to Lionsgate’s offerings. “The eOne acquisition concludes a busy year in which we continued to execute our strategy of strengthening our studio business as we prepare for the separation of Lionsgate and STARZ into pure play standalone companies,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer. “As we’ve conducted our integration planning, our analysis has reaffirmed our conviction that eOne will be a valuable and highly accretive addition to our business.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Disney Channel’s “Bunk’d” will end with its current seventh season. Production on the final ten episodes of the net’s longest-running live-action series is underway.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit against former “American Idol” executive producer and “So You Think You Can Dance” judge Nigel Lythgoe, alleging two instances of behavior that “was inappropriate and even criminal.” In addition to claims of assault, Abdul alleges compensation discrimination. In a statement, Lythgoe called the allegations false, and “deeply offensive to me and everything I stand for.” The filing came days before California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which gave a one-year window to file claims that would have been outside the statute of limitations.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper had a spirited New Year’s Eve. CNN brought back the booze – responsibly – after last year’s mandated sober celebration. Cohen had been pushing the network to bring back the booze, citing the audience’s dissatisfaction with abstinence (or maybe it was the shots of pickle juice?).
(Source: Cynopsis)
The season two finale of HBO’s “The Gilded Age” hit a series viewership high on December 17, and the period drama scored a season three renewal. “We’re so proud of what Julian Fellowes and ‘The Gilded Age’ family have achieved,” said Francesca Orsi, EVP, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films. “From the costumes to the production design and performances, the show has captivated so many week after week. Along with our partners at Universal Television, we are thrilled to continue this grand tale for a third season.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
The head writer of Disney’s animated Marvel series “What If?” will not return for season three. “After season two, I made the decision to move on from Marvel,” posted A.C. Bradley on X. “It’s been a fun ride, but it’s time for new adventures and mediums. All my love to the cast, crew, & fans!”
(Source: Cynopsis)
The personal information of over 82,000 people was stolen in a December 2022 data breach of National Amusements, parent company of Paramount Global. In a filing with Maine’s attorney general, the company said it discovered the hack in August. “Based on our investigation, there is no indication of any identity theft or fraud as a result of this event,” said the company in a statement. “However, out of an abundance of caution, we have notified potentially affected individuals to encourage preventative measures. We take information security very seriously and continue to undertake enhancements to our processes and procedures.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Impact x Nightline” report “On the Brink,” following the stories of pregnant women who had medical emergencies in states restricting abortion, will air as a primetime special on Friday, January 5 at 8p on ABC. The report first premiered on Hulu.
(Source: Cynopsis)
INSP’s “Legend of the Stagecoach” premieres Thursday, January 4 at 8p. The special looks at the “marvel of engineering” that transported people, goods and gold across the frontier.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Three OWN Spotlight specials this month feature the leading ladies from the film “The Color Purple”: Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino. The specials air on three successive Saturdays at 10p, starting January 6.
(Source: Cynopsis)
It’s official: The XFL and USFL have merged, under the name United Football League, with the first season kicking off March 30. The league first announced the combo plan in September. Partners in the venture include former XFL owners Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and RedBird’s Gerry Cardinale, former USFL owner Fox Sports, and ESPN. “FOX is football, and the success of the USFL has proven that there’s a bright future for spring football,” said Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks. “The opportunity to bring together our two leagues – each with a commitment to advancing broadcast practices, rule innovations and the community – only furthers the potential of the United Football League and solidifies its spot on the sports calendar.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Mark Cuban received approval from the NBA Board of Governors to sell a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks – the team he bought in 2000 for $285 million – for $3.5 billion, to Las Vegas Sands Corp. Cuban will reportedly retain 27% of the team.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The first episode of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” debuted with 13.3 million global views its first six days on Disney+ and Hulu, making it the number one Disney Branded Television premiere ever. New episodes drop on Disney+ at 6p on Tuesdays.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Fox had its most-watched Christmas Day telecast ever. The NFL’s game between the Eagles and the Giants drew an average 29.02 million viewers, up +29% over last year’s game.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Prime Video’s penultimate “Thursday Night Football” game on December 21 attracted an average audience of 10.20 million viewers, a +23% increase over last season’s comparable game.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ “Miracle in Bethlehem, PA” was the net’s #1 most-watched original movie premiere of the year and second most-watched in network history among key demographics. The film ranked as the #1 most-watched entertainment cable program on Thursday and the entire week among key demos, boosting Hallmark Movies & Mysteries to be the #2 entertainment cable network of the week on a Live+SD basis. In Live+3 Nielsens, it grew +40% between in viewership among W25-54.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Comedian Tom Smothers died December 26 after battling cancer. He was 86. With his brother Dick, Smothers was co-host of the groundbreaking “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” “Tom Smothers was not only an extraordinary comedic talent, who, together with his brother Dick, became the most enduring comedy duo in history, entertaining the world for over six decades — but was a true champion for freedom of speech,” said National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Television personality Bobby Rivers died December 26. He was 70. Rivers was a VJ on VH1 in the 1980s, and hosted Food Network specials and VH1’s “Watch Bobby Rivers.” “We will miss him sharing his love of the classics with the #TCMParty community and his thoughtful essays on his blog,” read a statement from TCM.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Actor Richard Romanus passed away December 23 at age 80. Among his television roles was Richard LaPenna, husband of Dr. Melfi, on “The Sopranos.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
MEGA MILLIONS
Today’s Jackpot is $114 million.
You can now play in 43 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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