FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news
ON TELEVISION (THURSDAY 3/14/24)
ABC: 9-1-1 (Premiere) at 8pm
ABC: Grey’s Anatomy (Premiere) at 9pm
ABC: Station 19 (Premiere) at 10pm
MAX: Justice, USA (Premiere)
MAX: The Girls on the Bus (Premiere)
NETFLIX: Girls5eva (Premiere)
SUNDANCE TV: True Crime Story: Smugshot (Premiere) at 10pm
CW: Children Ruin Everything (Finale) at 9:30pm
A+E: Undercover: Caught on Tape (Finale) at 10pm
INSP: The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger (Finale) at 8pm
HBO renewed “Real Time with Bill Maher” for two more seasons, through 2026. “For 22 seasons and counting, Bill Maher remains a uniquely powerful voice in politics and culture,” said Nina Rosenstein, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Late Night & Specials. “’Real Time’ is the rare place where people can both disagree and find common ground, which is more vital than ever. We’re thrilled to continue working with Bill and his incredibly talented team for two more seasons.” Added Maher: “Two more years in the dream job of a lifetime, on the network so many dream of being on – I think that’s what we call a no-brainer.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Nickelodeon issued a statement regarding former “Drake & Josh” star Drake Bell’s revelation that he was sexually abused by dialog coach Brian Peck while Bell was a child. Bell details the abuse, which occurred in 2003 while he was a cast member of “The Amanda Show,” in the third episode of Investigation Discovery’s four-part documentary “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” which will air over two nights March 17 and March 18. Peck was arrested in 2003 on 11 charges of abuse against a minor victim who was never named. In the ID documentary, Bell revealed that he was the minor. Peck served 16 months in prison and had to register as a sex offender. In a statement, Nickelodeon said: “Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Generative AI is paving the way for new, innovative streaming business models, according to a study by Parks Associates – “Maximizing Returns: Generative AI’s Impact on Entertainment.” Parks reports consumers spend about $73 per month on streaming, roughly the same as traditional pay TV. But many providers are turning to GAI to help them pare content costs and find new paths for monetization through more ad-based services and better interactive advertising, while maintaining an enhanced user experience.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Saturday Night Live” has tapped former cast member Kristen Wiig and actor Ryan Gosling as hosts in April. Wiig will take the stage on April 6 with musical guest Raye, while Gosling is slated for April 13 with musical guest Chris Stapleton. The show previously said that comedian Ramy Youssef would host on March 30 with musical guest Travis Scott.
(Source: Cynopsis)
In advance of the series finale on March 15, Apple TV+ said it has inked a first-look deal with “The Dynasty: New England Patriots” filmmaker Matthew Hamachek. The 10-part documentary is executive produced and directed by Hamachek, from Brian Grazer and Imagine Documentaries.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Woodcut Media is currently in production on a new true crime feature documentary “The Murder of Sandra Rivett,” for Prime Video in the U.K. and Ireland. Distributor Abacus Media Rights is handling worldwide sales and will be presenting the documentary to buyers at the upcoming MIPTV market.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Starz is developing a fourth spin-off of popular franchise “Power,”focusing on two key characters – Ghost and Tommy – from the original series. The drama, called “Origins,” would follow two younger versions of the characters.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Hop,” the animated kids series from “Arthur” creator Marc Brown, will premiere on Max on April 4. “Hop” is produced by Epic Story Media and animated by Loomi Animation.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Crunchyroll is bringing more than 40 new, returning and continuing series during the spring 2024 anime season, including “Kaiju No.8,” which premieres on April 18; “Black Butler – Public School Arc,” which returns nearly 10 years after its original run premiering a new arc on April 13 and “Konosuba – God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3,” which returns for its third season on April 10.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Documentary series “True Crime Story: It Couldn’t Happen Here,” returns to SundanceTV, AMC+ and Sundance Now on April 18 at 10p, hosted by advocate and actress Hilarie Burton Morgan (“One Tree Hill,” “The Walking Dead”). The series puts a spotlight on cases from small towns across America, exploring how the crime affects the community as well as how the unique dynamics of the small town affect the investigation.
(Source: Cynopsis)
PBS series “Nature” will premiere with new episodes beginning April 10, with a two-part special “Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers” at 8p. The plight of grizzly bears in the American West will be the topic of the May 8 episode “Nature – Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons” (8p) while efforts to rescue animals in war-torn Ukraine will be the subject of “Nature: Saving the Animals of the Ukraine,” May 15 at 8p. Rounding out the spring schedule is “Nature: Ireland’s Wild Desert” (May 22 at 8p), highlighting the Emerald Isle’s desert of wild life and grey stones called the Burren.
(Source: Cynopsis)
PBS Kids is celebrating Earth Month (April) with two new movies and new episodes and shorts from “Wild Kratts” and “Nature Cat.” “Wild Kratts: Our Blue and Green World,” premieres April 1, accompanied by a new game — “World Rescue” – which will be available on the PBS Kids Games app. New episodes of “Wild Kratts” debut April 2. “Nature Cat’s Nature Movie Special Extraordinaire” will debut April 22 with a new short-form series – “Nature Chat with Nature Cat” – premiering digitally on the same day.
(Source: Cynopsis)
HBO Original stand-up comedy special “Alex Edelman: Just for Us” debuts Saturday, April 6 at 10p on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. Tony Award®-winning director Alex Timbers directed the special, which taped in front of a live audience on August 15 and August 16 at the Hudson Theatre in New York.
(Source: Cynopsis)
BET+ will premiere dramedy “Diarra From Detroit” on March 21. Created by its star Diarra Kilpatrick, the eight-episode series from BET Studios and Khalabo Ink Society also features Morris Chestnut, Phylicia Rashad, DomiNque Perry, Claudia Logan, Bryan Terrell Clark, Shannon Wallace, and Jon Chaffin.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The United Football League has partnered with Michael Strahan, the lifestyle brand founded by pro football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan with longtime business partner and SMAC Entertainment co-founder/CEO Constance Schwartz-Morini, making MSX by Michael Strahan the Official Off-Field Apparel Partner of the UFL. The partners will also create cross-promotional digital and in-venue, experiential content to engage fans during the UFL’s debut season, which begins March 30. In addition, MSX by Michael Strahan will outfit all talent within the UFL Command Center – the league’s real-time officiating review process – and will be featured prominently in all UFL venues.
(Source: Cynopsis)
According to researcher EDO, University of Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark doesn’t just score points for her team, she scores big time for advertisers. With March Madness nearing, EDO found that games featuring Clark outperform games without her by 7%, interesting news for brands hoping to advertise during the tournament. Clark also scores big in ads she is featured in – she’s been in six State Farm ads since November 2023 and her spots are 46% more likely to generate engagement than the average State farm ad, EDO claims. Also, the researcher found that if the State Farm ad is aired during an Iowa game, it gains an additional 28% in effectiveness.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Sinclair’s multi-cast networks Comet, Charge! And TBD had their biggest night ever against President Biden’s State of the Union Address on March 7 from 9-11p. According to Sinclair, March 7 ratings in the 25-54 demo for the three networks combined were up 321% compared to last year’s State of the Union address and up 101% compared to January and February of this year. As a unit, the three networks ranked seventh among cable networks for that night, said Sinclair.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Keely's Korner 