FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news
ON TELEVISION (WEDNESDAY 4/17/24)
HULU: Under the Bridge (Premiere)
HULU: See You in Another Life (Premiere)
NETFLIX: Our Living World (Premiere)
NETFLIX: Don’t Hate the Player (Premiere)
NETFLIX: The Grimm Variations (Premiere)
NETFLIX: The Circle (Premiere)
SPEEDVISION: Helping Hands Garage (Premiere) at 8pm
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) want detailsabout the proposed sports streaming service from Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox. “The Joint Venture raises questions about how this new offering would affect access, competition, and choice in the sports streaming market,” the lawmakers wrote to Bob Iger, David Zaslav and Lachlan Murdoch. “Without more complete information about the pricing, intent, and organization of this new venture, we are concerned that this consolidation will result in higher prices for consumers and less fair licensing terms for upstream sports leagues and downstream video distributors.” A response is requested by April 30, answers the DOJ be would be copied on.
(Source: Cynopsis)
LGBTQIA+ representation in TV content drives viewing among not just American LGBTQIA+ audiences, but appeals to younger (18-34 year-old) American audiences overall, according to Horowitz Research report, “State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: FOCUS LGBTQIA+.” Sixty-six percent of LGBTQIA+ content viewers say that they are more likely to watch a show that is inclusive of LGBTQIA+ characters and/or features stories around their culture/community, while 1 in 3 18-34 year-olds also agree that they are more likely to watch a show with LGBTQIA+ characters and stories. Nearly half (46%) of American audiences, ages 18-34, also want to see characters with disabilities and/or bilingual characters.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Sesame Workshop writers have unanimously voted to authorize a strike, says the WGA. Contract talks began February 13, with proposals on the table for annual raises, improvements to residuals, and union coverage for animation and social media divisions. “No one wants to see a picket line on Sesame Street,” said WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen. “Millions of parents and families around the world are going to have a lot of questions. They might ask why the bosses at Sesame Workshop are ignoring their company’s own messages of kindness and fairness.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Smartmatic and One America News Network have reached a confidential settlement over the network’s claims that Smartmatic conspired to steal the 2020 election. “As other news organizations publicly acknowledged that they had seen no evidence to support claims of election fraud or of voting machines switching votes, OANN mocked those news organizations and doubled down on its attacks on voting machines,” said Smartmatic in its lawsuit, filed in 2021. “OANN knew its assertions about Smartmatic were not true. OANN had seen no evidence to support the assertions. But OANN chose to spread disinformation.” Lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax are pending.
(Source: Cynopsis)
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is raising awareness during Financial Literacy Month with its nationwide campaign, Nuestras Finanzas (Our Finances). The initiative aims to empower the US Hispanic community by providing essential information and Spanish-language resources on various facets of financial literacy.
(Source: Cynopsis)
REELZ signed a cosponsor agreement with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in support of the organization’s goal of keeping children safe. The partnership with REELZ will include PSAs that will air in all day parts in 2024 and 2025 and will be further promoted on social media channels of the two organizations. “Public service has always been important to REELZ,” said REELZ CEO Stan E. Hubbard. “It’s been important throughout the 100-year history of the Hubbard Broadcasting family going back to our broadcast roots….When I’m watching live like everyone else and I hear that a missing kid has been found there’s nothing that makes us more proud. It’s the most important thing we do here at REELZ.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Prime Video gave a 20-episode order for “Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?”, a spin-off of Fox game show “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader” hosted by Kansas City Chief Travis Kelce. MGM Alternative is producing. “Travis has proven to be an incredible talent on and off the field, and we appreciate the trust he has placed in us,” said Lauren Anderson, Head of AVOD Originals Unscripted and Targeted Programming, Amazon MGM Studios. “His natural, comedic dynamic with our panelists and guests, coupled with some exciting new twists, will keep our global customers coming back week after week.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Tyler Perry has extended his deal with Paramount, signing a new deal with BET Media that calls for the delivery of hundreds of new episodes of shows to BET and BET+. In addition to renewals for ten of his current shows, the agreement includes a new series from the prolific producer.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Independent studio Participant (“An Inconvenient Truth”) is shutting down after 20 years. “I founded Participant with the mission of creating world-class content that inspires positive social change, prioritizing impact alongside commercial sustainability,” said Jeff Skoll. “Since then, the entertainment industry has seen revolutionary changes in how content is created, distributed and consumed. It is the right time for me to evaluate my next chapter and approach to tackling the pressing issues of our time.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Betsy Brandt (“Breaking Bad”) will executive produce and star inLifetime movie “The Bad Orphan,” a psychological drama centered on a couple whose adoption of an 8-year-old goes terribly wrong.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Keshet International is co-developing legal procedural “Prejudice” with Canada’s Pixcom. Emily VanCamp (“The Resident”) will star a rising Toronto litigator whose career and marriage to a Senator are thrown into upheaval when her past as a sex worker is publicly exposed.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Emma Thompson (“Good Luck to You”) and Ruth Wilson (“The Affair”)are set to executive produce and star in “Down Cemetery Road.” The Apple TV+ thriller series is based on the book by Mick Herron, author of the book series on which “Slow Horses” is based. “‘Down Cemetery Road’ has all the hallmarks of Mick Herron’s funny and acerbic writing, and I’m delighted we will be bringing it to life for Apple TV+ with such a stellar cast,” said Apple TV+’s Creative Director, Europe, Jay Hunt. “Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson will make it an unmissable companion piece for ‘Slow Horses’ on our service.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Former Spotify exec Max Cutler has launched PAVE [Podcasts, Audiobooks, Video and Entertainment] Studios, made up of two studios: wellness-focused OpenMind and true crime-focused Crime House. “In today’s media landscape, the convergence of formats is reshaping the way we consume content. Storytellers who successfully engage audiences and create fandoms through written, audio, and video content have led the charge in cultivating their robust communities into diverse businesses,” said Cutler. “PAVE Studios will set the stage for a better way of producing, distributing and consuming the world’s greatest original content, all while empowering creators, simplifying content discovery, and fostering vibrant fan communities.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios and Skybound Entertainment (“The Walking Dead”) are developing a film adaptation of WEBTOON webcomic hit “Freaking Romance.” Screenwriting duo Matthew Kic and Mike Sorce will pen the script, and Aron Levitz, David Madden and Jason Goldberg will produce for Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. Robert Kirkman, David Alpert, and Rick Jacobs are producing the film from Skybound, with Fred D. Lee overseeing production.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House?” premieres Tuesday, May 14 at 10p on HGTV. The series is inspired by social media hit “Cheap Old Houses.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
“The Barnes Bunch,” following NBA champ and podcaster Matt Barnes and his fiancée, Anansa Sims, premieres Friday, April 19 at 10p om WE tv.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Southern California’s flagship PBS station announced a new comedy-docuseries, “Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo,” following the Mexican-American comedian as he embarks on an emotional odyssey to tell the “stories behind the laughs.” The six episode series will stream on the PBS app and PBS.org starting Friday, May 24, and be available to stream on the PBS YouTube channel, following the television broadcast premiere on PBS stations across the country on Friday, June 21 at 10p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Leading up to Earth Day, CBS News and Stations explores how plant and animal species are in decline and a warming planet is partially to blame in “Protecting Life on Earth,” a daily multi-part Climate Watch series and half-hour special that begins airing on today, April 16 across CBS-owned stations in 14 owned markets.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been slated for Sunday, February 23 at 8p on Netflix. Submissions for nomination consideration open Monday, August 29.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Fuse Media is expanding its sports portfolio with a partnership with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and the El Rey Rebel FAST Channel to air memorable fights in recent history as part of a new “Friday Night Fights” series launching on the channel Friday, May 3 at 8p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
After 19 years as the Boston Bruins Play-by-Play broadcaster on New England Sports Network, Jack Edwards has announced his retirement following the 2023-24 postseason games on NESN. “I grew up a Bruins fan, and who had more fun than us over the last two decades?” said Edwards. “In collaboration with Bruins and NESN leadership, I recently decided that the time has come for me to finish my shift as the voice of the Boston Bruins. I am no longer able to attain the standards I set for myself, to honor the fans, the players, the Bruins organization and NESN with the best they all deserve. I retire from broadcasting not with a heavy heart, but gratefulness for a 19-year-long joyride.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
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