FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news
ON TELEVISION (THURSDAY 3/27/25)
A&E: Accused: Did I Do It? (Premiere) at 10pm
MAX: Paul American (Premiere)
NETFLIX: Gold & Greed: The Hunt for Fenn’s Treasure (Premiere)
NETFLIX: From Rock Star to Killer (Premiere)
NETFLIX: Survival of the Thickest (Premiere)
PRIME VIDEO: Bosch: Legacy (Premiere)
PRIME VIDEO: Holland (Premiere)
California lawmakers have set in motion plans to increase the film credit for LA shoots, expanding the effort to include animated films and TV shows, sitcoms and large-scale competition shows. An amended version of SB 630, a bill introduced last month, would increase the rebate to 35% for wages and other expenses, up from the current 20-25% credit for live-action films and scripted series.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Freshman drama “Watson” has been renewed for a second season at CBS. No mystery there – the detective series’ January 26 premiere episode is the net’s most-watched scripted episode of the 2024-25 season after 35 days of viewing, and the show is averaging 6.79 million viewers per week, according to Nielsen.
(Source: Cynopsis)
On the flip side, CBS has canceled “After Midnight,” the late-night show hosted by Taylor Tomlinson. CBS had renewed the show for a third run, but Tomlinson wanted out. “Hosting ‘After Midnight’ has genuinely been the experience of a lifetime, and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity to be part of this incredible journey,” she said. “Though it was an extremely tough decision, I knew I had to return to my first passion and return to stand-up touring full-time.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Rita Braver is retiring from “CBS News Sunday Morning” after over 50 years at the network. “Those who know Rita and ‘Sunday Morning’ realize how essential she’s been to our work,” wrote Rand Morrison, executive producer of the show, in a message to staff. “Not simply because of her excellent reporting, her keen sense of curiosity about all kinds of things, and her willingness to take on almost any assignment – however demanding or complex the subject – but also because Rita has always brought professionalism, clarity, and a passion for quality to every story that’s come her way.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
A live-action reimagining of “Scooby-Doo” has been ordered to series at Netflix. The project comes from Midnight Radio, Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, written by Midnight Radio’s Josh Appelbaum & Scott Rosenberg (“Cowboy Bebop”) and based on characters created by Hanna-Barbera. “Mystery, Inc. is back in business! We’re excited to bring Scooby-Doo to TV as a live-action series for the first time,” said Peter Friedlander, VP, Scripted Series, Netflix. “The beloved franchise has had an impact on pop culture that is undeniable — it’s rich with universal themes of friendship that generations of fans have long embraced.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Fremantle signed a first-look television deal with production company Fruit Tree, run by Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) and Dave McCary (“Saturday Night Live”). The pact includes scripted and unscripted projects. Lorenzo De Maio, President of De Maio Entertainment, will oversee the partnership alongside Christian Vesper, Fremantle’s CEO Global Drama and Film, and Seb Shorr, Fremantle’s COO of Global Drama and Film.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Wildstar Films is in production on a documentary telling the real-life story of Kanzi – the ape who could communicate using a pictures board, drive and play music –in partnership with Ape Initiative. The announcement comes following the news of Kanzi’s death last week. “Kanzi was an enigmatic figure, both in science and pop culture,” said WIldstar Films Executive Producer Chloe Sarosh. “But behind the scenes, the scientific pursuit to see how human we could make an ape, reveals some difficult questions. Wildstar has been given exclusive access to extraordinary never-before-seen archive that reveals a life that is sometimes sweet and hilarious, but at other times deeply troubling.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
“SisterS” is coming back for a second season on IFC and AMC+. The dark comedy is currently filming in Canada for a 2026 premiere. “It has been such fun to repatriate Sarah Goldberg and welcome our Irish production family to Canada for season two,” said Christina Jennings, President and Chairman, Shaftesbury. “Season one managed to deliver laugh-out-loud comedy while maintaining a unique sense of authenticity. I really look forward to seeing this continue, but with a Canadian winter as the backdrop.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Sky Kids has extended its commitment to Magic Light Pictures’ preschool property “Pip and Posy” with the commission of three seasonal specials of the series. The first is slated to air in 4Q 2025.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Communications agency The Right Now announced the launch ofNow Studio, a creative production division spearheaded by former Snapchat executive Rylee Jean Ebsen, recently appointed Head of Digital and Creative Strategy. “We’re a full-service creative production company ready to take on projects of any kind, but there’s one challenge I’m especially eager to tackle,” said Ebseln. “Brands rely heavily on User-Generated Content (UGC), which is a powerful tool but sometimes unpredictable and not always brand-led. On the flip side, traditional marketing campaigns can feel like, well, ads – which work great in many places but don’t always work on social. That’s where we come in. We’re here to bridge that gap, crafting social first content that combines strong brand direction with the kind of authenticity audiences genuinely connect with.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Linda Woolverton (“Beauty and the Beast”, “The Lion King”) has joined as Executive Producer of Kartoon Studios’ “Hundred Acre Wood’s Winnie and Friends” production, based on the characters of A.A. Milne. Woolverton is guiding both the animated film and television series being produced.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Season two of “When Hope Calls” starts streaming April 3 on Pure Flix, with a linear debut April 6 at 8p on Great American Family. A spinoff of “When Calls the Heart,” “Hope” launched in 2019 on Hallmark Channel, was canceled after one season and then picked up by GAF.
(Source: Cynopsis)
PBS culinary series “Lucky Chow” is back for season seven on Thursday, May 1 (check local listings). This go-round, host Danielle Chang takes viewers to her homeland, Taiwan.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The second installment of Apple TV+ trilogy “WondLa” debuts Friday, April 25. The animated coming-of-age story is based on Tony DiTerlizzi’s book series, The Search for WondLa.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Paramount+ has acquired “The Children of October 7,” set to premiere Tuesday, April 23. In the film, Israeli children share their experiences of trauma and survival as they continue to process the unthinkable.
(Source: Cynopsis)
HBO’s “Billy Joel: And So it Goes” is set to debut this summer. The two-parter comes from HBO Documentary Films presents a Pentimento Production in association with Hazy Mills Productions and Playtone Productions.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Men’s March Madness is scoring its best TV ratings in decades. The NCAA tournament is averaging 9.4 million per game across CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV through its first two rounds, marking the highest average audience through the round of 32 since 1993, according to Nielsen.
(Source: Cynopsis)
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