Keely's Korner

CBS and Viacom shook up content and digital leadership teams ahead of their merger, effective upon the deal’s closing. “ViacomCBS will be one of the largest premium content creators in the world, with the capacity to produce content for both our own platforms and for others,” said Bob Bakish, President and Chief Executive Officer, Viacom, who will hold the same roles at ViacomCBS. “This talented team of content leaders will work together to ensure we realize the full power of our brands, our deep relationships with the creative community and our intellectual property to drive our growth as a combined company.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

On the content side, Jim Gianopulos  will oversee Filmed Entertainment, continuing as Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures; Chris McCarthy, President of MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo, will serve as President of Entertainment & Youth Brands, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks – adding Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel and TV Land brands and their respective content studios to his current portfolio; David Nevins, Chief Creative Officer, CBS, and Chairman and CEO, Showtime Networks, will oversee CBS Television Studios, the CBS Television Network’s Entertainment division, the Showtime Networks and Pop, as well as the programming of CBS All Access. He will also have oversight of CBS’ interest in The CW, a joint venture between CBS and Warner Bros. Entertainment. In addition, Nevins will oversee BET, which will continue to be led by Scott Mills as President of BET; Carolyn Kroll Reidy will lead the company’s publishing assets, continuing in her role as President and CEO of Simon & Schuster, Inc.; Brian Robbins, President of Nickelodeon, will oversee the company’s kids and young adult-focused offerings as President, Kids & Family Entertainment, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Leading ViacomCBS digital efforts, Marc DeBevoise , President and COO, CBS Interactive, will serve as Chief Digital Officer, ViacomCBS, and President and CEO, CBS Interactive; Kelly Day, President, Viacom Digital Studios, will continue to lead the digital content strategy; Phil Wiser, Chief Technology Officer, CBS, will serve as CTO for the combined company; Tom Ryan, CEO and Co-Founder of Pluto TV, will continue to lead Pluto TV.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Leaving the company when the CBS/Viacom deal closes are Kent Alterman, who runs Comedy Central, TV Land and Paramount Network, and Sarah Levy, COO of Viacom’s Media Networks group. “We were given a rare opportunity to create and maintain our own culture within the confines of an ever-changing and challenging corporate environment,” wrote Alterman to colleagues. “While some might call me delusional, I contend that our ethos is defined by passion, respect, strong points of view, collaboration and kindness to each other. Dare I call it soulful? Maybe I just did.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

Amazon Studios inked a new first look deal with writer/director Will Graham and his Field Trip Productions. Graham has boarded Amazon original series Daisy Jones & The Six, from Hello Sunshine, as showrunner, and Field Trip is producing Amazon pilot A League of Their Own.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Live action superhero series Titans , based on DC Comics’ Teen Titans, will return for season three on DC Universe in fall 2020.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Disney+ will have collected 101 million subscriptions by 2025 , projects Digital TV Research. Netflix will hit 235.6 million, according to the study, Amazon Prime Video will have amassed 135 million, HBO Max will have reached 30.1 million and AppleTV+ will have drawn 27.2 million.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Highlights from CBS’s winter slate include new drama FBI: Most Wanted, premiering Tuesday, January 7 at 10p; Undercover Boss and Criminal Minds – heading into its 15th and final season – returning Wednesday, January 8 at 8p and 9p; the series premiere of Tommy on Thursday, February 6 at 10p; MacGyver back for season four on Friday, February 7 at 8p; and Survivor back for season 40 with a two-hour premiere on Wednesday, February 12 at 8p. No word yet on dates for returning comedy Man With a Plan, Amazing Race and new comedy Broke.
(Source: Cynopsis)

E! is serving fresh episodes of The Soup, with a new host. Comedian and actress Jade Catta-Preta will oversee the reimagined version, set to debut in early 2020. Franchise premiered in 1991 as Talk Soup, with hosts Greg Kinnear (1991–1995), John Henson (1995–1999), Hal Sparks (1999–2000) and Aisha Tyler (2001–2002). The show  was re-launched as The Soup in 2004 with host Joel McHale, and ran until 2015.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Barron’s Group’s Barron’s and MarketWatch launched a live, weekly 10-minute digital show covering financial news. MarketBrief, hosted by Caroline Woods, tapes from the Nasdaq MarketSite in NYC’s Times Square at 9a on Mondays.
(Source: Cynopsis)

New monthly series Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions begins streaming on WWE Network immediately following Survivor Series on Sunday, November 24 at approximately 11p. Hosted and produced by Austin, series will feature one-on-one conversations with the biggest names in WWE history.
(Source: Cynopsis)

You, transplanted from Lifetime to Netflix for season two, drops on the streamer Thursday, December 26, following Penn Badgley’s creepy character as he moves to LA.
(Source: Cynopsis)

PBS will broadcast season one of World on Fire , starring Helen Hunt, starting Sunday, April 5, 2020, as part of Masterpiece. PBS is teaming with the BBC for season two of the Word War II drama.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Amazon original film Troop Zero , starring Viola Davis and Allison Janney, will drop on Amazon Prime Video on January 17. The feature debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Shania Twain will perform a medley of her greatest hits at the American Music Awards, the Man! I Feel Like a Woman!’s  first time taking the stage for the event since 2003. Show broadcasts live LA on Sunday, November 24, at 8p on ABC.
(Source: Cynopsis)

HITN TV announced Tú Cuentas! Census 2020 Town Hall , streaming live from Northeastern Illinois University tomorrow, November 13 at 6:30p. The Town Hall will include community leaders, educators, students and local elected officials for a discussion on the importance of accurate count in the Census 2020.
(Source: Cynopsis)

French drama Balthazar launches on Acorn TV on Monday, November 25. Series focuses on a forensic pathologist.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Emma Coronel Aispuro, wife of drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán , will make several appearances on VH1 docuseries Cartel Crew. The former beauty queen opens up about her life after El Chapo and her upcoming business venture. Her first appearance airs Monday, November 18 at 9p.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Quibi comedy The Now added O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Just Mercy), Daryl Hannah (Sense 8) and Jimmy Tatro (America Vandal) in lead roles, and will also feature Alyssa Milano (Insatiable), Rob Yang (Succession) and Lex Scott Davis (Superfly) in recurring parts…Samantha Richelle (Syd) , Arthur Acuña (Princess and I), Nonie Buencamino (Sparks) and Ces Quesada (Invisible) have been added to the cast of WGN America’s upcoming drama Almost Paradise… Jake Borelli (Grey’s Anatomy), newcomer Niko Terho, Karamo (Queer Eye), Britt Baron (GLOW) and Peter Paige (Queer as Folk) will star in Freeform Valentine film The Thing About Harry, from director Paige…Ambyr Childers has been promoted to series regular in Netflix’s You.
(Source: Cynopsis)

NBC’s Sunday Night Football averaged 23 million viewers , the 100^th time over the past 10 years that the NFL series has topped an audience of 20 million.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Nielsen Holdings is splitting into two publicly traded companies , Nielsen Global Connect, a marketing services unit, and media business Nielsen Global Media. Current Nielsen CEO David Kenny will head the media company; a search is underway for a Global CEO. Nielsen making a change was no surprise – the company has said it has been conducting a strategic review, including a possible sale of all or part of the company. “Both the Global Media and Global Connect businesses are independently essential to the industries they serve, but each business has unique dynamics,” said Kenny. “Our decision to separate them marks a milestone in our strategic evolution and will best position each to serve the specific needs of their clients and successfully address rapidly changing dynamics in the marketplace. As two independent companies, we can better drive decision making with velocity and push key initiatives to accelerate performance enhancements of each business.”
(Source: Cynopsis)Fresh Off the Boat will end its six-season run with an hour-long series finale on Friday, February 21 at 8p. “We couldn’t be prouder of this game-changing show and the impact it has had on our cultural landscape,” said Karey Burke, President of ABC Entertainment. “The success of Fresh Off the Boat has helped pave the way for inclusion throughout the industry.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

Taping of Wheel of Fortune was canceled on Thursday due to host Pat Sajak’s emergency surgery to correct a blocked intestine. Wheel turner Vanna White stepped in for Sajak on Friday, with an assist from Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Googy and Pluto. Sajak was “resting comfortably and looking forward to getting back to work,” tweeted the show in Friday. Sajak and White have hosted the show together during its 37 seasons of syndication.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Facebook said it was removing mentions that purport to name the whistleblower who filed a complaint over President Trump’s phone call with the president of Ukraine. “Any mention of the potential whistleblower’s name violates our coordinating harm policy, which prohibits content ‘outing of witness, informant, or activist,’” said a Facebook spokesperson on Friday. “We are removing any and all mentions of the potential whistleblower’s name and will revisit this decision should their name be widely published in the media or used by public figures in debate.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

Disney stock rose nearly 4% on Friday , with analysts bullish on Disney+ after the company’s quarterly earnings report. “Disney’s powerful brands and its history of executing on delivering content success support the growing value of its streaming services,” noted Morgan Stanley’s Benjamin Swinburne.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Black News Channel, offering 24/7 news serving African American viewers , has moved its launch date from November 15 to January 6. The Tallahassee, FL-based network co-founded by former Oklahoma congressman J.C. Watts and TV exec Bob Brillante made the date change to take advantage of new distribution platforms. “If we have the opportunity to include the largest African American audience possible from day one, then that should be our top priority,” said Watts. The network has carriage deals set with Comcast, Charter and Dish Network, and will be available in TV markets including New York, LA, and Atlanta.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Woody Allen and Amazon ended a $68 million breach-of-contract suit filed by Allen after Amazon canceled a four-picture deal in the wake of allegations that the director molested his estranged daughter, Dylan Farrow. Allen, who has denied the charges, claimed Amazon owed him payment for the films; Amazon canceled the release of the first, A Rainy Day in New York, and ditched plans for the remainder.
(Source: Cynopsis)

PBS is broadcasting this week’s impeachment hearings live , and will rerun them during primetime on digital channel World. The move comes after Bill Moyers and Michael Winship asked PBS in a full-page ad in the New York Times on Friday to air the hearings live and rerun them in primetime, as happened in 1973 with the Watergate hearings. Said a PBS spokesperson, “ We live in a vastly different media universe than we did 45+ years ago. In today’s on demand world, we will ensure that Americans have access to the replay of the hearings when and how they want to view them.” The BBC is also airing the impeachment hearings in full.
(Source: Cynopsis)

And CBS was the first of the Big Four to declare it plans to pre-empt daytime programming for the hearings. CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell will lead coverage.
(Source: Cynopsis)

WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop is back for an extended, 13-episode season five starting Thursday, December 5 at 9p.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Sang King (The Walking Dead) picks up as showrunner of Netflix superhero series Jupiter’s Legacy , following the exit of Steven S. DeKnight halfway through production of the first season.
(Source: Cynopsis)

NBC gave a put pilot commitment to Friends and Family , from writer Shawn Wines, Electric Avenue, Kapital Entertainment and Universal Television, reports Deadline. Comedy centers on a group of twentysomething friends in San Francisco.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Workplace thriller Severance got a series order from Apple . Adam Scott (Big Little Lies) will star in and produce; Ben Stiller (Escape at Dannemora) will direct and exec produce.
(Source: Cynopsis)

BH90210 was canceled by Fox, but it might not be the last fans see of the Peach Pit gang . Among teasing comments from cast members was this, from Tori Spelling: “Our show is so meta that all the reality out there just helps us continue to evolve and gives us GREAT new storylines!…So stay tuned as our journey unfolds….”
(Source: Cynopsis)

USA’s Dare Me, centered on the cutthroat world of competitive high school cheerleading, premieres on USA Sunday, December 29 at 10p.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Docu-series Bushido Battleground, focused on mixed martial arts fighters , premieres Wednesday, November 13 on Combat Go.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Netflix’s Kenya Barris comedy Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show launches globally Friday, December 6. Skits explore pop culture and social issues related to the Black experience.
(Source: Cynopsis)

The CW announced premiere dates for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow(January 21); Katy Keene (February 6); and Supernatural’s move to Mondays on March 16, followed by the season debut of Roswell, New Mexico. On the flip side, Arrow ends January 28 with a back-to-back block; finales for All American and Black Lightning are slated for March 9; and Supernatural ends its 15^th and final season on May 18.
(Source: Cynopsis)

NBC has set its midseason schedule . Highlights include Manifest taking over the Monday 10p time slot from Bluff City Law starting January 6; Council of Dads succeeding This Is Us on Tuesdays at 9p in March; and Brooklyn Nine-Nine launching its 13-episode season seven on February 6, followed by Fran Drescher comedy Indebted. Crime drama Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (formerly just Lincoln) fills in during The Blacklist’s hiatus starting January 10, and The Good Place will end January 30, with a 90-minute series finale hosted by Seth Meyers. Zoe’s Extraordinary Playlist lands in its permanent timeslot Sunday, February 16, after a preview on January 7, followed by Good Girls.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Clerks director Kevin Smith will host Crisis Aftermath , the aftershow for CW’s Arrowverse crossover, “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” Episodes air Sunday, December 8 after Supergirl, and Tuesday, December 10 after The Flash. Smith has directed episodes of the net’s superhero dramas in the past.
(Source: Cynopsis)

E!’s Nightly Pop is expanding from two to four nights a week Starting Sunday. November 17. Late nighter debuted in October 2018.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Griffin Matthews (Dear White People) landed a series regular role in HBO Max drama The Flight Attendant…Also earning series regular roles were Danny Sapani (Penny Dreadful), Olive Gray (Half Moon Investigations) and Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders), in Showtime’s upcoming Halo, based on the video game franchise.
(Source: Cynopsis)

2019 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS – WINNERS LIST
https://www.eonline.com/shows/peoples_choice_awards/news/108
4925/people-s-choice-awards-2019-winners-the-complete-list