Keely's Korner

CELEBRITY NEWS: FEBRUARY 26, 2021
http://www.imdb.com/news/celebrity

Nate Ruess (Lead Singer of Fun) – 39 years old
Corinne Bailey Rae (Singer) – 42 years old
Erykah Badu (R&B Singer) – 50 years old
Greg Germann (Grey’s Anatomy/ Ally McBeal) – 63 years old
Michael Bolton (Singer) – 68 years old
Bill Duke (“X-Men: The Last Stand”/ “Predator”) – 78 years old 

FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news

ON TELEVISION (FRIDAY 2/26/21)
DISCOVERY+: Paranormal Caught on Camera (Premiere)
HULU: The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Premiere)
ID: Fear Thy Neighbor (Premiere) at 10pm 
IMDb TV: Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers (Premiere)

(SATURDAY 2/27/21)
APPLE TV+: Losing Alice (Premiere)
NBC: Saturday Night Live – Host: Nick Jonas, Musical Guest: Nick Jonas at 11:30pm

(SUNDAY 2/28/21)
NBC: Golden Globes Pre-Show at 7pm
NBC: The 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards at 8pm
COOKING CHANNEL: My Fave vs. Your Fave (Premiere) at 9pm
TLC: Seeking Sister Wife (Premiere) at 9pm

Sunday’s Finales
EPIX: Bridge and Tunnel (Finale) at 9pm
FOOD NETWORK: Worst Cooks in America (Finale) at 9pm

ViacomCBS promises a lot of everything with Paramount+. The streamer, launching March 4, will feature a content catalog of more than 30,000 episodes, 2,500 movie titles and over 1,000 live sporting events, plus around-the-clock news coverage. It’s a family affair – among the Paramount Pictures films to stream on Paramount+ following a short theatrical release will be “A Quiet Place Part II,” “PAW PATROL: The Movie,” and “Mission: Impossible 7.” Series set to premiere over next two years include “Halo,” a “Frasier” revival, “Criminal Minds,” “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,” and shows from the Avatar, Yellowstone, Star Trek and SpongeBob SquarePants universes, among others. Sporting leagues and events on the service include the NFL, Masters, PGA TOUR, NCAA, SEC, The PGA Championship, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, National Women’s Soccer League, Concacaf, and news offerings including CBS News programs, new series such as “60 Minutes+,” live streams of local affiliates in over 200 markets, and CBSN. A premium plan will cost $9.99/month and an ad-supported base plan at $4.99/month will be available in June.
(Source: Cynopsis)

What will be missing on Paramount+? A third season of CBS All Access’ “The Twilight Zone.” “We greatly enjoyed our time working on ‘The Twilight Zone’ — particularly when the real world around us often felt more and more like another dimension,” said a statement from Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw and Simon Kinberg’s Genre Films. “After 20 unique episodes, we have told the stories that we wanted to tell, and CBS All Access was gracious in their understanding of our decision.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

An ad campaign from The Ad Council that launched yesterday to promote the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines includes over $500 million in donated media. Running on TV, radio, on web sites and on social media, the campaign, called “It’s Up to You,” is “one of the largest public education efforts in history,” according to The Ad Council.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Australia passed a law on Thursday that makes tech companies pay publishers for news content. Facebook and Google opposed the initial version of the law, which would have allowed media outlets to bargain either individually or collectively with them, and to enter binding arbitration if an agreement isn’t reached. The new legislation includes a provision that a case “must take into account whether a digital platform has made a significant contribution to the sustainability of the Australian news industry through reaching commercial agreements with news media businesses.” Facebook said the revised law allows it to “support the publishers we choose to,” while Google worked around the new law by forging partnerships with media organizations in Australia ahead of its passage.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Director Betty Thomas will receive the DGA’s Robert B. Aldrich Award at the 73rd Annual DGA Awards. “Betty means so much to our guild,” said DGA president Thomas Schlamme. “No matter how busy she’s been throughout her remarkable, ceiling-shattering directing career, she’s always placed service to her fellow members among her highest priorities, fighting for their creative and economic rights.” Thomas serves as the guild’s secretary-treasurer.
(Source: Cynopsis)

“Iron Mike,” exploring the life of heavyweight champ Mike Tyson, scored a straight-to-series order from Hulu. The limited series comes from “I, Tonya” screenwriter Steven Rogers and director Craig Gillespie; “I, Tonya” star Margot Robbie will executive produce via her LuckyChap, with Karin Gist (“mixed-ish”) as showrunner and executive producer.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Netflix renewed “Elite” for season five, ahead of the soapy Spanish teen drama’s season four premiere. Added to the cast: Valentina Zenere (“Soy Luna”) and Andre Lamoglia (“Juacas”).
(Source: Cynopsis)

In another part of the globe, Netflix plans to spend over $500 million in 2021 on local content production in Korea. The streamer has over 3.8 million paid memberships in the area.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Marcus Lemonis, investor and host of CNBC’s “The Profit,” is partnering and investing in Zero Point Zero Productions (“My Next Guest Needs No Introduction”), founded by producers Lydia Tenaglia and Chris Collins. Under this new partnership, Lemonis will serve as the company’s Chairman.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Wapanatahk Media, co-owned and headed by Indigenous producers Tania Koenig-Gauchier and Shirley Mclean, has launched in partnership with Great Pacific Media, the Factual and Scripted Division of Thunderbird Entertainment. Wapanatahk Media aims to create content for broadcasters and streaming platforms that tells original and authentic Indigenous stories. The studio also prioritizes the training and employment of BIPOC peoples. “We are not waiting around for opportunities to come to us. We are taking Indigenous characters and stories to mainstream networks,” said Tania Koenig-Gauchier. “Broadcasters like ?APTN and ?Blue Ant ?Media are supporting our productions and we in turn, are in a position to offer emerging Indigenous talent training from some of Canada’s top media professionals.” Wapanatahk Media’s first green-lit series, ?“Dr. Savannah: Wild Rose Vet”, ?goes into production in April.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Freeform picked a pilot for an adaptation of Everything’s Trash But It’s Okay, by Phoebe Robinson (“2 Dope Queens”). Robinson is attached to star, write and exec produce the series, about a podcast star forced to grow up when her brother becomes a leading politician.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Christopher Potts and Jonty Nash (“Nailed It,” “Sugar Rush”) launched production label Nobody’s Hero in Spring of 2020 – just as the pandemic set in.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Casting notes: Bruce Davison (“Longtime Companion”) will recur in the fourth and final season of Netflix’s “Ozark.”…Naturi Naughton (“Power”) landed a lead role in ABC pilot “Queens,” about four women in their 40s who reunite for a chance to recapture their fame…Eric Lange and Justin Kirk have been upped to series regulars on season two of HBO’s “Perry Mason.”…O-T Fagbenie (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) will play President Barack Obama in Showtime anthology series “The First Lady.”…Abigail Spencer (“Timeless”) landed a recurring role on new ABC drama “Rebel,” starring Katey Sagal.

Hulu launches: Dystopian drama “The Handmaid’s Tale” returns for season four on Wednesday, April 28…The third and final season of Hulu’s “Shrill,” starring SNL’s Aidy Bryant, premieres Friday, May 7… New adult animated comedy “M.OD.O.K.”, following a megalomaniacal villain played by Patton Oswalt, debuts Friday, May 21…All 10 episodes of season two of teen dramedy “Love, Victor” drop Friday, June 11.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Home renovation expert and social media creator Jenn Todryk tackles home renovations without major demolition in the new HGTV series “No Demo Reno,” premiering Thursday, March 25, at 8p
(Source: Cynopsis)

Limited series “The Underground Railroad” will have its series premiere on Friday, May 14. The Amazon Prime Video 10-parter chronicles the story of a slave’s desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South.
(Source: Cynopsis)

“Tiny Audience,” featuring intimate live performances and interviewswith Latin artists, returns to HBO Max and HBO Latino for season two on Friday, March 19 at 9p.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Showtime’s “Ray Donovan” will have a sequel as a feature-length film, following the drama series’ seven-season run on the network. Liev Schreiber will return in his role and co-write the script along with series showrunner David Hollander, who will also serve as director. Jon Voight will also reprise his role as Mickey Donovan, as will Kerris Dorsey as Ray’s daughter Bridget. The production is tentatively scheduled to begin filming later this year in New York and will air on Showtime.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Shudder has acquired “The Amusement Park,” the formerly lost film from trailblazing independent filmmaker George A. Romero. The allegory about the nightmarish realities of growing older will stream for the first time ever this summer.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Fox News special “America Together With Harris Faulkner: The Shot” will explore racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccine distribution within communities of color, the economic impact of the vaccine, the administering process, and the path forward for America, on Sunday, February 28 at 10p.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Nationally syndicated series “Law&Crime Daily” will cover the Derek Chauvin trial for the alleged murder of George Floyd on-site beginning March 8, the scheduled date for the jury selection process. The Law&Crime Network will also provide gavel-to-gavel coverage once the trial commences.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Members of the original “Rugrats” voice cast are reuniting for a new “Rugrats” animated series. A reimagining of the 1991-2004 series stars E.G. Daily (Tommy), Nancy Cartwright (Chuckie), Cheryl Chase (Angelica), Cree Summer (Susie) and Kath Soucie (Phil and Lil). Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, the series is set to debut this spring on Paramount+. “Rugrats is one of the most iconic cartoons recognized by fans around the globe, and this original version is one we are taking great care and pride in creating for a brand-new audience,” said Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation. “Having the voice cast behind these special characters come together is one of the essential pieces to making the show recognizable and we can’t wait to watch this talented group bring them to life again.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

Nickelodeon and Hasbro’s eOne have partnered to co-produce an original animated “Transformers” series. In the action-comedy, a new species of Transformers must find their place and purpose among Autobots, Decepticons, and the human family that adopts them. The series will premiere exclusively on Nickelodeon in the US before rolling out internationally.
(Source: Cynopsis)

eOne also announced a new computer animated feature film based on the “My Little Pony” franchise, premiering on Netflix later this fall. A new “My Little Pony G5” series will be trotted out as well.
(Source: Cynopsis)

The Dodo’s children’s programming brand, Dodo Kids, has partnered with Calm, the mental wellness brand, to create new Sleep Stories featuring Dodo Kids characters. The partnership aims to leverage children’s connection to animals to help them drift off to sleep – no counting sheep needed.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Hulu handed an early season three order to “Animaniacs”; the animated series from Steven Spielberg, Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation starts its sophomore run later this year.
(Source: Cynopsis)

MEGA MILLIONS
Today’s Jackpot is $30 million.

You can now play in 43 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

NYLottery.NY.gov

POWERBALL
Saturday’s Jackpot is $106 million. 

Powerball is played in 43 states.

NYLottery.NY.gov

CELEBRITY NEWS: FEBRUARY 25, 2021
http://www.imdb.com/news/celebrity

Justin Berfield (Malcolm In The Middle) – 35 years old
Jameela Jamil (NBC’s The Good Place) – 35 years old
Joakim Noah (NBA Player) – 36 years old
Rashida Jones (Parks And Recreation) – 45 years old
Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately) – 46 years old
Anson Mount (Hell on Wheels/ “Crossroads”) – 48 years old
Justin Jeffre (98 Degrees) – 48 years old
Sean Astin (“Lord of the Rings” movies/ “The Goonies”) – 50 years old
Alexis Denisof (Finding Carter/ Angel) – 55 years old
Nancy O’Dell (Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood) – 55 years old
Tea Leoni (“Bad Boys”) – 55 years old
Veronica Webb (Model) – 56 years old
Carrot Top (Comedian) – 56 years old
Mark Moses (Desperate Housewives) – 63 years old
Ric Flair (Former Wrestler) – 72 years old
Karen Grassle (Little House on the Prairie) – 79 years old
Sally Jessy Raphael (The Sally Jessy Raphael Show) – 86 years old

FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news

ON TELEVISION (THURSDAY 2/25/21)
ALLBLK: Millennials (Premiere)
ALLBLK: A Closer Look With Eric Benet (Premiere)
DISCOVERY+: Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story (Premiere)
DISCOVERY+: Fear Thy Neighbor (Premiere)
DISCOVERY+: Luda Can’t Cook (Premiere)
MTV: Floribama Shore (Premiere) at 9pm 
Netflix: High-Rise Invasion (Premiere)
Peacock: Punky Brewster (Premiere)
USA: She’s the Boss (Premiere) at 10:30pm
ABC: The Hustler (Finale) at 10pm

Tegna is launching women-oriented multicast network, Twist, featuring lifestyle and reality programming – much of it featuring reveals, or twists, at the end of the show. Series including “Clean House,” “Top Chef Masters,” “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” “Dance Moms,” and “Tiny House Nation,” among others, will be featured, and viewers will be encouraged to submit their own videos of twists they’ve been thrown in life. “Twist will provide an exciting new viewing option for our female audience with content that has not been available through a multicast channel until now,” said Brian Weiss, President and GM of Tegna’s multicast networks, which include True Crime Network and Quest. In addition to carriage in 41 Tegna markets, Twist will be carried in 11 Univision local television markets.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Ahead of a virtual event detailing its streaming strategy yesterday, ViacomCBS announced it beat analyst estimates for 4Q20, reporting global streaming subscribers grew to nearly 30 million, and domestic streaming subscribers rose to 19.2 million, up 71% year-over-year – all ahead of the launch of streaming service Paramount Plus on March 4. Q4 affiliate revenue was up 13% year-over-year, and advertising revenue rose 4%, driving a 3% increase in total revenue. “In Q4, despite the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, we finished the year with strong advertising and affiliate results that demonstrate the strength of our core businesses and achieved incredible growth across our linked streaming ecosystem,” said Bob Bakish, President and CEO.
(Source: Cynopsis)

During the ViacomCBS virtual event, Bakish said Paramount+ would include live sports, breaking news, and “a mountain of entertainment content.” Among the offerings will be “Halo,” a series based on the Xbox video game that was slated to debut on Showtime, but will instead be available exclusively on Paramount+. Produced by Showtime in partnership with 343 Industries and Amblin Television, the series will premiere in 1Q22.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Also in the works at Paramount+: both scripted and unscripted revivals of 2005-2020 CBS procedural “Criminal Minds,” which has lately found a huge new audience with TikTok users. In addition to a series with the original cast in development, is a companion, true-crime docu-series, featuring a real FBI profiler.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Branding a show or movie as an “original” boosts interest in viewing, especially among young consumers, according to Hub’s “Evolution of Video Branding” study. But while 70% of 16-34 year olds said that the term “original” made them more interested in watching a show or movie, including 25% who said that term alone would draw them in, only 53% of 35+ viewers said the term boosts their interest. Asked which TV source has the best original shows, Netflix came in first, with 29% choosing the streamer, followed by CBS (6%) and Amazon Prime Video (5%). Among ages 16-34, 38% named Netflix, followed by Disney+ (7%) and Hulu (6%).
(Source: Cynopsis)

Facebook revealed plans to spend at least $1 billion in the news industry over the next three years. The announcement came two days after Facebook struck a deal with the Australian government that ended a short-lived ban over Australia saying it could require Facebook to pay publishers for linking to their stories. “Facebook is more than willing to partner with news publishers,” said Nick Clegg, VP of Global Affairs at Facebook, in a blog post. “We absolutely recognize quality journalism is at the heart of how open societies function — informing and empowering citizens and holding the powerful to account.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

NBC is removing the season finale of “Nurses” from its digital platforms amid backlash from Jewish organizations, which condemned a scene for being anti-Semitic. In the scene, an Orthodox Jewish patient refuses a bone graft because it would come from a “goyim leg.” The Canadian series was acquired by NBC in November amid pandemic production delays.
(Source: Cynopsis)

“WandaVision” would seem like a sure bet for season 2 on Disney+, but Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told a TCA audience that series star Elizabeth Olsen is instead headed for feature film sequel “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” At least for now. Explained Feige, “The fun of the MCU is obviously all the crossover we can do between series, between films. So it will vary based on the story. Sometimes it will go into a season 2, sometimes it will go into a feature and back into a series.” Feige also said he expects most of Marvel’s series on Disney+ will have six total hours of content, “whether that’s six episodes, like in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,’ or nine episodes like in ‘WandaVision.’” With costs per episode so high, six “felt like the appropriate number, at least for now,” said Feige.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Bestselling authors Tom Wright and Bradley Hope (Billion Dollar Whale) have launched Project Brazen, a journalism studio devoted to uncovering true stories from around the world via podcasts, books, documentaries, television series and films. Project Brazen will focus on tales of geopolitical intrigue and malfeasance that have been overlooked by mainstream media sources. “Project Brazen’s stories transport audiences inside hidden worlds,” said Wright and Hope. “Through our painstaking and challenging reporting process we peel back the cover on international crime, business and politics.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

Food Network has announced special with comedy group the Try Guys, known for their viral videos on YouTube, which show them trying everything from swimming with sharks… to baking without a recipe. Pre-production is currently underway on “No Recipe Roadtrip with the Try Guys” (wt), a special inspired by their series,”Without a Recipe.” Production is slated to begin later this quarter.
(Source: Cynopsis)

VICE TV greenlit four docu-series for second seasons. After a five-year hiatus, Michael K. Williams’ “Black Market” will return, alongside fall 2020’s “I Was a Teenage Felon” and “While the Rest of Us Die,” and summer 2019’s “The Devil You Know.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

CNN is picking up “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” for a second season, to air in 2022. Last Sunday, the culinary show drew 1.64 million viewers in Nielsen Live+SD numbers.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Daniel Sunjata (“Manifest”) landed a series regular role in Starz’ “Power Book II: Ghost.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

CNBC “TechCheck” premieres Monday, April 5 at 11a, replacing “Squawk Alley.” The live, one-hour tech-driven program will be the first CNBC broadcast anchored from multiple locations across the country, with CNBC’s Jon Fortt and Carl Quintanilla on the East Coast and Deirdre Bosa on the West Coast.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Disney+ revealed Spring and Summer premiere dates for new scripted series, including “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” (May 4), Marvel Studios’ “Loki” (June 11), “The Mysterious Benedict Society” (June 25), “Monsters At Work” (July 2), “Turner & Hooch” (July 16), and “Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life” (July 23). Second seasons of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zenimation” premiere this summer.
(Source: Cynopsis)

The CW also had debut dates to announce: The reboot “Kung Fu” premieres Wednesday, April 7 at 8p; season 6 of “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” bows Sunday, May 2 at 8p; season 4 of “Dynasty” arrives Friday, May 7 at 9p; season 3 of “In the Dark” launches Wednesday, June 9at 9p; and freshman drama “The Republic of Sarah” debuts Monday, June 14 at 9p.
(Source: Cynopsis)

New episodes of TV One autobiographical series “Uncensored” launch Sunday, March 21 at 10p. This season profiles Teddy Riley, Marsha Ambrosius, Donnie McClurkin, Kem, Remy Ma, Mona Scott Young, Lisa Leslie, and Jaleel White.
(Source: Cynopsis)

HBO Max has acquired the North American streaming rights to the three-part miniseries from Megamedia Chile, “Isabel.” Based on the life of Isabel Allende, the Spanish-language author and fighter for human rights, the limited series premieres on HBO Max on Friday, March 12.
(Source: Cynopsis)

A&E’s “Intervention” returns with a two-hour premiere Monday, March 15 at 9p, with an unfiltered look at the devastation caused by addiction. Returning for its 12th season on Monday, March 22 at 8p, “Hoarders” follows a team of experts as they tackle hoards while giving viewers an in-depth look at the stories of those dealing with compulsive hoarding behaviors.
(Source: Cynopsis)

“Wild West Chronicles,” inspired by famous characters and unsung heroes from the American West, premieres on INSP Sunday, April 11 at 5:30p.
(Source: Cynopsis)

If it’s not a bargain, the $500 million Peacock paid for five years of exclusive streaming rights to “The Office” might still be money well spent. The streamer had more paid sign-ups when the comedy was introduced in January than it did during its nationwide launch, or any other event, according to Antenna. But Netflix losing its grip on “The Office” – which had 57 billion minutes streamed in 2020 – didn’t have a significant impact on Netflix churn, according to Antenna. While Netflix subscribers who signed up for Peacock in January showed a 4.7% increase in churn versus those who didn’t sign up, fewer than 1% of Netflix subscribers joined the Peacock flock.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Discovery+ special “Pop My Pet” follows veterinarians as they take on extreme cases of animals who suffer from a variety of skin and other ailments, on Monday, March 1.
(Source: Cynopsis)

YouTube is adding new parental controls. Set to launch in beta, the “supervised experiences” will include three tiers: “Explore,” with material suitable for viewers at 9+; “Explore More,” with content for viewers 13+; and “Most of YouTube,” including almost all videos except those that are age-restricted or have “sensitive topics” suitable only for older teens. Parents will also be able to manage watch and search history from their child’s account settings.
(Source: Cynopsis)

The series premiere of CW’s “Superman & Lois” delivered 1.75 million viewers and 0.4 among A18-49, the largest audience for a DC series since December, 2019.
(Source: Cynopsis)