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ON TELEVISION (WEDNESDAY 12/23/20)
ABC: The Great Christmas Light Fight (Finale) at 9pm
Fox’s “The Great North” will now get a sneak peak on Sunday, January 3 after its NFL doubleheader. The schedule switch-up gives the new animated series a preview at 8:30p, ahead of its February 14 series premiere. From “Bob’s Burgers” creator Loren Bouchard, “The Great North” follows the misadventures of a single dad and his kids in Alaska and already has been renewed for a second season.
(Source: Cynopsis)
As Discovery prepares to launch its new streaming service Discovery+, the company was making moves with another member of the family. Discovery now owns 95 percent of OWN, the network it launched with Oprah Winfrey in 2008. According to an SEC filing yesterday, Winfrey is receiving $35 million worth of Discovery stock in exchange for Discovery taking a larger share in OWN, in which it previously had a 73 percent stake. Winfrey’s new stake in Discovery, through her company Harpo Inc. , totals close to 1.34 million shares, or less than 1 percent of Discovery’s outstanding Class A stock. Harpo maintains control of 5 percent of OWN.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Disney+ and sister platform Hulu top the list of streamers in total TV advertising impressions in 2020, followed by Amazon Prime Video, Peacock and Apple TV+. This according to ad tracking company iSpot, which tracked impressions as verified playing of ads on a TV screen for at least three seconds. Disney+ racked up 18.3 billion impressions through December 20, a 425 percent increase over 2019, while Hulu, which came fully under the Disney fold last year, racked up just under 15 billion impressions, up 144 percent year over year.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Vimeo, the video subsidiary of Interactive Corp., will be spun off into its own company next year. The spinoff is expected to take effect in Q2 2021 for Vimeo, which reported 1.46 million subscribers in the quarter ended in September, a 21 percent gain from the same period a year ago, with revenue of $75.1 million.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“The Smart Ones,” a comedy from “Carol’s Second Act” creators Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins, got a put pilot commitment from CBS. The net also is developing another comedy from Halpern and Haskins, “Middle Class Murdochs.” CBS Studios is the studio for both projects. “The Smart Ones” follows two sisters who reunite when the one who was supposed to be successful moves in with the family screw-up, who actually became a success. “Middle Class Murdochs” centers on the decision by the owner of a successful carpet store of which grown child should take over the family business.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Comedy series “Reservation Dogs” is a go at FX. Written by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, who exec-produces with Garrett Basch, eight-ep show from FX Productions follows four Native teenagers in rural Oklahoma who spend their days both committing crime, and fighting against it. Series draws on both Harjo’s and Waititi’s childhood experiences.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“His Dark Materials” will be back for a third and final season on HBO. The premium network and BBC One renewed the drama series based on Philip Pullman’s masterful book trilogy for an additional eight episodes.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Blumhouse acquired rights to The New York Times’ article about Miriam Rodríguez, the Mexican mother who tracked down the kidnappers who abducted and murdered her daughter. Azam Ahmed, the reporter who wrote the piece, will produce the project alongside Caitlin Roper, the Times’ exec producer for scripted projects, and Blumhouse’s Jason Blum.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Disney Plus pulled back the curtain on “The Book of Boba Fett,” its upcoming “Mandalorian” spinoff series that was teased at the season 2 finale of “The Mandalorian.” Series, to be exec-produced by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni and star Boba Fett actor Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen as bounty hunter Fennec Shand, takes place within the timeline of “The Mandalorian” and is slated to debut in December 2021.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Crackle has new original series “Insomnia” tee’d up for Friday, January 1. The clock is ticking, as each year strangers from around the globe are forced to play a deadly game in a major city while a secret group of billionaires and oligarchs gamble on their fates. This time, the 10th anniversary of the game, 20 contestants must kill or be killed on the streets of Moscow.
(Source: Cynopsis)
New Science Channel series “Secrets of the Viking Stone” is set to premiere Sunday, January 3 at 10p. Series spotlights the Kensington Runestone and its potential to rewrite history.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” will be back on NBC for season 2 on Tuesday, January 5. Following a dramatic ending to the first season, new episodes will explore coping with the death of loved ones, according to a new promo, and also will dive further into a love triangle that budded during the first run.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Hosted by Nicolas Cage, “History of Swear Words” debuts on Netflix Tuesday, January 5. Billed as “the history lesson you didn’t know you needed,” the education in expletives explores the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of curse words. Guests include Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis and Open Mike Eagle.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The CW will debut first installment of docuseries “All American Stories,” inspired by athletes who’ve defied the odds to achieve their goals, on Monday, January 11 at 8p. Co-hosted by the Pac-12’s Yogi Roth and Spencer Paysinger, eight episodes will premiere as two one-hour specials on network, then be available to stream for free on The CW app and as an eight-part docuseries on CW Seed. Second “All American Stories” special will air Monday, February 1 at 9p.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Also on the CW, season 2 of “Batwoman” debuts Sunday, January 17 at 8p with the continued adventures of Ryan Wilder and Kate Kane.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Sundance Now’s four-part true crime docuseries “The Night Caller” premieres exclusively on the platform on Tuesday, January 19. Series uncovers the true story of Perth, Australian serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke who wreaked havoc on the ‘60s, and the shattered families that are still seeking answers to this day.
(Source: Cynopsis)
From December 28-January 2, the AccuWeather TV Network will take a look back at some the year’s most memorable weather stories. Programming will include follow-ups with residents continuing to recover from tornadoes, derechos and one of the most active hurricane seasons we have seen in decades.
(Source: Cynopsis)
TV One on Sunday, January 3 at 4p will broadcast the ceremonial swearing-in of new Congressional Black Caucus members, with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to make remarks. Kenny Lattimore, John Legend and Kierra Sheard-Kelly are slated to perform at the event.
(Source: Cynopsis)
New information in the infamous unsolved murder of 6-year-old pageant beauty JonBenet Ramsey is promised in “JonBenet Ramsey: What Really Happened?” The new feature-length doc premieres on Discovery+ at the streaming service’s launch on Monday, January 4.
(Source: Cynopsis)
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network will air “Revisiting Underground,” a half-hour special exec-produced by John Legend from Sony Pictures Television, immediately following the Tuesday, January 5 premiere of historical drama “Underground on OWN” at 9p. The premiere ep of the series has been expanded to 90 minutes, with “Revisiting Underground” debuting at 10:30 and including cast members interviews and behind the scenes footage.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Crackle AVOD exclusives for January include “Traitor” (1st), about a straight-arrow FBI agent who heads up the investigation into a dangerous international conspiracy. “The Last Witch Hunter” (1st) is all that stands between humanity and the combined forces of the most horrifying witches in history, and “Black Water Abyss” (21st), follows a group of friends trapped in an Australian cave system when a tropical storm hits.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Part I of HBO’s Tiger Woods documentary “Tiger” premieres Sunday, January 10 followed by part 2 on Sunday, January 17. Based on the Book Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian, special from HBO Sports and Jigsaw Productions in association with Our Time Projects illuminates the rise, fall and comeback of the global golf icon. Doc features never-seen footage and revealing interviews.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“How It Feels To Be Free,” a new American Masters documentary about trailblazing Black female entertainers, premieres January 18 on PBS. Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll, Nina Simone, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier are in the spotlight in the film, which is exec produced by 15-time Grammy Winner Alicia Keys and produced by Yap Films.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Lifetime dropped a trailer for “Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn’t We Almost Have It All.” The new two-hour doc premieres Saturday, February 6 at 8p, followed by an encore presentation of 2015 original movie “Whitney” at 10p. Special reveals the parallel, ultimately tragic lives of Houston and her daughter via intimate conversations with the friends and family that were closest to them.
(Source: Cynopsis)
A new season of “Gigantosaurus,” stomps onto Disney Junior on Monday, January 4, at 8:55a. Season 2 brings new dino-mite adventures to life featuring the young dinosaur best friends Rocky, Bill, Tiny, and Mazu, and introduces new characters.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Free streaming service Kanopy is adding a dozen Spanish-language videos from Sesame Workshop and 30 films from Highlights to its Kanopy Kids platform. The curated collection now includes more than 1,500 educational videos with parental controls covering topics from STEM to history and story time.
(Source: Cynopsis)
In syndication, “Kelly Clarkson” (new season high 1.1 live plus same day) was among the few shows on the upswing in the session ended December 13. Show was the only strip to achieve a new season record and moved up to third place among the talkers tying veteran “Ellen DeGeneres” (1.1, down 8 percent). “Tamron Hall” (0.9, up 13 percent) scored its strongest rating of the season and was the only talker beside “Clarkson” in the plus column. “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (1.9, down 5 percent) and “Dr Phil” (1.9, steady) were neck and neck at the top of the talk brigade.
(Source: Cynopsis)
In courtroom action “Judge Judy” (5.6, down 3 percent) tied access game show “Family Feud” (5.6, down 2 percent) for the overall syndication lead. “Hot Bench” (1.8, up 13 percent) matched its season high and “People’s Court” (new series low 1.0, down 9 percent) was third in the genre.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Television director and marketing executive Rick Squire died December 17 at his home in Long Beach, CA. He was 68. Squire most recently had been working on promotional campaigns for the Discovery+ streaming service. Through his career, he held executive positions at CBS, NBC and Fox, and also directed a handful of TV pilots, series and live events including a holiday event for Disneyland. He also launched production house Planet 3 Entertainment, which was in operation in the ’90s and again from 2004-11.
(Source: Cynopsis)
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