PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
NBC issued a pilot order to Suspicion, a Hitchcockian thriller that explores how far a man will go to save the people he loves. Project is based on the book by Joseph Finder and hails from The Path creator Jessica Goldberg, Universal TV and Keshet Studios.
Political podcast Pod Save America has found a new home at HBO. Crooked Media, founded by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor, secured a deal with the premium cabler for a series of one-hour specials this fall. “At a time when politics affects to lives of Americans more than every before, Pod Save America has brought fresh and thoughtful voices to the discussion,” said HBO Programming president Casey Bloys.
Former WME partner Lisa Harrison inked a first-look deal with FX Productions. The agreement includes her newly launched Long Con Inc and builds on Harrison’s longtime ties with FX and 20th Century Fox Television, where she worked as a comedy scout director of comedy. The first order of business for Harrison will be developing thriller pilot The Body.
Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman, who starred in The Killing, are teaming up in Hanna, a straight to series drama at Amazon. Project is based on Focus Features’ offbeat 2011 assassin feature.
Amazon and Liberty Global ordered The Feed from The Walking Dead executive producer Channing Powell and British producer Studio Lambert. The social media-infused sci-fi drama is a TV adaptation of Nick Clark Windo’s dystopian novel.
Apple is developing Little America, a half-hour anthology from Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, SMILF EP Lee Eisenberg, Master of None co-creator/EP Alan Yang and Universal Television, reports Deadline, based on true stories from Epic Magazine.
Production has begun on The Little Drummer Girl, from The Ink Factory in partnership with BBC One and AMC. The international thriller is shooting across Europe.
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
WE tv serves up a new season of culinary docuseries Hustle & Soul starting Thursday, March 22 at 10p. Chef Lawrence Page is back with big plans to expand the Pink Tea Cup brand.
Iyanla: Fix My Life returns to OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network with all-new episodes on Saturday, March 3 at 9p.
Season 2 of Hollywood Darlings premieres Wednesday, April 18 at 8p on Pop TV.
Top Gear, with hosts Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid, bows Saturday, March 3 at 10:30 on BBC America.
Smithsonian celebrates Women’s History Month with two new series. Epic Warrior Women, featuring iconic female fighters from the Roman Empire to Central Asia and West Africa, debuts Monday, March 19 at 8p. Cleopatra, examining the life of Egypt’s most famous ruler, premieres Monday March 5 at 8p.
The Americans returns to FX on Wednesday, March 28 with the first of its final ten episodes.
COMING UP
The Bounce Trumpet Awards, hosted by Larenz Tate (Power) and Erica Ash (Survivor’s Remorse) and celebrating African-American achievements and contributions, premieres Sunday, February 11 at 9p on Bounce. The Red Carpet Pre-Show airs immediately prior at 8:30p.
GSN airs a Valentine’s Day themed Steve Harvey Family Feud marathon on Wednesday, February 14 from 5p to 11p.
CBS daytime is featuring special Valentine’s Day themed programming on Wednesday, February 14. The Price Is Right is inviting newlyweds to come on down and play together as couples at 10a. Let’s Make A Deal celebrates single ladies and men with a Singles Appreciation episode (check local listings), and The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful air romance-centric episodes, too, at 12:30p and 1:30p, respectively.
COPS is going for the gold in fencing, wrestling and more. COPS Gold Medal Games marathon begins airing Wednesday, February 14 at 7p on WGN America.
ADVERTISING
A+E Networks has launched SheReports, a free subscription-based newsletter offering insight and analysis into what women want. In an interview with Media Village, Amy Baker, EVP of the Client Insights and Strategy team at A+E, said, “A couple of years ago we saw that there was space out there to be a thought leader and provide marketers with a deeper look at what’s going on with women today. We experimented with the idea over time and launched it in December 2017, in partnership with #SeeHer – the Association of National Advertisers’ campaign to fight bias against women.”
CASTING
Felicity Huffman (Transamerica, Desperate Housewives) is joining the sophomore season of EPIX dark comedy Get Shorty as a recurring guest star…. Cody Fern (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) is boarding the cast of Netflix’s House of Cards as a series regular… Melissa O’Neil (Dark Matter) nabbed a female lead in ABC’s straight-to-series The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion…. Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who) and Anupam Kher (The Big Sick) landed series regular roles in NBC’s hospital drama pilot, Bellevue .… Sophia Bush (Chicago P.D.) will guest star on ABC upcoming comedy, Alex, Inc.
KID STUFF
Discovery Family animated series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic returns for its eighth season on Saturday, March 24 at 11:30a.
Lupus Films and HarperCollins Children’s Books are producing an animated special based on the British kid’s book The Tiger That Came To Tea. No broadcaster has been announced.
DIGITAL DATA
Snapchat introduced a new tool that lets users create custom face lenses and new text caption styles for snaps (think puppy ears and the vomiting rainbow). The lenses, similar to Snapchat’s custom geofilters, start at $9.99.
Sundance Now debuts This Close exclusively in the U.S. on Wednesday, February 14. Created, written and starring deaf actors Shoshannah Stern and Josh Feldman, the dramedy centers on the relationship of best friends.
Kevin Hart is set to guest on the premiere of Netflix’s The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale on Sunday, February 18. The episode also features appearances by Alison Brie, Mike Colter, Paul Reiser, Jodie Sweetin and Jim Rash.
Acorn TV debuts second seasons of two international dramas in March. Delicious returns on Monday, March 5, followed by Striking Out on Friday, March 16.
The CW’s supernatural romance pilot, Cupid’s Match, launches on its digital network CW Seed on Wednesday, February 14.
TEGNA is expanding its HeartThreads digital series to include positive stories from the 2018 Winter Olympics. HeartThreads Gold went live on Thursday at https://www.facebook.com/HeartThreadsVideos and TEGNA-owned stations’ digital and on-air platforms.
Documentary special One Shot, following professional choreographer Will “WilldaBeast” Adams on a journey to find the next underground dance star, debuts on YouTube Red on Thursday, February 15.