A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM A+E NETWORKS

A&E
THE MOST EXCITING ENTERTAINMENT…
…WITH THE MOST ICONIC NAMES IN POP CULTURE

GROUNDBREAKING DOCUSERIES
Origins of Hip Hop | Biography: Bobby Brown | Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution

You’ve Never Seen Anything Like This

Today’s Premieres
Acorn TV: The Chelsea Detective

Today’s Finale
TLC: Darcey & Stacey at 8p

IN THE NEWS

BBC World News anchor Katty Kay is returning to the BBC as US Special Correspondent for BBC Studios, working across documentaries, podcasts and news. Kay had left her long-time post at the BBC last year to take a job at Ozy Media, but resigned after The New York Times reported that an Ozy executive had impersonated a YouTube executive during a call with Goldman Sachs.

Fox’s “The Big Leap” was not renewed for a second season. The ballet dramedy, which ended its 11-episode run in December, was Fox’s lowest-rated series of the season.

Another freshman not making it to sophomore year: “Ordinary Joe,” NBC’s lowest-rated drama of the season. “Couldn’t be more proud of the writers, actors, the directors and the uber talented craftsmen and women who all came together as a family and made a truly beautiful show,” tweeted co-creator Garrett Lerner. “Thank you all.”

One show that did make it to season two is Apple TV+ bilingual comedy “Acapulco.” Production begins this spring in Mexico.

“American Song Contest”, a version of “Eurovision Song Contest,” will include a lineup of artists that includes some well-known names: Macy Grey, Sisqo, Michael Bolton and Jewel. The competition series – originally scheduled to premiere in February, but postponed by NBC until Monday, March 21 – will see amateur, emerging and established artists from all 50 US states, five US territories and Washington, DC vie for the audience’s vote for Best Original Song. The finale airs live on May 9, the same week as the European contest.

Sheryl Underwood inked a deal with “The Talk” to remain with the daytimer for seasons 13, 14 and 15. The former stand-up comic has been a co-host since season two.

A soccer game between Liga MX clubs Querétaro F.C. and Atlas F.C., televised on Univision, was halted in the second half after violence erupted in the stands and spilled onto the field. Families fled the chaos, and 22 injuries were reported. “We regret and condemn the events that occurred this afternoon in the Corregidora Stadium,” said a (translated) tweet from club sporting director Adolfo Rios. “No one deserves to experience a nightmare like this. We embrace all the families that were there and lived through such a terrible thing. We will always defend respect and peace.”

Showtime and The Ritz-Carlton are collaborating on a reimagining of the concept of presidential suites, tied to anthology drama series “The First Lady.” Beginning in April, select Ritz-Carlton properties will feature suites that reflect the worlds of the First Ladies portrayed in the series. Premiere date for the show: Sunday, April 17 at 9p.

Discovery+ announced “Her Story,” a new hub launched in recognition of March’s Women’s History Month featuring programming that spotlights the stories of contemporary and historical women. “Her Story” will live on the platform and be updated year-round. “Women’s voices are a vital part of our storytelling on discovery+, and our content is so well suited for this all-new hub,” said Lisa Holme, Group SVP of Content and Commercial Strategy for Discovery. “Our audience trusts us to reflect their lives and journeys in honest, meaningful ways and ‘Her Story’ will continue to fulfill this promise year-round.”

Editors were celebrated Saturday at the American Cinema Editors’ 72nd annual ACE Eddie Awards. Taking home trophies in television categories were AMC’s “Kevin Can F**ck Himself,” HBO Max’s “Hacks,” HBO’s “Succession” and “Mare of Easttown,” Netflix’s “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” and “Bo Burnham: Inside,” and Fox’s “Bob’s Burgers,”

TV winners of the Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Awards, also announced Saturday, included Disney+’s “Loki” and “WandaVision,” Netflix’s “Squid Game” and “Family Reunion,” FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows,” TBS’ “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses,” and ABC’s “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.”

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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”) will star in and executive produce ABC pilot “The Company You Keep.” Based on a Korean format, the con artist drama is being writing and exec produced by Julia Cohen (“The Royals”); Ventimiglia will EP via his DiVide Pictures alongside Russ Condiff.

TikTok, MTV and Pepsi are teaming for a music competition that features artists first discovered on TikTok. The winner gets a Pepsi commercial set to premiere on TV during the MTV VMAs. “Becoming a Pop Star” kicks off Thursday, March 24 at 10p, with judges Joe Jonas, Becky G and Sean Bankhead.

NBC has teamed with Studio Lambert to produce Talpa’s new adventure reality show “Million Dollar Island.” In the series, 100 contestants must forge friendships and build alliances as they plot to stay on a remote desert island for up to 50 days and compete to win their share of a $1 million prize. “We’re excited to partner with a powerhouse team to bring this fresh and bold social experiment to NBC,” said Jenny Groom, EVP, Alternative Programming and Development. “This series is sure to entertain with ever-evolving alliances, trust, deceit and the ultimate will to survive.” Studio Lambert’s Stephen Lambert, Tim Harcourt and Jack Burgess and Talpa’s John de Mol will serve as executive producers.

A+E Networks has entered into a strategic partnership with management and production company Range Media Partners. The transaction, which includes a strategic equity investment by A+E, names A+E Studios as co-production partner for scripted television projects at Range Media Partners and grants A+E a first-look deal on factual television content for A+E’s unscripted content creation unit. “Our investment underscores both our confidence in the trajectory of the industry and more specifically, the role Range will play within it,” said Paul Buccieri, President & Chairman, A+E Networks Group. “This alignment will enable diversification of our storytelling and content, amplify our efforts to shift from curator to creator, and bolster our ultimate goal to become a global IP powerhouse.”

Angelina Jolie has inked a three year international deal with Fremantle to produce films, TV series and documentaries. “Fremantle and Angelina share the passion and ambition of telling compelling stories from everywhere in the world, for everyone in the world,” said Fremantle Global CEO Jennifer Mullin. “We embrace and support the creative independence of our partners and look forward to working with Angelina to bring powerful and unique stories to a global audience.”

Casting notes: Peacock series “Pitch Perfect” (wt) has added Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”), Lera Abova (“Anna”) and Jameela Jamil (“The Good Place”) to the cast. Production on the comedy, a spinoff of the movie franchise, is set to launch soon in Berlin, Germany….Rufus Sewell (“Jigsaw”) and Ali Ahn (“Raising Dion”) landed the leads opposite Keri Russell in “The Diplomat…Raymond Lee (“Here and Now”) will star in the pilot for NBC’s reboot of “Quantum Leap.”…Assad Zaman (“Hotel Portofino”) is onboard AMC’s “Interview With the Vampire,” a series adaptation of the Anne Rice novel.

NEW SERIES

Netflix’s “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On” debuts with episodes 1-8 on Wednesday, April 6. The reality series hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey pushes couples to commit to their partners, or split up. April 13 will bring a finale and reunion special.

Four years after walking away from his mining career, former “Gold Rush” star Todd Hoffman returns to Discovery in new series “Hoffman Family Gold,” premiering Friday, March 25 at 10p after the finale of “Gold Rush.”

Spectrum’s “Long Slow Exhale,” set in the world of women’s basketball, tips off Monday, April 4. Three episodes will drop each week until the finale on April 25. Rose Rollins (“The L Word”), Josh Lucas (“Yellowstone”) and Ian Harding (“Pretty Little Liars”) star in the drama about a head coach in the middle of a sex abuse scandal.

“Insomnia,” a queer South Asian dramedy from Vishaal Reddy, makes its Revry network premiere on Friday, March 18 as part of Revry’s lineup of programming highlighting the Asian experience. The series focuses on a struggling bi-sexual Indian-American writer who can’t seem to get his life together, and secretly starts moonlighting as a male escort.

UPFRONT CALENDAR

March 15: National CineMedia at 11:30a (Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago)
March 15-16: Black Owned Media Upfront at 1p (virtual)
March 22: NBCUniversal’s One22 Conference at 11a (30 Rock Studio H, NYC)
March 23: Fox’s Content Drives Commerce Brand Partnership Summit (Fox Lot, LA)
March 24: Nickelodeon at 4p (Palladium Times Square, NYC)
March 28: National CineMedia at 11:30a (Film at Lincoln Center, NYC)
April 1: Black Owned Media Upfront at 1p (virtual)
April 6: Disney’s Sports Summit (virtual); AMC Networks at 6:30p (The Peak in Hudson Yards, NYC); National CineMedia at 11a (Academy of Motion Pictures, LA)
April 25: Disney Storyteller’s Showcase
May 2-6: IAB NewFronts
May 2: NBCUniversal/Peacock NewFront
May 3: Roku at 11:30a (Caldwell Factory, NYC)
May 16: NBCUniversal (Radio City Music Hall, NYC); Telemundo (Ziegfeld Theater, NYC); Fox (Skylight, NYC)
May 17: Discovery (Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC); Disney (Basketball City at Pier 36, NYC); YouTube Brandcast at 8p; Univision
May 18: Paramount (Carnegie Hall, NYC); WarnerMedia (Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, NYC)
May 19: The CW (New York City Center Theater, NYC)

STREAMING

Disney+ will introduce an ad-supported subscription in addition to its option without ads, beginning in the US in late 2022. “Expanding access to Disney+ to a broader audience at a lower price point is a win for everyone – consumers, advertisers, and our storytellers,” said Kareem Daniel, Chairman, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. “More consumers will be able to access our amazing content. Advertisers will be able to reach a wider audience, and our storytellers will be able to share their incredible work with more fans and families.”

How does Disney’s move reflect the evolution of the streaming business? “As streaming evolves to mainstream, offerings such as Disney+ and Peacock have found a balance that some ads are okay when they’re thoughtful, relevant, and combined with the option of a subscription model,” notes Scott Schiller, Global Chief Commercial Officer, ENGINE. “Disney’s recent announcement during its Tech and Data Week focus proves that this model continues to live on and is ‘new and improved’ for content providers as well as marketers,” Schiller adds. “Just as HBO Max surprises the industry with advertising on streaming, we will continue to see the same for Disney+ and all businesses that have a history of respect for great content and consumer experience.”

NBCUniversal is terminating its next-day streaming deal with Hulu, a move that will go into effect with the new TV season in September – and strengthen NBCU streamer Peacock. Shows including “Saturday Night Live” and “The Voice,” along with the rest of NBCU’s broadcast and cable lineup for next season, won’t be available to stream on Hulu, although Hulu will still have rights to catalog content. Comcast has 33% ownership of Hulu, but Disney has operational control; it’s expected that Comcast will sell that ownership stake.

Three Fox FAST channels, LiveNOW from Fox, Fox Soul and the previously announced Fox Weather, are now available on the Amazon news app on Fire TV. Customers in the US can access those channels, as well as hundreds of short form segments per week from Fox News, Fox Business, and Fox Sports. Short form content from Fox owned & operated local stations, along with all content availability on Echo Show devices, will be coming soon. The agreement is FOX’s first representing its full portfolio of network-based FAST and AVOD content.

UK game show “Taskmaster” has launched an SVOD service aimed at viewers in the US and Canada, who would be able to see all seasons of the British show as well as international versions and specials. Local versions have aired in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Spain and New Zealand; season 13 of the UK version premieres this spring. While “Taskmaster” had an unsuccessful run on The CW in 2020 – yanked after one low-rated episode – series creator Alex Horne is a booster of the new service. “I’ve been told quite a few times that not everyone everywhere can watch ‘Taskmaster.’ This is far from ideal and I’m sorry. However, there’s now something called Taskmaster SuperMax+, which is a worldwide streaming service with a great name where you’ll soon be able to watch all episodes ad-free…. people in North America can finally see me dressed up as a mermaid.”

IMDb TV has launched on Samsung 2019-2021 TVs; the IMDb TV app will launch on 2017-2019 Samsung smart TVs over the coming days. The IMDb TV app is discoverable in the Samsung App Store via search.

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RATINGS

The finale of WE tv’s “Love During Lockup” was the number one program on Friday, February 25 for Women 25-54 and Black Women 25-54. The series drew more than one million viewers for its the season finale in Live+3 Nielsen data.

Last Sunday’s season premiere of Food Network’s “Tournament of Champions III” posted a .9 P25-54, 1.1 W25-54 Live+3 rating, up +5% from season two, and reached more than 3.1 million P2+ viewers, a +30% increase from last year’s season premiere, leading Food Network to the #2 spot for the night among W25-54.

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Thursday, March 3
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Station 19 4.46 (0.7), Grey’s Anatomy 3.95 (0.6), Big Sky 2.30 (0.3)
CBS: Young Sheldon 6.48 (0.6), B Positive 4.75 (0.4), Ghosts 5.52 (0.5), United States of Al 4.01 (0.4), Bull 4,13 (0.3)
CW: Walker 0.90 (0.1), Legacies 0.36 (01)
FOX: Joe Millionaire 1.36 (0.3), Call Me Kat 1.29 (0.2), Pivoting 0.74 (0.1)
NBC: Law & Order 4.46 (0.5), Law & Order: SVU 4.50 (0.6), Law & Order: Organized Crime 3.16 (0.5)
Telemundo: Exatlon 0.97 (0.2), Hercai: Amor Venganza 1.23 (0.3), Pasion de Gavilanes 0.78 (0.3)
Univision: Soltero con Hijas 1.55 (0.5), Mi Fortuna es Amarte 1.37 (0.5), Madre 1.69 (0.5)

EXECUTIVE MOVES

David Eilenberg is joining Roku as Head of Originals in April. Eilenberg has been Chief Creative Officer at ITV America.

SMAC Entertainment has hired FredAnthony Smith as Vice President and Head of Non-Scripted Development. Smith most recently served as Original Content Lead and Senior Coordinating Producer at NFL Media.

IN MEMORIAM

Scottish actor John Stahl died March 2 at age 68. Stahl was best known to American viewers for his role as Richard Karstark on “Game of Thrones” in seasons two and three.

Actor Mitchell Ryan died March 4 of congestive heart failure. He was 88. Ryan’s TV credits included “Dark Shadows” and “Dharma & Greg,” as well as soap operas “All My Children,” “Santa Barbara” and “General Hospital.”

This Day in History
1936 – Adolf Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles by sending troops into the Rhineland.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
The first season of which sitcom was set in Camp Singleton? “Major Dad” (1989-93). Kudos to: Charles Lore/NYC; Marni Gold-Hawthorne, NJ; Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL; Douglas Hochstadt-Disney/NYC; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank; Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA

Today’s Trivia Question
Which TV character had a habit of touching food to his chin before eating it? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.)

Cynopsis Team