Tonight’s Finales
Comedy Central: This Week at the Comedy Cellar at 11p
HGTV: My Lottery Dream Home at 9p
Nickelodeon: The Crystal Maze at 7p
Oxygen: Dateline: Secrets Uncovered at 7p

Saturday’s Premieres
ID: Fatal Florida at 8p
Nickelodeon: Danger Force at 8p
Oxygen: The Forgotten West Memphis Three at 8p

Sunday’s Premieres
Adult Swim: Three Busy Debras at 11:59p
ID: 20/20 on ID at 9p
PBS: Call the Midwife at 8p
Showtime: Vice at 8p

Sunday’s Finale
Science Channel: Curse of the Bermuda Triangle at 10p

IN THE NEWS

An inter-network crossover will have Tracy Spiridakos guest star as her Chicago P.D. character, Hailey Upton, on FBI. On Wednesday’s episode of Chicago P.D., which airs on NBC, Upton was sent to temporarily serve on the New York bureau of the FBI. On March 31, she’ll pop up on CBS’s FBI. “Tracy’s character is a fan favorite, and I’m extraordinarily happy to be shining an even greater light on her and gaining new fans along the way before she returns to Chicago P.D.,” said Dick Wolf, exec producer of both the Chicago and FBI franchises.

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell told employees he has tested positive for COVID-19. “I have managed to work remotely in LA and am improving every day,” wrote Shell, saying people will have to work from home “for some time” to limit the spread of the virus. However, “Given the vital public service role of NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo and our local stations, many of our colleagues need to go into the office so we can tell the world what is going on,” he noted. “Their courage has been an inspiration and has made us all proud to work at this company.”

In light of the coronavirus outbreak and the economic downturn, MAGNA is revising its media owners net advertising revenue forecasts for 2020 and 2021. MAGNA now expects media suppliers’ total linear ad sales to decline by -12% (-20% in the first half, -2.5% in the second half) while digital ad sales will inch up +4% (-2% in the first half, +10% in the second half). Overall, all-media full year ad sales may decrease by -2.8% this year as the spending cut from most industry verticals will be mitigated by the incremental political spend ($4.9 billion, up +26% vs 2016), and a v-shaped rebound in the second half. Total market decline anticipated (-3% or -$6.2bn vs 2019) remains less severe than the decline experienced in 2008-2009 (-20% or -$33bn vs 2007), mostly because of the weight and resilience of digital advertising today.

While streaming viewing is on the rise with housebound viewers, premium cable networks are seeing surges too. Between March 17-23, HBO, HBO2, Showtime, Showtime 2, Starz and Starz Encore saw more than double the average time spent watching programming versus the same period in 2019, according to Samba TV. Starz/Encore rose 216%, Showtime 2 was up 168%, HBO2 increased 130%, Showtime had a 114% lift, Starz rose 48% and HBO jumped 44%.

The CW is shifting spring premiere dates to fill the gaps left by production shutdowns prompted by the coronavirus. The series debut of DC’s Stargirl is moving to May 19 from May 12, while the season two launch of In the Dark moves up to April 16 from May 28 to replace Legacies, which will go on hiatus until production resumes.

TV may be increasingly fragmented, but we are also witnessing a move on the ad side toward simplification, as emerging solutions like addressability allow advertisers to more efficiently reach desired audiences at scale. That’s according to FreeWheel’s Q4 2019 U.S. Video Marketplace Report, “Reaching Premium Video Audiences in a Hyper-Fragmented World,” which notes that in the fourth quarter, campaigns that engaged in addressable advertising increased by 48%, compared to 2018. For more key takeaways, go here.

ViacomCBS and Meredith Corporation announced an early multi-year deal to renew affiliation agreements for all seven of its CBS Affiliates, including three top 25 market affiliates, WGCL in Atlanta, GA; KPHO in Phoenix, AZ; and KMOV in St. Louis, MO. The seven markets combined reach 7%of the US audience serving more than 7.6 million television households.

The entertainment industry was among those hardest hit when the Department of Labor announced a record 3.28 million unemployment claims for the week ending March 21, as layoffs due to COVID-19 took effect. The US had 215,000 new claims the same week last year; the existing record had been 695,000 in 1982.

The Peabody Awards, slated to take place on June 18, have been postponed due to the coronavirus crisis. “Peabody is monitoring the situation to determine a more appropriate time to host the ceremony,” said the organization. The timeline for announcements about nominees and winners is also under review.

PopSugar experiential event Play/Ground, which was to take place June 13-14 in NYC, will also be getting a new date. “We have decided it is in the best interest of all of our community to postpone Play/Ground and we look forward to announcing headline talent later this summer,” said PopSugar Founder and President, Lisa Sugar.

Comcast is ending in-home installations for new customers. Instead, a technician will perform the outside work necessary, and leave a package with equipment and detailed activation instructions. “We are staying consistent with the advice of our government and public health officials and limiting contact as much as possible, including when technicians entering customer homes,” says the cable operator’s web site. Comcast will send a technician to existing customers, if issues cannot be resolved using the company’s support tools. Last week, a Comcast technician died from coronavirus complications after making service calls in Bloomfield, NJ.

Nominate by 4/16
Sponsored by: Turnkey Search

Quibi and The Dodo announced the format for their new original daily series, All the Feels: stories about animals that provide different emotional content experiences tailored to what people need to feel each week. “With so much negativity out there, All the Feels offers a kind of emotional antidote – a positive, uplifting content experience audiences can find relief in,” said The Dodo’s Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Izzie Lerer. “Animals have a unique ability to create joy and inspiration, and we’re thrilled Quibi tapped us to help tell stories that satisfy what viewers are craving as they navigate their week.” First up: Motivation Monday, with a wobbly lamb that taught herself to run. Series premieres along with the short-form service on April 6.

Veteran talk show producer Bill Geddie (The View) has left freshman talker Tamron Hall after reportedly clashing with the host. Candi Carter exited The View to take over as Tamron Hall showrunner. The syndicated show, which has been averaging a 1.0 Live+SD national rating, has been renewed for a second season.

Facebook Watch ordered a new series from Kin, Just a Sip, starring Karrueche Tran (Deputy) offering lifestyle tips. Kin is also debuting 9 to Wine, following Kaitlyn Bristow’s (The Bachelor) love life and passion for food, wine and travel, this spring. 9 to Wine will run on YouTube and IGTV as well as Facebook Watch.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live returns Monday, March 30 with episodes produced remotely. Kimmel started sharing “quarantine minilogue” online videos after production on late-night shows came to a halt due to coronavirus concerns. CBS’s The Late Show announced Wednesday that original episodes, produced remotely, will return starting Monday.

Showtime’s late-night series Desus & Mero will also return to air with new episodes, filmed remotely from the hosts’ homes in New Jersey and the Bronx, starting Monday, March 30 at 11p. The show will continue to air new episodes on Monday and Thursday nights.

Back to Kimmel: The comedian’s Comedy Central puppet show (created with Adam Carolla and Daniel Kellison), Crank Yankers, returns Wednesday, April 1 at 10:30p.

Season eight of AXS TV’s The Big Interview with Dan Rather will kick off on Wednesday, April 15 at 8p with a sit-down with rocker Huey Lewis.

Nordic psychological thriller Sanctuary makes its Sundance Now debut on Thursday, April 23. Story centers on an identical twin trapped in a facility that studies psychopaths.

Almost Paradise, starring Christian Kane (The Librarians) as a former DEA agent pulled back into a dangerous world in the Philippines, launches on WGN America on Monday, March 30 at 10p.

Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles is back for season 12 with a 75-minute premiere on Tuesday, May 5 at 10p. Prepare for drama when bi-coastal agent Fredrik Eklund, of Million Dollar Listing New York, jumps into the fray.

Also coming up on Bravo: The season five launch of The Real Housewives of Potomac, at 8p.

Poker Central’s direct-to-consumer OTT subscription service, PokerGO, has launched with two new original series. The Championship Run will be on demand today at 12p, while Run it Back with Remko dropped Thursday evening. Both programs feature commentary on legendary poker cash games and tournaments as poker stars break down key hands and strategic gameplay. PokerGO is currently offering a 30-day free trial to fans using promo code WATCHPARTY upon checkout.

CONNECTING IN A COVID-19 WORLD

Tech companies are joining with health organizations for a hackathon, #Build for COVID19, to help battle the coronavirus pandemic. Teams from Facebook, Microsoft, Slack, Pinterest, Twitter, TikTok and more will help build tools to address “the health, economic and community challenges coming from the outbreak,” wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a post.

Crown Media Family Networks is offering new users a free 30-Day free trial to the company’s SVOD platform, Hallmark Movies Now. The service, which is doubling up on its popular Christmas movie offerings, features hundreds of hours of Hallmark series and movies. Additionally, Hallmark is following up its “We Need a Little Christmas” stunt with another holiday movie event, starting today and running through Sunday, March 29, while Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is offering a “Miracles of Christmas Movies” marathon this weekend.

Live local OTT platform Syncbak has launched a new channel within its SBTV streaming platform specifically dedicated to covering COVID-19, aggregating and curating news content from local TV broadcasters in more than 115 markets across the US. Content is refreshed hourly. Although SBTV generally carries advertising, the newly-launched channel will run ad-free on SBTV.

Verizon is expanding its efforts to aid consumers dealing with work-from-home and shelter-in-place realities with the More at Home…on Us program. The initiative includes learning tools from Quizlet, Epic, Bookful and Chegg, as well as entertainment content. “Connectivity is incredibly important during times of crisis,” said Ronan Dunne, CEO Verizon Consumer Group. “We know customers are staying home and trying to manage the new normal, so we’re giving them more ways to learn and watch at no added cost.”

Canoe is working with its clients, including NBCU, Disney, and ViacomCBS, on coronovirus PSAs. When the PSAs run with donated time through the Canoe VOD ecosystem, Canoe will be waiving their fees for impressions generated by those PSAs in hopes of making it frictionless to get helpful information out to the public.

DIRECTV and U-verseTV subscribers will be provided free access to EstrellaTV for 60 days, effective immediately, if not already in their programming package. “This will provide more people with access to our extensive local and national newscasts, as well as our exclusive entertainment programming,” said Peter Markham, CEO of Estrella Media. “We are committed to serving the community and ensuring our viewers have the critical information they need during this pandemic.”

Outdoor Sportsman Group’s subscription-based streaming service, MyOutdoorTV, is offering an extended 30-day period of free service when consumers subscribe between now and April 15. “We want to give all interested consumers of hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventure programming the opportunity to watch and experience great entertainment on MOTV, especially our loyal enthusiasts who find themselves stuck inside more than they would like to be,” said SVP & General Manager of MOTV, Sean Luxton.

HITN has launched an effort to provide Hispanic families with resources to help them navigate through the pandemic. The efforts are led by HITN’s health and wellness brand, Vida y Salud, and include information on its website, daily television block, newsletters and social media accounts.

LEGAL MATTERS

President Trump’s reelection campaign sent a cease and desist letter to TV stations, telling them to stop running a pro-Joe Biden Super PAC ad that “fraudulently and maliciously” implies that Trump called the COVID-19 outbreak a hoax. “They are not going to be successful because it is literally Trump in his own words,” responded Josh Schwerin, senior strategist for Priorities USA Action, on Twitter.

Lawyers for Full House star Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli are seeking to have the college bribery case against the couple dismissed, on the grounds that “extraordinary government misconduct” threatens the integrity of the proceeding. Loughlin and Giannulli, set to go to trial in early October, have claimed the $500,000 they gave William Singer were “legitimate donations”; their attorneys say the feds pressured Singer to implicate them in a scam.

Among the cases now available for streaming on Court TV: California v. O.J. Simpson (1995); Arizona v. Jodi Arias (2013); New Hampshire v. Pamela Smart (1991); and Texas v. Amber Guyger (2019).

COMING UP

The series finale of NBC’s Will & Grace is set for Thursday, April 23 at 9p. Preceding the episode, a retrospective hosted by Eric McCormack (Will) will air at 8:30p, highlighting memorable moments, as well as reactions from the comedy’s superfans.

Documentary special Lost Ships: The Hunt for the Kaiser’s Superfleet, about an underwater search to find the location of a fleet of infamous German battleships sunk in 1914 off the Falklands Islands, will air on Smithsonian Channel in the UK and US. Five years in the making, special from TVT Productions follows Falklands-born underwater archaeologist Mensun Bound as he attempts to locate the vessels, which were sunk by the British Navy during one of the first great sea battles of World War One.

Star Stable Entertainment, creator of digital games, original music and fantasy books for girls, is hosting a live and free concert on Instagram today, Friday, March 27 at 4p. There will be live chats with Star Stable personalities, so concert-goers can connect with each other while watching a live performance.

CELEBRATING EARTH DAY

Disneynature film Elephant, narrated by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, premieres on Disney+ on April 3, alongside previously announced Dolphin Reef, in celebration of Earth Day. Penguins will also make its Disney+ debut on April 3.

Starz is offering an Earth Day: Honoring Mother Nature marathon starting at 10a on April 22. Starz Kids & Family programming that day will include Two Brothers, Bears, African Cats and Planet Ocean.

National Geographic is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with two specials. Born Wild: The Next Generation, hosted by ABC News’ Robin Roberts and featuring Chris Hemsworth, premieres April 22 at 8p on Nat Geo and Nat Geo WILD. The next chapter of Dr. Jane Goodall’s life’s work unfolds in Jane Goodall: The Hope, at 9p on Nat Geo, Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo MUNDO.

STREAMING SNIPPETS

Samsung TV Plus and Players Media Group announced the launch of PlayersTV, a new network “at the intersection of sports, culture and lifestyle.” “Athletes are producing great content but getting it into the hands of our fans has been an issue for athletes across sports,” said Chris Paul, NBA player and founder of Oh Dipp! Productions. “PlayersTV was developed to tackle that issue head-on. It will be a hub where fans from around the world can access our content and provides us with the opportunity as creators to support each other.” PlayersTV is available for free on channel 1003 on Samsung TV Plus, as well as on all 2016-2020 Samsung Smart TVs.

PBS and American Masters are streaming Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life, a documentary that first aired June 14 on PBS, through April 1. McNally died of coronavirus complications on March 24.

This Day in History
1790 – The modern shoelace was patented, in England.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which 1970s series centered on a German Shepherd falsely accused of a attacking its master? Run, Joe, Run (1974-75). Kudos to: Carmen Finch-WGN America/Chicago, Charles Lore/NYC, Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, Sarah Pousho-Goliath/Richardson, TX, Carl Mayer-Active International/Pearl River, NY, Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station, TX, Ron Covington-Cre8ive Consortium/LA, John Carlo-UPtv/NYC, Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank, Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA, Dan Haberer-Creo Entertainment/Playa del Rey, CA, Tom Boyd-WGN-TV/Chicago, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
Which was the first prime time TV medical drama in the US to feature a recurring lesbian couple, and a lesbian as a main character? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four.)