PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
Netflix ordered a fifth season of Black Mirror. The streamer also ordered a 10-episode untitled comedy from Australian comedian Chris Lilley (Summer Heights and Angry Boys) and his production partner Laura Waters, who founded Princess Pictures.
Family dramedy Southern Girls, starring Denise Richards, Torrei Hart and Vida Guerra, begins production in April. Show debuts on Amazon Prime and CJC streaming network, this fall.
MGM Television optioned Hiding in Time, an Image Comics miniseries, to develop as a TV series. Project is set in the near future, where time travel has been cracked and the Witness Protection Program starts relocating people who turn in State’s Evidence to different times in history.
Emma Thompson has partnered with His Dark Material producer Bad Wolf to develop period horror thriller Harrow Alley. The project is reportedly set up at HBO.
Crown International Pictures, producer of 1980 science fantasy comedy film Galaxina, is bringing a reimagined version of the movie to television. Centers on a cybernetic being who holds the key to the discovery of the mysterious Blue Star crystal.
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
Motorcycle madness returns to Discovery Channel with the premiere of American Chopper on Monday, March 28 at 10p. In addition, Deadliest Catch returns to the net on Tuesday, April 10 at 9p.
FX’s Legion is back for another mind-bending season on Tuesday, April 3 at 10p.
Jeremy Wade’s Mighty Rivers premieres Sunday, April 8 at 9p on Animal Planet. Investigates the disappearance of freshwater giants from the world’s iconic rivers.
Universo‘s The Riveras returns for its third season on Sunday, March 11 at 10p.
Tengo Talento, Mucho Talentro returns for its 18th season on Estrella TV on Monday, March 26 at 8p. Airs Monday through Friday.
COMING UP
NBC airs Andrew Lloyd Webber Tribute to a Superstar on Wednesday, March 28 at 10p. Special includes conversation with Lloyd Webber and appearances by Glenn Close, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Young People’s Chorus of New York City and John Legend, who will star in Jesus Christ Superstar on Sunday, April 1 on NBC.
Music Choice launched Phenomenal Women in Music, a campaign that runs through March 30. Features Selena Gomez as Artist of the Month and exclusive women’s themed hosted playlists from Remy Ma to Alison Wonderland and more.
GetTV airs the entire 1977 series The Fantastic Journey over two successive Sundays. Begins March 12 at 12a with five episodes, followed by March 19 at 12a with five more.
RESEARCH
Mass audience reach, long believed to be an assumed advantage of the largest TV networks, is proving to be a myth. Marketers and agency executives at all levels are rating Facebook, Amazon and Google/YouTube as more valuable at delivering on that goal than broadcasting and lead cable network groups. The trio’s market dominance is being driven by their ability to share detailed metrics against specific KPIs identified by marketers and their agencies. A new survey of over 1200 U.S. brand marketers and agency executives, conducted by Jack Myers Tomorrow Today for Media Village, revealed that 80 percent of respondents rated the three online companies as very valuable for reach delivery compared to 61% who rated the four leading broadcast networks as valuable.
SOCIAL GOOD
Oath and financial services company TIAA launched the Difference Maker 100 program, which shines a spotlight on people serving their communities in inspirational and informative ways. Laila Ali serves as an ambassador to build awareness of the program.
NBC and Telemundo Owned Television Stations Group donated $150,000 to RIP Medical Debt, the leading nonprofit tackling the medical debt crisis in the country. RIP will use the donation to locate, buy and forgive $15 million of medical debt owed by individuals in 11 markets.
Rising above 1000 applicants, 50 high schools were awarded NBC’s R.I.S.E. America grants, with each school receiving $10,000 to cover critical needs of their theater programs. The program was inspired by upcoming drama Rise about a high school theatre department and its effects on a small town.
ADVERTISING
Sinclair Broadcast Group is making Connected and OTT TV advertising available to local companies and major markets around the country through a partnership with Tru Optik and ZypMedia. Local advertisers will now be able to buy Connected TV in a similar manner to how they purchase linear TV and digital media through Sinclair local reps, providing local businesses with the opportunity to target millennial audiences that cut or shaved the cord.
CASTING
Stephanie March, who starred as ADA Alex Cabot on over 90 episodes of Law & Order: SVU, will return as a guest this season.
Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives) has signed on for a major role on ABC comedic soap pilot, False Profits… Jeri Ryan (Body of Proof) nabbed a leading role in NBC drama pilot Suspicion…Madeleine Mantock was cast as a lead in The CW dramedy pilot Charmed.
In other pilot news, Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Game) and Shalim Ortiz (Heroes) are set as series regulars on ABC drama Grand Hotel… Ryan Eggold was hired to topline NBC’s untitled medical drama based on Dr. Eric Manheimer’s memoir, Twelve Patients: Life & Death at Bellevue Hospital… Home alum Sawyer Barth nabbed a series regular role in ABC’s untitled comedy from Last Man Standing showrunner Tim Doyle and ABC Studios.
Casting Notice: Sean De Simone Casting & QVC are casting F/T Host. Relocation to PA required. Should have experience in hosting TV, digital, radio or live events. Intelligent, enthusiastic, commanding & love for products a must. Candidates should be quick on their feet with ability to improv & engage. Hosts should be friendly, credible, entertaining, sincere & sophisticated with an elevated sense of style & fashion. Contact [email protected].
Nickelodeon, in partnership with Live Nation, announced its lineup for Nickelodeon SlimeFest, the first multi-day music festival for kids and family in the U.S. Headlining the event will be Zedd, Liam Payne, Flo Rida and JoJo Siwa. The two-day event takes place at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. Tickets available beginning March 6 at http://www.nickslimefest.com.
Beyblade Burst’s first season secured launches on kids’ channels in the Netherlands and Belgium. Nickelodeon (Belgium) will air all 51 episodes in French, while B.O.Z. (Netherlands) and Kadet (Belgium) will air eps 27 to 51.
DIGITAL DOINGS
NCAA March Madness Live, a live streaming suite of products developed by Turner Sports in partnership with CBS and the NCAA, will offer fans multiple ways to engage with coverage for all 67 games of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across 16 platforms. Included are iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV and Apple Watch, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku players and Roku TVs, web browsers, select mobile VR systems and Xbox One gaming console.
Bloomberg Media released an updated Bloomberg Channel on the Roku platform that offers an enhanced personalized video experience based on each viewer’s interests, access to Bloomberg’s top shows on-demand and a livestream of Bloomberg Television.
Zone tv announced that new nature-focused, online subscription video on-demand service, Lion Mountain TV, is now available on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 platform. Provides entertainment for passionate fans of wildlife.
Adventure Time returns with four episodes on the Cartoon Network app and VOD on Friday, March 9.
Key Question premieres on streaming platform Alpha on Tuesday, March 6. Follows Marisha Ray and Matt Key on a train of logic to examine the hidden meanings in some famous pop culture figures.
Episode 1 of Norwegian thriller, The River, streams live on the Walter Presents Facebook page on Wednesday, March 14 and free for a week on the Walter Presents app from Thursday, March 15.
GOING GLOBAL
HBO Latin America and HBO Europe have teamed on their first co-production, Destino Russia 2018. The 10-part documentary takes an intimate look at top international soccer players as they prepare for the 2018 soccer World Cup, which kicks off in Russia on Thursday, June 14.
Winners of its 55th Annual ICG Publicists Awards were announced on Friday, March 2 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Get Out (Universal Pictures) won top honors for Best Publicity Campaign for Motion Pictures, while Stranger Things 2 (Netflix/Wonder View) won Best Publicity Campaign for Television.
