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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
HGTV has commissioned new series “Steal This House,” “Rehab Addict Lake House Rescue,” “Flip to a Million” and “First Home Fix,” while Food Network has placed orders for “BBQ USA”, “It’s CompliPlated” and “Guy’s Ultimate Game Night.” All told, the Warner Bros. Discovery sibs will have more than 70 new series across their 2022 schedules. “We are the established leaders in the home and food genres, and our top priority remains developing, producing and promoting new series that fill our bench with even more talented experts with star power,” said Jane Latman, President, Home & Food Content and Streaming. “You also will see us generating fresh ideas that keep our existing fan-favorite series top of mind with this passionate audience.”
Apple TV+ handed a series order to “Eva the Owlet,” an animated kids and family series based on the book series Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliott. Produced by Scholastic Entertainment and animated by Brown Bag Films, “Eva the Owlet” also features original songs by Fitz of Fitz and the Tantrums
CNN Films and HBO Max have ordered a documentary film about musician Little Richard. “Little Richard: I Am Everything” (wt) is being produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment in association with Rolling Stone.
Crackle has renewed “Going From Broke” for season three. “It can be daunting for Millennials and now Gen Z to navigate their path toward financial well-being without easy access to trusted resources,” said Philippe Guelton, President of Crackle Plus. “With Americans holding over $800 billion in credit card debt, our team plans to continue our mission to bridge the gap for our audience.”
Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” has started production on its fifth season in Montana. Returning cast includes Kevin Costner, alongside Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, Forrie Smith, Denim Richards, Ian Bohen, Finn Little, Ryan Bingham and Gil Birmingham with Jen Landon and Kathryn Kelly upped to series regulars.
ABC News Studios announced a new Hulu Original docuseries that investigates the murder of three young girls in 1977 during their first night at a Girl Scout sleepaway camp. All four episodes of “Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders” begin streaming Tuesday, May 24.
Casting notes: Edie Falco (“The Sopranos”) will play the mom of Pete Davidson’s character in Peacock’s “Bupkis,” a fictionalized version of Davidson’s life. “Finally, I get to play an overwhelmed mother of two living in a world of corruption,” joked “The Sopranos” star at NBCU’s Upfront presentation yesterday. “Except this time, it’s Staten Island.” Reba McEntire has joined the season three cast of ABC drama “Big Sky” as a series regular…Yasmin Finney (“Heartstopper”) will play a character named Rose on the BBC’s “Doctor Who.”
The voice cast of animated film “Jodie,” a spinoff of MTV’s “Daria” franchise, includes Tracee Ellis Ross (“black-ish”), Pamela Adlon (“Better Things”), Cole Escola (“Search Party”), Jojo T. Gibbs (“Twenties”), William Jackson Harper (“Love Life”), Zosia Mamet (“The Flight Attendant”), Alex Moffat (“Saturday Night Live”), Dermot Mulroney (“Hanna”), Arden Myrin (“Insatiable”), Kal Penn (“Designated Survivor”), Kofi Siriboe (“Queen Sugar”), Dulcé Sloan (“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”) and Heléne Yorke (“The Other Two”).
UPFRONT UPDATES
With the upfront message “Built for You,” Fox presented the company’s entire portfolio in one presentation including FOX Entertainment, FOX Sports, FOX News Media and Tubi. The event, which took place for the first time at the Skylight on Vesey in NYC, included a look at new and returning content, and ad sales innovations. “FOX has always forged its own path and this year we are coming together in a completely different space and in a totally new way,” said Marianne Gambelli, President of Ad Sales, Marketing and Brand Partnerships, Fox Corporation. “At a time when other media companies are doubling down on paywalls, ad-free, and subscription models, we are doing things differently. Only FOX has an unrivaled portfolio that’s built for both viewers and advertisers.”
New animated shows are on the way from Bento Box, including “Grimsburg,” starring and exec produced by Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) and “Krapopolis,” the first animated series curated entirely on the Blockchain. New unscripted series “Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars” joins Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef,” which kicks off season two after the Super Bowl on February 12. “Fantasy Island” and “LEGO Masters,” previously slated to air this summer, have been moved to the 2022-23 season. Renewed for next season are “9-1-1,” “The Resident,” “9-1-1: Lone Star,” “The Cleaning Lady,” “Call Me Kat,” “Welcome to Flatch,” “The Masked Singer,” “Crime Scene Kitchen” and “Hell’s Kitchen.”
New dramas include “Monarch,” starring Susan Sarandon and Trace Adkins (Adkins closed out the presentation with a live performance of “A Country Boy Can Survive”); “Accused,” based on the British crime anthology; and procedural “Alert.” Three made-for-TV movies from Bento Box are headed for Tubi.
“This is the biggest turning point in our industry,” said Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships, at NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation at Radio City Music Hall. “We’ve torn down the walls of legacy, and built One Platform, that combines content, technology, and partnerships, so you can act, and transact, differently…When you say you want more relevant, engaging, commerce-enabled commercial experiences that can actually sell your products – and ones that can actually prove it – well, they’re all yours.”
On the programming front, NBC has scheduled an hour-long comedy block for Fridays, pairing “Young Rock” with new George Lopez series “Lopez vs. Lopez” starting in November after “Capital One College Bowl” completes its run. The net’s “Quantum Leap” reboot will air after “The Voice” on Mondays at 10p and “La Brea” returns to Tuesdays at 9p; unscripted series “The Wheel” and “Million Dollar Island” in midseason. Dolly Parton will return to NBC for “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas,” and Miley Cyrus will repeat as host of “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party.”
“I truly believe there is no one operating in the industry today who can match us when it comes to combining great content with the biggest, broadest, and best audience imaginable,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal. “Because no matter how great your story is, it doesn’t have an impact if people aren’t watching it.”
YouTube crashed Upfront week for a Brandcast pitch that included results from a Google-commissioned survey: 86% of respondents believed YouTube delivers relevant and intellectual programming, compared with 73% to 79% for other platforms. Respondents were also 4.2 times more likely than the average to agree with the statement that “telling a good story” is more important than programming being “made by an established production company.”
National Geographic got a head start on Disney’s Upfront presentation, with new programming announcements in advance of this afternoon’s event. On the way: “Dance the World with Derek Hough,” exploring the roots of popular dance styles; “Restaurants at the End of the World,” showcasing off-the-grid eateries; a series following travel blogger and influencer Jeff Jenkins; and “Farming Is Life,” following aspiring farmers.
May 17: Univision at 11:30a (Javits Center in NYC); Disney at 4p (Basketball City at Pier 36, NYC); YouTube Brandcast at 8p (Imperial Theater, NYC)
May 18: Warner Bros. Discovery at 10a (Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, NYC); Paramount at 4p (Carnegie Hall, NYC)
May 19: The CW at 11a (New York City Center Theater, NYC)
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
Apple TV+ space drama “For All Mankind” is back for season three on Friday, June 10. The ten-episode season will premiere with the first episode, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday through August 12.
Also returning for a third out-of-this-world season is Hulu’s “Solar Opposites.” The animated comedy follows visiting aliens who can’t decide whether Earth is awesome or awful.
Season seven of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” premieres Friday, May 20 on Paramount+. The season will feature a cast of former winners returning to compete for the title “Queen of All Queens” and a cash prize of $200,000.
TLC series set to return this summer include “Say Yes to the Dress” on Saturday, July 9 at 8p; “Dr. Pimple Popper” on Wednesday, July 13 at 9p; “My Big Fat Fabulous Life” on Tuesday, August 9 at 10p; and “7 Little Johnstons” on Tuesday, August 16 at 9p.
Crunchyroll has acquired the streaming rights to the anime adaptation of “Chainsaw Man.” Crunchyroll will simulcast the series from Japan later this year, subtitled and dubbed, in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.
“This Fool,” starring comedian Chris Estrada, launches Friday, August 12 on Hulu. The comedy follows a 30-year-old living at home, whose family takes in an ex-gang member fresh out of prison.
Season two of “Top Gear America” launches Friday, July 1 on MotorTrend+. Dax Shepard, Rob Corddry, and automotive expert Jethro Bovingdon return for the ultimate road trip.
Discovery+ docuseries “Jailhouse Redemption” offers surprises for viewers – just as it did the producers who filmed it. “The thing we were most struck by …was the level of humanity,” said Matthew Ostrom, co-founder and executive producer for Magilla Entertainment. “As outsiders to the world of corrections, we traditionally think of these extreme boundaries between officers and prisoners and an environment that’s meant to almost dehumanize the people behind bars.” For more, go to Cynsiders.
COMING UP
Action-thriller “Prey,” the latest entry in the “Predator” franchise, will start streaming August 5 as a Hulu Original in the U.S., a Star+ Original in Latin America, and a Star Original on Disney+ in all other territories.
The TV premiere of movie “Heatwave” premieres Tuesday, June 21 at 8p on Epix. The thriller follows a woman who falls in love with her boss’ wife.
TECH TALK
Fraud schemes have spiked over 70% globally, driven by CTV, where ad buys are more expensive and where there’s less transparency on where ads run, according to DoubleVerify’s annual report. On the flip side, video Completion Rate has improved, from 62% in 2019, to 71% in 2021, mostly due to CTV, where VCR climbed 3% year-over-year and is now at 95.6%. “This year’s report finds that media quality is table stakes,” said Mark Zagorski, CEO, DoubleVerify. “No longer is it acceptable to assume that a portion of media dollars will be wasted on fraud, or potentially exposed to brand suitability concerns. Advertisers have demanded quality, understanding that it is a prerequisite to achieving performance.”
STREAMING
Viewers who jump from one free trial to another are a challenge to streamers. What’s their profile? According to Helixa, free trial jumpers are more likely to be young (64% are ages 18-44), make over $70,000 (56%) and less likely to be married (45%) and college educated (45%). They over-index for gaming (1.64x) and – no surprise –saving money (1.25x), and favor animated (1.4x), horror (1.37x), and comedy (1.21x) films. In terms of television shows, they prefer business (1.31x), streaming original (1.29x), and food (1.27x) shows.
Amazon Freevee, formerly IMDb TV, is now available through the App Store on Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD. Amazon Freevee features originals from Amazon Studios, as well a library of movies and series.
Discovery+ has added an “Always Proud” content hub to the service, celebrating what it means to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community. “Discovery+ stands for equality, inclusivity and respect, and the ‘Always Proud’ hub will be a place that not only celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community, but will amplify its diverse voices,” said Lisa Holme, Group SVP of Content and Commercial Strategy for Discovery. “We’re proud to launch this year-round platform that will share these authentic and untold stories with audiences around the globe.”
GOING GLOBAL
All3Media International has signed new deals for FLX’s Swedish thriller “Blinded/Fartblinda,” The latest round of sales in Europe includes a deal with Disney+ where the thriller will play in Portugal.
Red Arrow Studios International has secured international deals for “Stealing the Show!” and “Beat the Channel,” entertainment formats originally produced by Florida Entertainment for ProSieben (Germany). “Stealing the Show!” has been sold to Tin Can in the Netherlands and Bandicoot in the UK, while “Beat the Channel” has been optioned by Boxfish in Spain, ITV France and July August Productions in Israel.
Omens Studios has secured international sales for season two of its animated series “Leo the Wildlife Ranger” across Latin America, Europe and Asia. Globo Brazil has taken season two of the adventure preschool series for Brazil, while Czech TV has picked up the show for the Czech Republic. MTVA in Hungary and Good TV in Taiwan are also onboard for season two
Media Ranch format “Big Love” has been optioned in The Netherlands by Monday Media; season 4 of the series is currently in production in Denmark, airing this summer on DR1.
Cineflix Rights has announced sales for titles from its slate of Cineflix Productions movies, including “Miracle in Moto City” to Paramount+ (UK), Globo (Brazil), and Bell Media (English-speaking Canada), and “Stolen by Their Father” to Channel 5 (UK), A&E (Latin America), Corus (Canada), and Bell Media (French-speaking Canada).
Banijay has acquired the exclusive global format rights to “Wild Cooks,” a culinary competition from French-Canadian production company Toast on collaboration with Quebecor Content.
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