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Today’s Premieres
Amazon Freevee: Troppo
Apple TV+: Harriet the Spy
Discovery: Gold Rush: Dave Turin’s Lost Mine at 9p
discovery+: Restoration Road With Clint Harp; Rooms We Love
FX: The New York Time Presents at 10p
HBO: George Carlin’s American Dream at 8p; Pause With Sam Jay at 11p
Netflix: The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem; Love, Death + Robots; My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman; Wrong Side of the Tracks
Paramount+: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars

Today’s Finale
ABC: Shark Tank at 8p

Saturday’s Premieres
BBC America: Planet Earth: Dynasties at 8p
HBO: George Carlin’s American Dream at 8p

Sunday’s Premieres
Cooking Channel: Carnival Eats at 9p
ID: Two Shallow Graves at 9p

Sunday’s Finales
ABC: American Idol at 8p
CBS: NCIS: Los Angeles at 9p; S.W.A.T. at 10p
CNN: Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy at 9p
Fox: The Simpsons at 8p; The Great North at 8:30p; Bob’s Burgers at 9p; Family Guy at 9:30p
Hallmark Channel: When Calls the Heart at 8p
HGTV: I Bought a Dump, Now What? at 9p; Life Under Renovation at 11p

IN THE NEWS

Paramount Global won’t be licensing the likes of hit series “Yellowstone” to rival streaming services, said CFO Naveen Chopra at MoffattNathanson’s Media and Communications Summit on Thursday. “Back in the day when Paramount didn’t have its own streaming service, that was the best way to monetize content,” said Chopra. “Today, that doesn’t necessarily make sense. As some of those things come up, we’ll keep them for our owned and operated platform.”

In more streaming news at the MoffattNathanson event, Comcast Cable CEO Dave Watson said his company is “extremely focused” on licensing its streaming platform to US operators. Comcast is also looking at working with additional retailers, and other smart TV OEMs to build the devices where Comcast can put in its software stack. “We just want to compete against great platform operators and provide a great experience,” said Watson.

“On the one hand, I lament that we’re in the political environment that we are,” said Chris Ripley, CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group, at the summit. “On the other hand, it’s very good for our business.” Ripley said $75 million was spent on TV ads in the Ohio primary, 40 times more than was spent on the primary in the last election, signaling record spending on the midterm in the fall.

Pete Williams, a 29-year veteran of NBC News, is retiring from the network in July. “Pete has been one of the nation’s foremost authorities covering the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice for nearly three decades,” said NBC News President Noah Oppenheim in a message to staff. “His career has been defined by his reputation for accuracy, reliability, and unmatched expertise in the subjects he covers.”

Measurement has been top of mind this Upfront season. As media companies package CTV buys along with linear, new currencies have been introduced to help marketers accurately measure the success of their campaigns – and get what they pay for. But the array of options is dizzying. Getting the right data, from measurement partners with the capabilities you need, is key. For up-close exploration, and explanation, of the latest solutions, you’ll want to join the conversation at the Cynopsis Measurement & Data Conference, taking place June 7 in. NYC. You can register here.

MEASUREMENT & DATA CONFERENCE

COUNTDOWN: LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!

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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

HBO’s “Barry” has been renewed for season four. Production will begin in June, with series star and co-creator Bill Hader directing all eight episodes. Season three of the dark comedy concludes June 12.

Tanya Saracho (“Vida”) is developing “Lovesong” for Starz. The half-hour drama follows two Mexican American friends who become entangled in a love triangle with a singer-songwriter. Musician and actor Johnny Flynn is co-executive producer and composer.

The super-villain voice cast for pre-school animated comedy “Batwheels,” premiering this fall on Cartoonito on HBO Max and Cartoon Network, includes Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”) as Catwoman; Xolo Maridueña (“Cobra Kai”) as Snowy the Snowcrawler; and Tom Kenny (“SpongeBob SquarePants”) as Crash.

Nelvana has teamed up with Feld Entertainment to develop a new animated action-adventure kids’ series, “Monster Jam Gears & Galaxies” (working title), based on the Monster Jam franchise. Nelvana will distribute the series as well as represent global merchandise licensing.

HGTV has renewed “Fixer to Fabulous” for a new, 16-episode season. The series attracted more than 31 million viewers during its previous run.

Kevin Hart’s HartBeat announced the return of Women Write Now, its screenwriting fellowship and talent development initiative. Developed in partnership with the Sundance Institute, Women Write Now will support three writers in developing short comedic scripts under the guidance of Black women in comedy.

A new “Daredevil” is in development at Disney+, reports Variety. Matt Corman and Chris Cord (“Covert Affairs”) are attached to write and executive produce. Netflix canceled its “Daredevil” series in 2018, after its third season.

Thomas Haden Church (“Divorce”) has joined the cast of Peacock comedy “Twisted Metal,” a live-action adaptation of the video game. Anthony Mackie (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) is also starring and exec producing. Will Arnett and Marc Forman from Electric Avenue are also set to executive produce. Michael Jonathan Smith (“Cobra Kai”) will serve as showrunner, writer and executive producer for the series from Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and Universal Television.

UPFRONT UPDATES

“Supernatural” origin story “The Winchesters” will join The CW’s fall schedule on Tuesdays at 8p, followed by international acquisition “Professionals,” starring Tom Welling (“Smallville”) at 9p. Another prequel, “Walker: Independence,” has been scheduled on Thursdays at 9p, following “Walker.” Unscripted “Magic With the Stars” takes up the Saturday-at-8p slot, while Canadian drama “Family Law” will air Sundays at 8p. The seventh – and final! – season of “Riverdale,” along with new DC drama “Gotham Knights,” “Superman & Lois,” “The Flash,” “Nancy Drew,” and “Stargirl” will premiere later in the season.

While The CW’s parent companies, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global, are in the process of selling the network to station group owner Nexstar, superheroes of the CW DC Universe are expected to remain. “We plan to stay in this business no matter what the outcomes is in the event of a sale or no sale,” said CEO Mark Pedowitz on a pre-Upfront press call. “I think the Warner side realizes the value of having these properties up, DC Comics realizes the value of what it does for their marketability.” Still, Pedowitz noted a transition to more alternative and acquired programming, and said he hopes to have half-hour sitcoms produced for the network. “If there is a sale, that will open the avenues of other producers and studios to come to us besides Warners and CBS, which means more opportunities,” he observed.

If The CW was trying to impress a future buyer with this year’s Upfront musical performance – mission accomplished. Stevie Wonder scored a standing ovation for a surprise appearance, during which he sang “Superstition.”

Warner Bros. Discovery shared its upcoming US Hispanic programming and streaming slates. “Warner Bros. Discovery brings an unrivaled proposition to the Spanish-language marketplace: unique content; a younger, more affluent, engaged and educated audience; and loyal viewers who spend more time with our networks than anywhere else,” said David Tardio, Vice President of Advertising Sales, Warner Bros. Discovery, US Hispanic Division. “Spanish-language advertising and media remain the most strategic ways to reach Hispanics.” The company’s data-driven linear solution, Engage, connects advertisers to a Hispanic audience with premium content across the company’s portfolio.

Coming up are Spanish-language versions of WBD hits “Naked and Afraid,” “Celebrity IOU,” “Say Yes to the Dress,” and “90 Day Fiance: The Other Way,” as well as “Mexicanicos Sin Fronteras,” starring Martin Vaca; a reality show following a family with quintuplets; cooking competition “El Sabor de Aaron,” and more.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Season two of “Bridge and Tunnel” premieres on Epix Sunday, July 10. Edward Burns (“Public Morals”) writes, directs, produces and stars in the romantic comedy series.

A&E docuseries “Digital Addiction,” exploring the damaging world of digital dependency, premieres Monday, June 13 at 10p.

Three episodes of new series “Mystic,” based on book series Pony Club Secrets, dropped on streamer Up Faith & Family on Thursday, with new episodes set to roll out weekly. Season two of Canadian K9 procedural “Hudson & Rex” arrives Thursday, July 28.

COMING UP

Steve Harvey will host AXS TV’s Black History Month series, featuring five music documentaries every Wednesday in June starting at 9p. Harvey, an investor in AXS TV parent company Anthem Sports & Entertainment, will provide commentary and personal anecdotes for each film.

Estrella Media’s “Premios De La Radio” returns to Mexico City on Thursday, November 3. The Regional Mexican music awards show will air and stream on EstrellaTV channels in the US and simulcast in Mexico on broadcast partner TV Azteca’s Azteca Uno.

STREAMING

Audiences spent on average over 30% of their total TV viewing time in April watching streaming video content, according to the Nielsen Gauge Report, up from the previous record of 29.7% set in March. Overall TV viewing dropped by 2.1% from March. Netflix drew 6.6% of streaming viewers, followed by YouTube (6.1%), Hulu (3.3%), Prime Video (2%) and Disney+ (1.7%). HBO Max had a 1% share for the first time, while 9.2% share went to other streaming platforms.

DMR, a subsidiary of Cinedigm, announced the launch of streaming service AsianCrush across Comcast’s entertainment platforms including Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex and XClass TV. Joining AsianCrush on the platforms later this year will be RetroCrush, Midnight Pulp, and Cinehouse.

TECH TALK

Viamedia announced the launch of its new Parity ADS Platform, enables MVPDs to regionalize streaming distribution by inserting regionally targeted ads on linear streams. “Our new Parity ADS Platform is one of the industry’s first transitional approaches and introduces the immediate next step to achieving fully dynamic advertising,” said David Solomon, President & CEO at Viamedia. “This presents an enormous opportunity for our MVPD partners around the country to essentially turn their linear inventory into connected TV (CTV) inventory, all while better serving their local communities, businesses and advertisers.”

GOING GLOBAL

New distribution partners for Wildbrain’s “Berry in the Big City” include
Peacock (US), UK’s Tiny Pop, Israel’s HOP!, and TelevisaUnivision’s Prende.

Love Nature announced its launch on Amazon Prime Video Channels in Spain, France and The Netherlands.

THAT BIG TV CONFERENCE

NEW SESSIONS ADDED for September 29-30, NYC

Cultural Equity in Media Planning, In the Streaming World, Kids’ Content Is Key, What’s In Store for Shoppable TV, and Privacy, Personalization & Permission

VIEW THE AGENDA

RATINGS

The premiere of Univision’s “El Ultimo Rey: El Hijo del Pueblo” reached 2.4 million Total Viewers 2+ who tuned in to all or part of the one-hour telecast. The biopic series delivered an average audience of 1.6 million Total Viewers 2+, 574,000 A18-49 and 217,000 A18-34 and positioned Univision as the No. 1 broadcast network among A18-34 and No. 2 ahead of among A18-49.

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Monday, Wednesday, May 18
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: The Goldbergs 2.78 (0.4), The Wonder Years 2.05 (0.3), The Conners 2.92 (0.4), Home Economics 1.81 (0.3), A Million Different Things 1.83 (0.2)
CBS: Survivor 5.70 (0.9), Beyond the Edge 2.47 (0.3), FBI Wednesday Special 1.90 (0.2)
CW: The Flash 0.55 (0.1), Kung Fu 0.45 (0.1)
FOX: The Masked Singer 4.19 (0.7), So You Think You Can Dance? 2.07 (0.3)
NBC: Chicago Med 6.24 (0.6), Chicago Fire 6.78 (0.7), Chicago PD 5.47 (0.6)
Telemundo: Casa de Famosos 0.96 (0.3), Hasta Que Plata Nos 0.59 (0.2), Pasion Gavilanes 0.69 (0.2)
Univision: Soltero con Hijas 1.28 (0.4), Mi Fortuna es Amarte 1.55 (0.5), El Ultimo Rey: El Hijo del Pueblo 1.29 (0.3)

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Allen Media Group has hired Roseann Cacciola as Executive Vice President of Ad Sales for AMG Global Syndication. Cacciola was most recently Senior Vice President & General Sales Manager of Advertising Sales for WarnerMedia/Warner Bros. Domestic Television.

Andrew Schneider has joined Genvid Holdings as both Chief Marketing Officer of the parent company and President of the Entertainment division. He joins from FOX Bet & PokerStars USA.

IN MEMORIAM

Actor John Aylward died May 16. He was 75. Aylward’s most notable TV roles were Dr. Donald Anspaugh on “ER,” and former DNC chairman Barry Goodwin on “The West Wing.”

This Day in History
1310 – Shoes were first made to account for the differences between right and left feet.

Friday Foot Fact
The average foot has increased by more than a size since the 1970s, as people have gotten taller and heavier.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What was the only primetime animated sitcom, airing between “The Flintstones” and “The Simpsons,” to last more than one season? “Wait Till Your Father Gets Home” (1972-74). Kudos to: Rick Dascher-WarnerMedia Studios/Atlanta; Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL; Dennis McGuire-Apple/Tampa, FL; Richard Quan-Deloitte Digital/San Francisco; Lizzy Ross/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Production/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Dennis Aimino-ABC-TV

Today’s Trivia Question
The cast of which paranormal thriller series included Stefanie Powers (“Hart to Hart”) and John Hillerman (“Magnum, P.I.”)? (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