Friday June 25, 2021

Today’s Finales
HBO: Pause with Sam Jay at 9p
HGTV: Frozen in Time at 9:30p
PBS: Washington Week at 8p, Firing Line with Margaret Hoover at 9p
Syfy: Van Helsing at 10p

Saturday’s Premieres
DIY: Home Work at 8p
YouTube: Squishville

Sunday’s Premieres
A&E: Biography: KISStory at 9p
AMC: A Discovery of Witches at 7p
Peacock: Golden: The Journey of USA’s Elite Gymnasts
Sportsman Channel: The Maverick at 8p

Sunday’s Finales
CW: Batwoman at 9p
Discovery: Naked and Afraid XL at 8p
PBS: Us on Masterpiece at 9p
Showtime: The Kings at 8p

IN THE NEWS

The cookie isn’t crumbling as quickly as expected. On Thursday, Google announced plans to officially cease support for third-party cookies by late 2023, a postponement from an initial timeframe of early 2022. “While there’s considerable progress with this initiative, it’s become clear that more time is needed across the ecosystem to get this right,” said Vinay Goel, the director of privacy engineering for Google’s Chrome web browser.

Netflix handed a season two renewal to comedy “The Upshaws,” from co-creators Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes. The streamer ordered 16 episodes, up from ten for season one. “Wanda and Regina have created a fresh entry in the tradition of Black sitcoms that’s real, relatable, full of heart and incredibly funny,” said Tracey Pakosta, Netflix’s Head of Comedy.

On the flip side, #blackAF will not return to Netflix for a second season, despite the Kenya Barris comedy’s renewal last year. “Black-ish” creator Barris developed the show under an overall deal with the streamer, but has since moved on to ViacomCBS. Netflix is reportedly re-developing the show as a film franchise.

Digital media group BuzzFeed announced plans to go public in a special purpose acquisition company deal expected to close in 4Q21. The company also said it is acquiring Complex Networks from Hearst for $300 million. “We’re taking the next step in BuzzFeed’s evolution, bringing capital and additional experience to our business,” said founder Jonah Peretti, who in a news conference suggested the Complex Networks acquisition is just the beginning, “There are more exciting companies out there that we want to pursue,” he said.

More than 65% of marketers surveyed plan to grow current CTV ad spend by 5-20%, while another 20% of the market plans to make increases of more than 20%, according to a new report from TVSquared. Other findings include:
· The primary reason for advertising on streaming is incremental reach, with 70% citing the ability to extend reach and engage with audiences beyond linear TV.
· Effective measurement and attribution was the #1 barrier/challenge in CTV advertising.
· Dedicated streaming publishers accounted for approximately 40% of all activity. Broadcast publishers, while having the lion’s share of linear ad dollars, accounted for 7% of 2020 CTV volume.

Taking it to the Max: Amy Schumer is in business with HBO Max again. The “I Feel Pretty” star will learn new skills (selling real estate, diving for clams) in Martha’s Vineyard in unscripted series “Amy Learns To…”, produced by The Intellectual Property Corporation. “Expecting Amy” launched on HBO Max last summer.

In a video market that’s crowded, fragmented and shifting, programmers and advertisers are seeking both institutional knowledge and pioneering leadership. For Canoe, the ad tech joint venture of Comcast, Charter and Cox, helping clients maximize audience reach in a content-safe, tech-sound manner has been the primary goal since its establishment more than a decade ago. “We’re still doing gangbusters in traditional VOD, but consumer behavior is changing and the new work we’re doing is helping my programmers figure out the reach and frequency of their VOD platform in relation to the other platforms they have,” said Chris Pizzurro, Canoe’s SVP of global sales & marketing. Find out how Canoe is steering through uncharted waters in a new special report: https://www.cynopsis.com/217458-2/

Fan platform Fandom has launched LGBTQIA+ Community Guidelines, providing better online trust and safety measures within its Wiki Communitiest. Additionally, the company will host its first “Power of Pride” event on its Twitch page on June 28, where Fandom’s top content creators who are also openly LGBTQIA+ will participate in a roundtable discussion to talk about LGBTQIA+ characters in entertainment.

The Big TV Conference is back, and it’s virtual September 21-23. Cynopsis’ biggest event of the year brings you the most robust content spanning the radically evolving media ecosystem. Join senior agency, programming, tech, and brand executives in discovering the freshest thinking and tools to meet the challenges of today’s business. Registration is free for a limited time only: sign up today.

OWN and Hulu announced a partnership to simultaneously broadcast a new docuseries, “The Hair Tales,” from executive producers Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”) and Michaela angela Davis (“The Meaning of Mariah Carey”). Produced by Joy Mill Entertainment, Culture House, Tetravision, and Harpo Films, the show explores Black women, beauty and identity through the lens of Black hair. Tara Duncan, Raeshem Nijhon, Carri Twigg, and Oprah Winfrey will also serve as executive producers. The series will begin production later this year for a 2022 premiere.

HGTV has enlisted Marcus Lemonis (“The Profit”) to help rescue frustrated homeowners in “The Renovator,” slated to premiere in 2022. “Many struggling homeowners desperately want to love the home they are already in, but there are barriers,” said Jane Latman, President, HGTV. “‘The Renovator will show them that there is a way forward when someone like Marcus Lemonis is on the case.”

“The Blacklist” star Megan Boone has launched a production company, Weird Sister, with a first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television. “Megan was instrumental in the success of ‘Blacklist’ and we are elated she will continue to be an integral member of the Sony family,” said Jeff Frost, President of Sony Pictures Television. “Megan’s artistic prowess and vision is extremely complimentary to our creative focus and direction and we’re very excited about developing new projects with her.”

ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” promoted Erin Irwin, Molly McNearney and Jennifer Sharron from co-executive producers to EPs. “Erin, Molly and Jen are great producers who run what I believe is the best team in television,” said Jimmy Kimmel, who also exec produces the show. “I am very lucky to have them. This promotion is long overdue and well-deserved.”

Boone’s surprise exit from “The Blacklist” was followed by the news that creator/EP Jon Bokenkamp is also leaving the show. “It’s time for me to step out of my comfort zone, try something new, and explore some of the other characters and stories that have been crawling around in my head,” he explained on Twitter. Showrunner and exec producer John Eisendrath is reportedly staying put.

AMC Networks has greenlit Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire,” a new series for AMC+ and AMC based on the bestselling novel, to premiere in 2022. Last year, the company acquired the rights to Rice’s works, encompassing 18 titles. “Interview” is the first to be developed and greenlit to series. Mark Johnson (“Breaking Bad,” “Rectify”), who also has an overall agreement with AMC Studios, is taking the lead on developing the full collection , while Rolin Jones (“Perry Mason,” “Friday Night Lights”), who also has an overall development deal with AMC Studios, is creator, showrunner and executive producer of “Interview.”

Blumhouse has entered into an exclusive overall deal with ITV America for unscripted television. The first project derived from the partnership, “Escape the Maze” (wt), will combine Blumhouse’s prowess in horror with the self-shot, isolating competition aesthetic Leftfield Pictures (“Alone”) is known for.

Streamer ALLBLK ordered “West Philly, Baby,” a series based on Colman Domingo’s play, “Dot.” Co-produced by AMC Studios and ALLBLK, the drama from Domingo’s Edith Productions will be written, directed and exec produced by the “Fear the Walking Dead” actor.

Digital Dimension Entertainment Group and Lex+Otis have formed a joint venture studio, KRAKN Animation, with locations in Montreal and LA. Headed by Louis-Simon Menard, CEO & President of DDEG, and Jay Oliva, Founder & CEO of Lex+Otis, KRAKN will provide pre-production and animation services.

Cynopsis Digital Model D + It List Awards are looking for the trailblazers raising the bar for television and media’s digital initiatives. In 2020, digital became the name of the industry’s game, and we want to see how your work stacks up against the competition. Enter before August 3, and you’ll save $150.

Entertainment company Wattpad and webcomic community WEBTOON will merge their studio divisions to create Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. South Korea’s internet conglomerate Naver recently acquired Wattpad, and committed $100 million to Wattpad WEBTOON Studios for development and production financing.

A+E Networks has acquired a 35% stake in Newen’s majority-owned subsidiary, Reel One. The investment will position Reel One to accelerate its growth in production and distribution in North America, expand opportunities to produce more TV content and explore other areas of collaboration. For A+E, the stake will accelerate its global distribution of premium content.

Casting Notes: Dean Winters (“Girls5eva”) will play Jeff Lowe, enemy of Joe Exotic, in Peacock’s limited series based on the jailed zookeeper’s exploits…Christian Magby (“The Flash”) landed a lead role in NBC comedy pilot “Hungry,” starring and exec produced by Demi Lovato…Juno Temple (“Ted Lasso”) has joined Apple+ limited event series “The Offer.”…Lance Gross (“Hawaii Five-0”) is onboard Fox’s upcoming “Our Kind of People” as a series regular.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Hey, hey, hey! HBO Max’s “Jellystone,” a reimagined take on Yogi Bear, Boo Boo, Cindy, and other Hanna-Barbera characters, premieres Thursday, July 29. “The massive amount of both classic and not-so-classic characters we were able to use from the Hanna-Barbera library is what really makes the ‘Jellystone!’ universe special,” said executive producer C.H. Greenblatt. “Rather than recreate the feeling of cartoons of the past, we wanted to have silly, weird fun with these characters and expand their personalities to give them more depth. Chances are if there’s a character you love, you’ll see them somewhere in this world eventually.”

“The Ms. Pat Show” premieres Thursday, August 12 on BET+. The sitcom is based on the stand-up comedy and memoir of Pat Williams.

Season three of Netflix’s “Sex Education” will launch Friday, September 17, with casual sex, a baby, a crush and more.

Toys and licensing company Jazwares is launching animated YouTube series “Squishville,” produced by Moonbug Entertainment. The first episode airs Saturday, June 26, with new episodes released every Saturday through October 2021.

Discovery promises “new voices, new speeds, and new cars” with motor Monday competition series “Getaway Driver,” hosted by Michelle Rodriguez (“The Fast and theFurious”) and rally champion Wyatt Knox. The eight-parter launches July 19 at 9p.

A&E delves into the concept of the modern-day serial killer with three-night event “Invisible Monsters: Serial Killers in America” beginning Sunday, August 15 at 9p. The limited series examines the intersecting paths of five of America’s most notorious killers. New series “I Survived a Serial Killer,” premiering Wednesday, August 18a t 9:30p, will explore what it’s like to escape from the clutches of a serial predator.

“Consuelo Mack Wealth Track” tackles market bubbles, inflation, home prices and more in season 18, launching Friday, July 2 at 7:30p on public television stations (check local listings).

COMING UP

Discovery, Science Channel and Travel Channel will broadcast “UFOs Declassified: LIVE,” a three-hour multiplatform event delving into the US government report on extraterrestrial activity, on Wednesday, June 30 at 8p. Josh Gates (“Expedition Unknown”) will host. “It’s a question that has been asked for centuries – are we alone in the universe?” said Scott Lewers, EVP of Multiplatform Programming, Factual & Head of Content, Science. “Discovery, Science and Travel Channel are proud to bring together top military and government experts, along with UFO believers and skeptics, to analyze the revelations this report holds, and to bring their unique insight to what we know and don’t know.”

Discovery+ will launch “FIN,” the documentary written, directed and executive produced by filmmaker Eli Roth, on Tuesday, July 13. The film follows a group sailing around the world to find out the truth behind the deaths of millions of sharks.

Documentary “The One and Only Dick Gregory,” centered on the late comedian and activist, will air on Showtime Sunday, July 4. “There is no more important time than now to revisit the life of Dick Gregory,” said Vinnie Malhotra, EVP Nonfiction Programming at Showtime Networks. “His fearless voice rose to the challenges of his time, calling upon Americans to question their beliefs, in an era where you risked your livelihood – maybe even your life – to speak out.”

Lifetime movie “Imperfect High,” starring Nia Sioux (“Dance Moms”) and Sherri Shepherd (“Mr. Iglesias”), and following a girl drawn into the dangerous world of drugs, premieres Saturday, September 18 at 8p.

Tubi will debut a reunion special on Wednesday, June 30 at 8p on TikTok, hosted by TikTok creator Brittany Broski. The hour-long live trivia and challenge event will bring together fan favorite ‘90s and ‘00s shows and stars. Leading up to the live event, Tubi is launching a series of new nostalgic videos on TikTok.

“Tubi and TikTok, two powerful destinations for younger audiences to discover nostalgic content, make this innovative partnership a perfect home for our live event,” said Natalie Bastian, Vice President of Marketing, Tubi. “We’ve seen a direct correlation between titles that trend on TikTok and the growth of those titles on Tubi, which serves as the prime viewing platform for TikTok users.”

Annual pet adoption and donation campaign Clear the Shelters returns for the seventh year, from August 23-September 19. Presented by NBCUniversal Local, a division of NBCUniversal that includes NBC/Telemundo owned stations and regional sports networks, the “Adopt & Donate” initiative partners with animal shelters and rescue services.

STREAMING

Think FAST. Allen Media Group free streaming platform Local Now has added several free ad-supported streaming television channels: Shopping channels QVC and HLN; Demand Africa; Qwest TV Mix; Qwest Jazz & Beyond; and Qwest Classical. Local Now also offers a tier of more than 30 original channels spanning family, comedy, horror, news, and more.

VICE has launched their FAST channel on Samsung TV Plus. Programming will include TV library content, digital content adapted for TV and a selection of VICE World News titles.

Fuse Media announced the beta launch of new streaming service Fuse+. Available on Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, Fuse+ will have its official launch later this year, including on more connected TV platforms and mobile devices. Fuse+ is curated with purpose-driven shows featuring new voices and stories aimed at positively shifting viewers’ perspectives.

Cinedigm announced a partnership with The Country Network, to expand the channel’s footprint across the streaming ecosystem via the creation of FAST, AVOD and MVPD offerings for distribution via connected TVs, digital set-top boxes, media-streaming devices, as well as the web.

Midnight Pulp’s streaming app is now available on VIZIO SmartCast TVs. “Midnight Pulp has constantly added exciting new genre-bending content while evolving over the last two years as a juggernaut in engaging audiences with its powerful niche content stew of the best horror, thriller and action entertainment,” said Matthew Kiernan, Midnight Pulp Channel Manager for Midnight Pulp owner DMR.

Fox News Media’s upcoming AVOD streaming weather service, Fox Weather, has signed six meteorologists to helm morning, daytime and evening programming across the platform when it launches later this year. Meteorologists Jason Frazer, Britta Merwin, Craig Herrera, Brigit Mahoney, Nick Kosir, and Stephen Morgan will lead the platform’s coverage.

Movie service ROW8 and Rad announced ROW8’s catalog of current Hollywood films will live inside of Rad’s applications on Sony PlayStation and beyond as TVOD and rental content, in addition to being made available inside of Rad’s VR theater mode on PlayStation VR and forthcoming Oculus Rift application. “Our partnership with Rad opens many doors to ROW8’s content and how and where people consume it,” said John Calkins, ROW8 CEO.

Whip Media and The Entertainment Globalization Association are partnering to provide a new data report for the entertainment industry with cross-platform insights on global streaming across multiple countries. The new bi-monthly report, called the Global Intelligence Tracker, ranks the most viewed streaming original television series among US viewers and highlights their corresponding performance in other global streaming markets, offering a snapshot of how the shows are resonating with audiences around the world.

TECH TALK

OpenAP and Xandr announced a strategic alliance that will enable OpenAP’s OpenID audiences inside Invest TV, Xandr’s buyer self-service platform for linear television. Buyers using Invest TV will be able to activate unified audiences across US premium TV publishers and utilize those audiences in their Invest TV buying workflows. “The collaboration between Xandr and OpenAP is a gamechanger for both media buyers and sellers, removing friction that has existed with executing campaigns on advanced audiences at scale,” said Mike Welch, EVP & GM of Xandr. “We built Invest TV to streamline and unify buying of advanced TV audiences, and we heard the message loud and clear that the ability to plan, buy and measure on the premium national TV footprint was critical.”

Innovid, the ad delivery and measurement platform for CTV, has entered into a definitive merger agreement with ION Acquisition Corp. 2 Ltd., a special purpose acquisition company. The combined company will operate under the Innovid name and will trade on a US national exchange. “Innovid is entering an exciting new chapter of growth as a public company, a major milestone that corresponds with rising adoption and demands for streaming television,” said Zvika Netter, Co-Founder and CEO at Innovid. “The rapid shift of viewership from linear TV to streaming has driven marketers to make CTV a strategic investment focus. Our technology was purpose-built for TV which has allowed us to win in the marketplace and contributed to our rapid growth to date.” The transaction is expected to close in 4Q21.

GOING GLOBAL

Studiocanal has sold dramas throughout Asia, among them Canal+ Creation Originale series “ZeroZeroZero,” “Possessions” and “War of the Worlds.”

As part of this year’s Stand Up To Cancer, the joint national fundraising campaign from Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK, boy band star Tom Parker, diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor, and his family will the the focus of a documentary for Channel 4.

Silverlining Rights scored multiple global pre-sales for Spun Gold TV’s upcoming ITV series “Diana’s Decades,” including Network 10 (Australia), TVNZ (New Zealand) , SVT (Sweden), NRK (Norway), TV2 (Denmark), EO (Netherlands) and BBC Lifestyle Poland and South Africa .

Mediafisch and Elysian Fields signed a deal with Small World to be the worldwide distribution and production partners for the unscripted television series “My Perfect Supercar.” The series is being produced in association with The Supercar Owners Circle.

Enter for a Shot in the Spotlight

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Wednesday, June 23
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: “Press Your Luck” 3.04 (0.4), “The $100,000 Pyramid” 3.44 (0.4), “Card Sharks”2.32 (0.3)
CBS: “Kids Say the Darndest Things” 2.98 (0.3), “S.W.A.T.” 2.12 (0.2), “S.W.A.T.” 2.05 (0.2)
CW: “Kung Fu” 0.85 (0.1), “In the Dark” 0.44 (0.1)
ION: “Law & Order: SVU” 0.93 (0.2), “Law & Order: SVU” 0.94 (0.2), “Law & Order: SVU” 0.88 (0.2)
FOX: “MasterChef” 2.64 (0.5), “Crime Scene Kitchen” 1.80 (0.4)
NBC: “The Boss Baby” 1.64 (0.3), “The Blacklist” 2.15 (0.2)
Telemundo: “Exatlon Estados Unidos” 1.22 (0.3), “Hercai: Amor Venganza” 1.19 (0.3), “Café Aroma de Mujer” 0.81 (0.3)
Univision: “Disenando Tu Amor” 1.34 (0.4), “Si nos Dejan” 1.51 (0.4), “Hija del Embajador” 1.49 (0.4)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Sasha Silver has been promoted to Head of Drama for Hulu Originals. Silver joined the streamer in 2016.

Ad agency Doner has appointed Tarik Cox as SVP, Brand Leader and James Adamé as EVP Director of Design. Cox has developed integrated marketing plans and campaigns for brands including Nike, Ford Motor Company, American Express and others. Adamé most recently served as Global Design Director at Commonwealth.

AdImpact has appointed William Macauley as VP of Product. Prior to AdImpact, Macauley was the Principal of Product with Pitney Bowes Software.

Habu has named Tim Norris-Wiles as Managing Director EMEA. Norris-Wiles joins Habu after most recently operating his own consulting practice.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products announced three promotions. Lourdes Arocho has been promoted to SVP, Paramount Pictures Licensing, Global Games and Publishing for ViacomCBS Consumer Products; Chris Groll is promoted to SVP, Consumer Products Design, ViacomCBS; and Priya Mukhedkar takes on the role of SVP, Packaged Goods, ViacomCBS Consumer Products.

Friday Fun Fact
Play-Doh started out as wallpaper cleaner before it was rebranded as modeling clay for kids.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Who voiced the title character in Showtime’s gay adult animated comedy “Queer Duck” (2000-04)? Jm J Bullock. Kudos to: Ray Ellin-Aruba Ray Worldwide/NYC; Marni C. Gold/Hawthorne, NJ; Alison Young/South Orange, NJ; Dennis Maguire-Apple/Tampa; Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank

Today’s Trivia Question
Who played Susan’s mother on “Suddenly Susan” (1996-2000)? (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.)