Tonight’s Finales
HGTV: Home Town: Stay Awhile at 8p
ID: Betrayed at 9p

IN THE NEWS

Netflix renewed The Kominsky Method, starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin, for a third and final season. “The Kominsky Method has been a true passion project for me and it’s been an incredible experience to see the warm response from both audiences and critics,” said show creator Chuck Lorre. “I’m excited to wrap up the story with this final chapter.” Season two premiered in October 2019.

Beginning today, July 6, Conan will broadcast from the historic Largo at the Coronet in West Hollywood. The production will follow health protocols, with no audience, guests appearing via Zoom, and limited staff and crew on site. Conan, which had been filming remotely since the end of March from Conan O’Brien’s home, is the first late-night show to move on from home filming. O’Brien is using the Largo rather than his studio at the Warner Bros. lot to help the theater, where he started doing improv in 1986, during lockdown.

After the Writers Guild of America reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for a new three-year deal, the WGAW Board and WGAE Council voted unanimously to recommend the contract. A ratification vote among members will take place later this month.

Horizon Media and its eCommerce data intelligence firm, Night Market, are holding what they call an eCommerce Upfront from July 13-17. Virtual workshops will focus on trends, best practices and strategies, with Amazon, Google, Facebook, Instacart, Walmart and PromoteIQ/Kroger onboard. Night Market was launched in February to help marketers boost online retail performance.

Telemundo reports it has topped 10 million subscribers on its main YouTube channel, the only US television broadcast channel to hit that milestone. The mix of formats includes scripted, hard news, sports and entertainment; clips from court show Caso Cerrado account for almost one billion hours of watch time.

NBCUniversal is selling the assets of crafts and hobbies-focused SVOD Bluprint, launched as Craftsy in 2011. Bluprint was acquired by NBCU in 2017; in May NBCU said it was winding down the service. Instead, it will go to TN Marketing. “Our team is focused on continuing the excitement, enthusiasm and loyalty that the Bluprint community, instructors, designers and content creators enjoyed since its Craftsy days,” said TN Marketing EVP and GM of Digital Business Jim Kopp.

Netflix has added its “Remove from Row” feature to iOS devices, allowing subscribers to delete programs from their “Continue Watching” lists. For those who don’t yet have that option, Netflix said users can hide titles from viewing activity, which will remove them from the Continue Watching row.

ENTER HERE

MTV Studios announced that Phil Lord and Chris Miller will reimagine the Clone High television series with co-creator Bill Lawrence. Together with MTV and Erica Rivinoja, the trio will develop and produce new episodes of the animated series, a parody of emo culture. Rivinoja, who was a writer on the original series, will serve as showrunner and will co-write the pilot with Lord and Miller.

Amazon Studios has licensed the rights to best-selling game franchise Fallout, which received a series commitment. Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s Kilter Films is producing alongside Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks.

Lesley Manville (Mum) will take over the role of Princess Margaret from Helena Bonham Carter for the fifth and final season of Netflix’s The Crown. Imelda Staunton will play Queen Elizabeth, stepping into Olivia Colman’s shoes.

Wetumpka, AL has been chosen as the site for HGTV’s Home Town Makeover, a six-part programming event slated to debut in 2021. With help of Ben and Erin Napier (Home Town) and other guest experts, HGTV will help revitalize Wetumpka by renovating private residences, a public gathering space for residents, and several buildings that house small businesses.

NEW & RETURNING SHOWS

Season two of Oxygen’s License to Kill premieres Saturday, August 8 at 6p. Dr. Terry Dubrow (Botched) hosts the true crime show, focused on medical malfeasance.

OvationTV’s AVOD travel channel, Journy, will offer the first season of Travels with Darley, following host Darley Newman as he travels with locals in different locations, on Wednesday, July 15.

COMING UP

Animated movie Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe, from Disney Television Animation, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ Friday, August 28. All four seasons of the original animated series, along with the Disney Channel Original Movie Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension, are also available to stream on Disney+. Beginning Tuesday, August 25, all episodes will be presented on Disney XD leading up to the movie’s premiere.

AXS TV will celebrate Ringo Starr’s 80th birthday with the telecast of Ringo’s Birthday Show on Tuesday, July 7 at 8p. Hosted by Starr, with guests including Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, and Sheryl Crow, proceeds from the show will benefit Black Lives Matter Global Network, The David Lynch Foundation, MusiCares and WaterAid.

GOING GLOBAL

Rainmaker Content secured worldwide distribution rights for the 2020 Emmy Awards, excluding US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, airs on ABC on Sunday, September 20.

WildBrain Spark has been appointed by Benesse Corporation to manage the English-language channel and content for its preschool brand Shimajiro on YouTube. Shimajiro is an educational character and learning buddy popular in Asia; WildBrain Spark will look to grow the presence of the brand’s English-language content with a focus on the UK, US and the wider English global market.

Armoza Formats announced the commission and start of shooting for police drama Street Justice in Russia. The local adaptation will feature 11 episodes on NTV and will be produced by KIT Film Studio.

Production and financing company Anton and Tobi de Graaff, former BBC Studios Director of Commissioning & Co-production, are partnering on London-based Beiboot, a joint venture to develop, package and finance high-end television with a focus on European produced premium content.

We’re searching for the most innovative executives in digital media who excel in digital content, marketing, advertising, social media to take their place on Cynopsis Digital’s “It List.” These are the people who shake up the status quo and are shaping digital media’s future.

NOMINATE BY AUG 11th

UPtv’s moved up 18 slots in the rankings among competitive cable networks, and audience in 2Q20 vs. year-ago rose by +42% in W25-54 and +44% in households. “We made the decision to dramatically grow our movie offerings and raise our profile as a movie destination this year, and it’s been wildly successful with our movies performing at a high level,” said Charley Humbard, president and CEO, UP Entertainment.

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Wednesday, July 1
Show, P2+ 0000s, (A18-49)
ABC: The Goldbergs 2.63 (0.5), black-ish 1.84 (0.4), The Conners 1.93 (0.3), American Housewife 1.67 (0.3), Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1.32 (0.3)
CBS: Game On! 3.21 (0.6), SEAL Team 2.45 (0.4), S.W.A.T. 2.45 (0.4).
CW: The Hundred 0.64 (0.1), Bulletproof 0.35 (0.0)
FOX: MasterChef 1.72 (0.4), MasterChef 1.73 (0.4)
NBC: Chicago Med 3.67 (0.4), Chicago Fire 3.62 (0.4), Chicago PD 3.45 (0.4)
Telemundo: Cennet 1.20 (0.3), 100 Dias Enamorarnos 0.92 (0.3), Enemigo Intimo 0.85 (0.3)
Univision: Te Doy la Vida 1.78 (0.5), Amor Eterno 1.93 (0.6), Como tu no Hay 1.55 (0.5)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Chris Ender, who has been with CBS since 1996, has been promoted to head of communications for CBS Entertainment. Ender replaces Dana McClintock, who announced in March he was exiting the role.

Gaumont appointed Michelle Sullivan as VP, Creative Executive, Animation and Family. Sullivan was formerly a development executive for Amazon Studios.

Deepak Bhatia has been named General Manager and Head of Sales, India, at Synamedia. Bhatia was most recently VP and Business Head of Sales in South Asia at Technicolor.

DoubleVerify appointed Mark Zagorski as CEO, effective July 21st. Zagorski previously served as the CEO of Telaria.

IN MEMORIAM

Broadcasting legend Hugh Downs died July 1 at age 99. Downs was an anchor for NBC’s Today from 1962-1971, and worked with Barbara Walters on ABC’s 20/20 from 1978 until his retirement in 1999. Downs also hosted NBC game show Concentration from 1958-1969.

UK actor Earl Cameron died July 3. He was 102. Appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Cameron was one of the first Black actors to have significant roles in British films. His television work included The Dark Man and season 4 of Doctor Who.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
In which sitcom were the two lead characters owner-pilots of a plane called Lucky Linda? Tim Conway and Joe Flynn played the high-flying pair in The Tim Conway Show (1970). Kudos to: Richard Freedman-RFJ Assoc./Bethesda, MD, Rev. Mark Wajda/Lakeland, FL, Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank, Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, Jon Krongard-Wonderama/NYC, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank, Ken DuBow-Bob’s Your Uncle/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
Which actor/comedian made frequent appearances as Honest John on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971)? (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.)