Today’s Premieres
Freeform: grown-ish at 10p
Netflix: Bad Exorcist; Virgin River
Smithsonian Channel: Animals Decoded at 8p

Today’s Finale
CW: Wellington Paranormal at 9p

IN THE NEWS

Netflix is eyeing an early 2023 launch for its ad-supported tier. The company noted in the shareholder letter that accompanied its earnings report that it’s in the “early stages” of monetizing the 100 million-plus households currently using the service for free; it’s been testing in Latin America and is “encouraged by our early learnings and ability to convert consumers to paid sharing.” The streamer also noted a “lower priced advertising-supported offering will complement our existing plans, which will remain ad-free. Our global ARM has grown at a 5% compound annual rate from 2013 to 2021, so it makes sense now to give consumers a choice for a lower priced option with advertisements, if they desire it.”

Speaking of those quarterly earnings, Netflix beat expectations for Q2, reporting a decline of roughly 970,000 subscribers to end the period with a global total of 220.67 million—a smaller drop than analysts projected. The news sent the streamer’s stock up 7 percent in after-hours trading.

The Twitter-Musk trial date has beens set. Delaware Chancery Court Chief Judge Kathaleen McCormick set a five-day trial in October for the platform’s lawsuit against its would-be new owner, Elon Musk. Twitter had asked for an expedited four-day trial in September; Musk’s attorneys sought a February date.

GAC Media is renaming its linear networks and reorganizing its properties under a master brand. GAC Family will be renamed Great American Family and GAC Living will become Great American Living, a move that aligns the linear channel names with the company’s FAST channel, Great American Adventures, and Great American Community, a new direct-to-consumer app coming this fall. The four brands will be a part of the company’s new Great American Media master brand.

Nearly half of the 200 most popular scripted series of the 2021-22 season earned the ReFrame Stamp for gender-balanced hiring, according to ReFrame, an initiative rooted in the Sundance Institute and Women in Film Los Angeles, and IMDbPro. At 47 percent, the current number represents a 7 percent decrease from the previous season but more than double the number of shows that qualified when ReFrame Stamp first launched four years ago. Among other key findings of the 2021-22 report:
* The majority of showrunners are men, and the majority of women showrunners are white. Of the 200 shows analyzed, 29.5 percent had a woman showrunner; of those shows, only 3.5 percent had a woman of color showrunner.
* Men directed the majority of episodes; many women directed multiple episodes. Of the 2008 episodes analyzed, 36 percent were directed by 293 women.
* More women cinematographers are getting hired, but very few women of color. Twenty-two percent of the shows hired a woman cinematographer for at least one ep, an increase of more than 100 percent from prior year. However, only 3.5 percent of shows hired a cinematographer who was a woman of color. ReFrame and IMDbPro have renewed their collaboration on the Stamp initiative through 2025.

AWARDS WATCH

The Critics Choice Assn. planted the flag for Sunday, January 15, 2023 for the 28th annual “Critics Choice Awards,” which will air live on the CW at 7p, and marked the calendar for a slate of awards shows and celebrations including its seventh Documentary Awards, inaugural Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television to debut November 4, and fifth annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television to be held December 5, all in LA.

The Academy of Country Music Awards will return for the second consecutive year as a livestreaming event on Amazon Prime Video. The 58th annual ceremony is set for Thursday, May 11, 2023 and will be livestreamed from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Raj Kapoor will serve as exec producer.

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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Producer Todd Lieberman formed TV and film studio Hidden Pictures, as well as a strategic partnership with Lionsgate. Alex Young will serve as president of the new company, which scored a film rights deal for the Freida McFadden bestselling novel The Housemaid. Aside from Lionsgate, financial partners include Mint Mobile CEO David Glickman.

Eddie Murphy’s already getting into the holiday spirit. He’s set to star in and produce “Candy Cane Lane,” a Reginald Hudlin-directed comedy for Prime Video. From Amazon Studios, Imagine Entertainment and Eddie Murphy Productions, the film was written by Kelly Younger and inspired by Younger’s childhood holiday experiences.

Quality Films, the television and film division of hip hop record label Quality Control, is making moves. The label, whose roster includes Lil Yachty and Migos, inked a co-production deal with Trioscope Studios, the company behind Netflix’s animated “The Liberator.” Together they’ll be developing TV series, and already are at work on their first project, a horror series about the struggle of African Americans in America based on a graphic novel.

Quality Films is also teaming with production and talent management company Artists First to finance, develop and produce scripted TV shows and films. Artists First’s roster includes Jordan Peele, Kenya Barris, Anthony Anderson, Awkwafina, Martin Lawrence, John Travolta, Niecy Nash and Tracee Ellis Ross. The joint venture will focus on projects in the $10 million and under range.

“Breeders,” the comedy series that explores the challenges of modern parenting, got a season 4 pickup at FX. Starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard, “Breeders” concluded its third season on the network this week.

PBS is collaborating with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to shine a light on critical contributions to the arts that continue to inspire contemporary artists across art forms, genres and backgrounds. The enduring influence of artistic changemakers will be explored during the next three years in a new primetime performing arts series called “Next At the Kennedy Center.” First five-eps season premieres Friday, October 7 at 10p.

“Paradise Lost” director Joe Berlinger and Endemol Shine North America are remaking Swedish crime drama series “The Truth Will Get Out” for US audiences.The original show, which debuted in 2018 and follows a Stockholm police detective with a history of mental instability who forms a Cold Case Unit comprising a group of misfit officers, has been a ratings hit for Sweden’s Kanal 5 and streaming services.

“The Simpsons” animator Erick Tran is working with NFT marketplace Mogul Productions to create an animated NFT series steeped in Tinsel Town. “The Mogies,” a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Hollywood sign being erected, comprises a pool of 1,923 NFTs inspired by the past century of Hollywood characters and personalities. The NFTs are being developed into both an animated series and an expanded Mogieland metaverse.

A+E Networks UKcommissioned Phoenix Television and Motion Content Group to produce “Royal Autopsy,” an investigation into the cause of death of two of Britain’s most famous monarchs: Queen Elizabeth I and King Charles II. Slated to debut on Sky History in October, the series features Prof. Alice Roberts blending historical and medical expertise to piece together how and why the monarchs died.

The Netflix Mo’Nique comedy special is finally a go. The Grammy-nominated, Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning actor and comedian will film her first original stand-up special for the streamer this year in Atlanta.

Netflix acquired Australian animation studio Animal Logic, which has done work on films including “Happy Feet,” “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” and “The Lego Movie.”

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

“People Puzzler” will return to Game Show Network on Monday, August 1 at 6p. The original series is hosted by Leah Remini and based on the iconic crossword puzzles in People magazine.

Comedy “This Fool,” inspired by the life of comedian Chris Estrada and exec-produced by Fred Armisen, will debut Friday, August 12 on Hulu. The 10-ep series is set in working class South Central LA and centers around Julio Lopez, a 30-year-old who still lives at home and finds any excuse to avoid dealing with his own problems.

Blind date food competition “Hotties” is headed to Hulu on Tuesday, August 16. Hosted by former “The Soup” host Jade Catta-Preta and housed at Bright Spot Content, the 10-ep series pits pairs of blind dates against each other in a battle to cook up date-night worthy dishes, all while attempting to eat incredibly spicy food in the desert heat.

The second volume of Netflix anthology series “Untold” returns Tuesday, August 16 with “The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist,” which reveals the story behind football star Manti Te’o’s online connection.

SPORTS

NASCAR is hitting the streets of downtown Chicago next year on July 1-2 for a NASCAR Cup Series street race that will debut against the backdrop of Lake Michigan and Grant Park, and will be carried by NBC. The two races, one on each day, will be “surrounded by music and entertainment” along with a 12-turn, 2.2-mile street course, with the start/finish line and pit road located along South Columbus Drive directly in front of Buckingham Fountain.

Prime Video and the WNBA revealed their on-air broadcast team for the second annual WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game presented by Coinbase, airing exclusively on Prime Video on July 26 at 8:30p. Sarah Kustok and Michael Grady will serve as analyst and play-by-play announcer, while Dawn Staley will also contribute as an analyst. This year, the defending WNBA Champion Chicago Sky and the Las Vegas Aces will face off in the 2022 Championship Game at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.

FanDuel Group announced two appointments with Christian Genetski promoted to the role of President, FanDuel Group and Mike Raffensperger named to the newly created position of Chief Commercial Officer.

Prime Video is tapping the talents of composer Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel, Fortnite) to create an all-new original score and theme music for the streamer’s exclusive coverage of Thursday Night Football. The TNF anthem will be the first new theme music for a rights holder of an NFL package since the famed John Williams composed “Wide Receiver” for NBC Sports in 2006. Toprak also becomes the first woman to compose the original theme music for an NFL media package.

Spotlight Sports Group announced former ESPN mainstay Matthew Berry’s new endeavor in FantasyLife.com. The platform will offer sports betting and fantasy sports tools from Spotlight Sports Group.

FOX Sports announced that Jon Hamm will star as Santa Claus in its new creative campaign for this year’s FIFA World Cup tournament. The campaign debuted last night during the Major League Baseball All-Star game on FOX and marks the first of three commercials set to launch in the lead-up to the tournament.

COMING UP

AXS TV celebrates some of music’s most captivating and controversial men with its “90s Bad Boys Saturday Stack” promo, airing Saturday, July 30 beginning at noon. The roster kicks off with eps of “A Year In Music,” and other highlights include performances from Rage Against The Machine and Kid Rock; and profiles of Lenny Kravitz, Nine Inch Nails, Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The life and career of country superstar Wynonna Judd is the subject of “Wynonna Judd: Love is Alive,” premiering Sunday, July 31 at 9p on Reelz. From her humble beginnings in Ashland, KY, to sharing the stage as a teenager with her late mother Naomi Judd, the doc peels back the curtain on the rise of the Judds and the subsequent solo career of the Country Music Hall of Fame artist.

“Lightyear” buzzes on to Disney+ on Wednesday, August 3. From Disney and Pixar, the film that lays out the Buzz Lightyear origin story and follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth, initially debuted in theaters.

Stand-up comedy special “Jesus Sepulveda: Mr. Tough Life” debuts Friday, August 5 at 10p on HBO Latino and HBO Max. LA-based Sepulveda makes his stand-alone Entre Nos debut with this special, recorded at NY’s Chelsea Music Hall.

Coming up Wednesday, August 17 on Netflix is “Look Both Ways,” a drama starring Lili Reinhart as a young woman whose life diverges into parallel realities on the eve of her college graduation. In one, she becomes pregnant and remains in her hometown; in the other does not and moves to Los Angeles.

A team of paranormal investigators are on the scene to unlock the secrets of a petrified western town in “Ghosts of Devil’s Perch,” premiering Sunday, August 21 on Travel Channel and Discovery+. A mystery is buried beneath the streets of Butte, Montana, and the spirits tethered to the historic mining town’s past are rising to the surface with clues. Series chronicles the work of investigator Dave Schrader, tech expert K.D. Stafford and psychic medium Cindy Kaza who head to Butte to help.

ADVERTISING & BRANDS

Disney Advertising closed its 2022-23 Upfront with $9 billion in advertiser commitments comprising every major holding company. Forty percent of total Upfront dollars committed are streaming and digital, led by Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu. Overall revenue is up across the board, with CPM increases across streaming, sports, broadcast and cable. Prime saw double-digit increases and high single-digit increases in addressable, and Disney secured substantial DE&I commitments from every major holding company. “Disney Advertising entered our 2022-2023 Upfront committed to executing on our strategic priorities—streaming, multicultural and inclusion, sports and entertainment—and we delivered,” said Rita Ferro, president of advertising sales, Disney Media and Entertainment.

New advertising partners for Shark Week 2022, which airs from Sunday, July 24-Sunday, July 31 on Discovery Channel and discovery+, include Airbnb, Morey’s, Nautica, PNC Bank, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews and Sport Clips. Returning to the water are Geico, Gorilla Glue, Jeep Brand, Wayfair and Sonic Drive-In. Back for its 34th year with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as its first MC, Shark Week will take viewers to new locations, from the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas to Papau New Guinea, spotlighting innovative technology and research through new series and specials with 25 adrenaline-inducing original hours.

Nexstar Digital and media platform Teads announced an exclusive partnership to deliver Teads’ flagship ad format, inRead advertising technology, to Nexstar Digital’s 125 websites and 239 mobile apps. The partnership covers a majority of Nexstar Digital’s portfolio including local station websites and apps, NewsNation and The Hill, and enables Nexstar Digital to scale its online inRead inventory, while increasing video and display ad monetization.

The ANA introduced the industry’s first set of guidelines to help standardize metrics for measuring organic influencer marketing. The guidelines, created by the ANA’s Influencer Marketing Advisory Board in collaboration with agency partners and platforms, include awareness metrics, engagement metrics and conversion metrics that have been endorsed by Media Rating Council.

CASTING

Hugh Jackman is onboard to voice Big Greg in the upcoming Hulu original animated comedy series “Koala Man”… Jelani Alladin (“The Walking Dead World Beyond”), Noah J. Ricketts (“American Gods”) and Linus Roache (“Batman Begins”) joined the lead cast of Showtime limited series “Fellow Travelers.”

GOING GLOBAL

Prime Video’s new Italian content showcase unveiled a slate of 15 drama series, movies, docs and entertainment shows, including a doc on late basketball star Kobe Bryant, who grew up in Italy. Also upcoming are a feature doc on Italian singer/songwriter Mahmood and a remake of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?.”

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RATINGS

For the second straight week“Jeopardy!” just nipped “Family Feud” for game show supremacy and the overall syndication lead in the Fourth of July holiday session ended July 10. “Wheel of Fortune” was next. “Live with Kelly and Ryan” was the only talker in the plus column, climbing into sole possession of first place in the hotly contested category. The show celebrated Independence Day with “Live’s 4th of July Party,” which featured a performance by The Goo Goo Dolls, celebrity guests, and festive holiday events with the hosts. “Dr Phil” snared second despite being in reruns on all five days. Year to year, most of syndication was lower. However, an all-repeat week of “The Drew Barrymore Show” bucked the downtrend and grew 25 percent from the same week in 2021. That was the most of any talker in the top 10, improving to a 0.5 with well more than 600,000 daily viewers.

NBC Sports’ coverage of the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews across NBC, USA Network and Peacock finished as the second most-watched Open Championship in nearly a decade, averaging a Total Audience Delivery of 2.516 million viewers. Overall viewership was up 16% vs. 2021, with Sunday’s final round coverage on NBC averaging a TAD of 4.725 million viewers – up 12% vs. last year’s final round.

Nielsen Top 10 M-F Syndicated Strip Series for the week of July 4 ranked in order by HH Rtg
Jeopardy (CMV) 4.9 AA
Family Feud (CMV) 4.8 AA
Judge Judy (CMV) 4.3 AA
Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 4.2 AA
Inside Edition (CMV) 2.0 AA
The Big Bang Theory (WB) 1.8 AA
Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 1.8 AA
Live With Kelly and Ryan (DAD) 1.5 AA
The Dr. Phil Show (CMV) 1.3 AA
Hot Bench (AT) 1.3 AA

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Monday, July 18
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: “The Bachelorette” 3.00 (0.7), “Claim To Fame” 1.92 (0.4)
CBS: “The Neighborhood” 3.22 (0.3), “Bob Hearts Abishola” 2.94 (0.3), “NCIS” 3.25 (0.3), “NCIS: Hawaii” 2.98 (0.3)
CW: “Roswell: New Mexico” 0.45 (0.1), “In the Dark” 0.31 (0.0)
FOX: “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” 1.97 (0.3), “Beat Shazam” 1.87 (0.3)
NBC: “American Ninja Warrior” 2.73 (0.4), “Weakest Link” 1.88 (0.3)
Telemundo: “Casa de Famosos” 1.37 (0.4), “Amor Valiente” 0.96 (0.2), “Infiel” 0.94 (0.3)
Univision: “Mexicana Y El Guero” 0.95 (0.3), “Herencia Legado Amor” 1.40 (0.5), “Muher de Nadie” 1.16 (0.4)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Time Studios named Sachar Mathias as executive producer, Audio, signaling the studios expansion into the audio space. Mathias most recently headed the society & culture department at Pushkin Industries.

NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships named Kimberly King as the new VP, diversity, equity & inclusion, global advertising and partnerships. King formerly was VP, One Platform Marketing, within NBCUniversal’s Advertising and Partnerships division.

Munich-based production company Windlight Pictures announced two senior appointments. Andreas Kohl, previously at Bavaria Fiction, joins as head of postproduction and development; Tamara Weir-Mohr, previously of W&B Television, is the firm’s new head of finance.

This Day in History
1881 – Sioux Native American leader Sitting Bull, a fugitive since the Battle of the Little Big Horn, surrendered to federal troops in Montana.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which sitcom character had photos Michelle Obama, Madeline Albright and Hillary Clinton in her office? Leslie Knopes, on “Parks and Recreation.” Kudos to: Aaron Paquette-AccelerateSG/Fort Worth, TX; Kerry McCue-Roku/NYC; Jessica Jiang-FOX/NYC; Dan Quiterio-Paramount/NYC; Rick Dascher-WarnerMedia Studios/Atlanta; Frank Nicotero/Sherman Oaks, CA; Andy Ehlen-Grady Britton/Portland, OR; Adam Leston-Weigel Broadcasting/Milwaukee, WI; Catie Eichler-Citizen Pictures/Denver; Dave Braxton-DaveBVO/Las Vegas; Sean Douaire-Warner Bros. Discovery/Chicago; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank

Today’s Trivia Question
What TV and film star appeared as a contestant on the first season of VH1’s reality show “I Want to Work for Diddy”? 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