Today’s Premieres
HGTV: Ugliest House in America at 8p; Meet Marry Murder at 10p
Lifetime: #TextMeWhenYouGetHome at 8p
Netflix: Gabby’s Dollhouse

IN THE NEWS

Apple TV+ crime drama “City on Fire” has gone up in smoke. The eight-episode series, produced by Apple Studios, had its season one – now series – finale on June 16.

Bethenny Frankel took another step in her move to form a reality TV union with a broadside to her former employer, NBCUniversal. In a letter, attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos warned that “the day of reckoning has arrived,” accusing the company and its cable network Bravo of a “pattern and practice of grotesque and depraved mistreatment of the reality stars and crewmembers.” An original cast member on “The Real Housewives of New York City,” Frankel continued her Bravo reality run with spinoffs “Bethenny Ever After” and “Bethenny and Fredrik,” as well as HBO Max reality competition “The Big Shot with Bethenny.”

“The King of Queens” star Leah Remini filed a suit against the Church of Scientology. The former member of the Church and executive producer of the docuseries “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” addressed the “mob-style tactics” the church allegedly used to defame her in the lawsuit, filed August 2. “For 17 years, Scientology and David Miscavige have subjected me to what I believe to be psychological torture, defamation, surveillance, harassment, and intimidation, significantly impacting my life and career,” said Remini in a statement. “I believe I am not the first person targeted by Scientology and its operations, but I intend to be the last.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have acquired film rights to Carly Fortune bestseller Meet Me at the Lake as part of their deal with Netflix, reports UK’s Sun. The book follows the romance of a couple in their thirties, one of whom faced the childhood trauma of the death of a parent in a car crash.

Lesli Linka Glatter has been re-elected president of the Directors Guild of America. “Together, we will continue our shared fight — along with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA — for an industry in which we are all fairly valued and celebrated for the work we do,” she said.

“Days of Our Lives’ director/co-executive producer Albert Alarr is leaving the Peacock soap after cast members signed a petition calling for his removal. The petition that followed an investigation into inappropriate behavior. Janet Drucker has been elevated to c-EP, and the show is implementing HR protocols including an enhanced HR presence and channels to report workplace concerns. “Many of the claims recently referenced in the media are simply false. Others have been taken so out of context or are so twisted that they are unrecognizable from the truth,” responded Alarr.

STRIKE UPDATES

SAG-AFTRA isn’t satisfied with a proposal from studios that would have performers asked for consent to use their digital likeness at “initial employment.” “That’s really abusive, and not an OK way for companies to deal with somebody’s image, likeness or persona,” SAG-AFTRA Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland told The New York Times. “It’s like owning a person.” The union has made a counterproposal that would guarantee “informed consent and fair compensation when a ‘digital replica’ is made or our performance is changed using A.I.”

In a meeting on Friday, the Writers Guild of America and the AMPTP couldn’t come to terms about the resumption of contract negotiations. “The AMPTP said they needed to consult with their member studios before moving forward,” the union’s negotiating committee told their members. “Your committee remains willing to engage with the companies and resume negotiations in good faith to make a fair deal for all writers, even with this early confirmation that the AMPTP playbook continues. But rest assured, this committee does not intend to leave anyone behind, or make merely an incremental deal to conclude this strike.”

In Friday’s meeting, the WGA added new demands, including a health care benefit extension giving striking writers more time to qualify for coverage. Because writers have already lost the three months of the strike to reach the $41,773/year they need to qualify for health care coverage, Ellen Stutzman, the WGA’s chief negotiator, told the AMPTP that “in addition to a comprehensive response from the AMPTP on our proposals in all work areas, we will need to address issues arising from the strike, including a health care benefit extension.”

AMC Networks CEO Kristin Dolan said the strikes won’t limit the company’s programming supply for quite a while. “We greatly value the work of our creative partners and hope these disputes can be resolved as quickly and fairly as possible,” said Dolan during AMC’s quarterly earnings call. “In the short term, the reality for AMC Networks is that we have a pipeline of finished shows that will allow us to continue to serve our viewers across all of our platforms for the remainder of this year and well into 2024.”

Cynopsis Top Women in Media Awards

CELEBRATION! COCKTAILS! COMMUNITY!

We found a new venue for this year’s Top Women in Media Awards, and it’s a winner! Pier 60 in NYC offers sparkling views of the Hudson River and a fun ambience. Registration is already open to attend, but there’s still time to nominate someone for an award!

ENTRIES CLOSE THIS WEDNESDAY, 8/9

ENTER NOW

RETURNING SERIES

“Southern Charm” is back for a ninth season next month. The resident charmers return with newcomers Rod Razavi, Rodrigo Reyes and Jarrett “JT” Thomas for the premiere September 14 at 9p on Bravo.

SPORTS

Oregon and Washington have finalized a deal to join the Big Ten, the third and fourth Pac-12 members to leave the conference for the Big Ten in the last 13 months. Both teams were charter members of the Pac-12, going back to 1915. “We have tremendous respect and gratitude for the Pac-12, its treasured history and traditions. At the same time, the college athletics landscape has changed dramatically in recent years,” said Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen. “The Big Ten’s history of athletic and academic success and long-term stability best positions our teams for future success.” Of Oregon’s move, athletic director Rob Mullens said, “Accepting membership into the Big Ten Conference is a transformational opportunity for the University of Oregon to change the short and long-term trajectory of our university and athletics department.”

Unlike USC and UCLA, Oregon and Washington will not start their Big Ten tenures with full revenue shares, reports ESPN. Instead, they will receive 50% shares of Big Ten media rights revenue, or $30 million in 2024 with annual $1 million escalators until the completion of the conference’s deal with CBS, Fox and NBC. The Big Ten will have 18 teams in the 2024-25 season, the most ever in college football. The Big 12 will have 16 with the addition of Arizona State and Utah, which were unanimously voted into membership on Friday.

“Today’s news is incredibly disappointing for student-athletes, fans, alumni and staff of the Pac-12 who cherish the over 100-year history, tradition and rivalries of the Conference of Champions,” said the Pac-12 in a statement on Friday. “We remain focused on securing the best possible future for each of our member institutions.”

“The old question — how long would it take TV money to destroy college football? Maybe we’re here,” Washington State football Coach Jake Dickert told reporters.

COMING UP

A weeklong salute to Hip Hop starts today on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” marking the genre’s 50th anniversary. The celebration will feature live performances, guest appearances and an exploration of the music’s influence on culture. Today, the talk show will host Rapper Jeezy and Offset.

A Brigitte Bardot-inspired drama series has landed at The American French Film Festival. The six-part “post-WWII Pygmalion story” will be presented on the closing night of the TAFFF in the Best Series Award category. Julia de Nunez stars as Bardot, alongside Vincent Belmondo, Hippolyte Girardot and Géraldine Paihas.

STREAMING

“Asteroid City” will hit Peacock on Friday. Wes Anderson’s latest film lands on the free streaming service less than two months after its premiere, which has garnered $46.8 million globally so far.

Cynopsis Best of the Best & Rising Stars Awards

That’s the Ticket!

Registration is now open for this year’s Best of the Best & Rising Stars Awards, taking place in conjunction with the BIG TV Conference on September 27. Be there to salute excellence in campaigns, programs, people, tech and more. Mark your calendars – you won’t want to miss this!

REGISTER HERE

RATINGS

The Season 10 premiere of Hallmark Channel’s “When Calls the Heart” was the #1 most-watched entertainment cable program on Sunday, July 30 among Households, Women and Persons 18+, and Total Viewers; #3 with W18-49 and W18-34, reaching 3 million Total Unduplicated Viewers.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Alyson Jackson departed Warner Bros. Discovery after 14 years. The former executive VP and head of global content supply chain had been with the company and Discovery since 2009.

IN MEMORIAM

Mark Margolis of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” died at 83. The actor, known for his portrayal of fictional drug kingpin Hector “Tío” Salamanca on both series, died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City on August 3. Said Margolis’ manager, Robert Kolker, “He was one of a kind. We won’t see his likes again. He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him.”

This Day in History
2009 – Kesha released her single “Tik Tok” (2010 Billboard Song of the Year).k

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
“Dash Dolls” (2015) was a spinoff of which series? “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” (2007-2021). Kudos to: Louis Lewow-FITE/Atlanta, Natasha Manners Floy-ABC-TV/New York, Rob Vernon/Washington, DC, Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL, Steve Callahan-Screen Engine/ASI/LA, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank, CA, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
What was the name of Jan’s candle company in “The Office” (2005-2013)? (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