| PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
OWN gave a straight-to-series order to Delilah, a drama from the same creative team behind Greenleaf, which just completed its five-year run. Creator Craig Wright, Warner Bros. Television and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films are behind the project, which will feature Maahra Hill (Black-ish, How To Get Away With Murder) in the title role. Series follows a headstrong lawyer in Charlotte, NC, who takes on cases big law firms ignore while raising her two children.
Peacock is adapting sci-fi project Skywatch into a series, with UCP and Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door on board to produce. Based on a short film by ex-Pixar artist Colin Levy that came into existence via Kickstarter contributions, the story centers on an outcast teen who hacks into a drone delivery system and unwittingly finds himself entangled in a heavy conspiracy.
The events of spring 2020—including a virus that has disproportionately affected minorities—have translated to a call for change throughout America, and that change includes the media industry. That’s why Cynopsis, together with Entertainment Studios’ Byron Allen and TheGrio’s Natasha Alford, is presenting a webinar today at 1p ET on how to create a better marketplace for all players in the media space in order to grow a larger, healthier business community. Sign up and join us this afternoon (it’s free to attend)!
Twenty Four Seven, a drama from Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson starring T.I., is in the works at CBS All Access. Inspired by the book Notorious C.O.P.: The Inside Story of the Tupac, Biggie, and Jam Master Jay Investigations, series is being penned by Dallas Jackson based on the book by Derrick Parker and Matt Diehl and centers on Derrick Parker, who worked on some of rap music’s biggest criminal cases.
Justin Hartley (This Is Us) is set to exec produce and star in The Noel Diary, a film adaptation of Richard Paul Evans’ novel of the same name, for Netflix. Bonnie Bedelia (Die Hard, Parenthood) and Treat Williams (Everwood, Hair) also are on board the project, about a best-selling author who discovers a mysterious diary when he returns home at Christmas to settle his estranged mother’s estate.
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
Earth To Ned, a late-night talk show hosted by alien commander Ned and his lieutenant Cornelius, debuts on Disney+ on Wednesday, September 2. After they fall in love with human culture, the duo calls off their invasion of Earth and instead interview Earth’s greatest resource, celebrities.
TV One’s edgy autobiographical series Uncensored returns for season 3 on Sunday, September 6 at 10p. Among those in the spotlight this run are actor Larenz Tate, singer/actor Tyrese, and rapper/TV personality Eve.
Crackle original series Spides, which follows a murder investigation that takes a darker than the police expect, debuts Thursday, September 17. The streamer also is launching several new channels next month: Emmy Winners, Crime Time, Trapped Channel, Because Aliens Channel, and Sam, Snakes, and Planes Channel.
Lizzy Hale, frontwoman of Grammy-winning rock band Halestorm, will host season 3 of AXS TV series Year In Music, premiering Sunday, October 4 at 9:30p. Twelve new eps will feature profiles of the music and culture that defined 2001, 1998, 2008 and 1986, among other years.
Apple TV+ is lining up three new docuseries for the fall, narrated respectively by Olivia Colman, Tom Hiddleston and Paul Rudd. Tiny World, premiering Friday, October 2 and narrated by Rudd, examines the smallest animals on the planet. Becoming You, narrated by Colman and premiering Friday, November 13, is a global child development series; and Hiddleston-narrated Earth at Night in Color, debuting Friday, December 4, uses nocturnal cameras to capture wildlife at night.
The new season of PBS’ documentary series Independent Lens will kick off Monday, October 19 at 10p with the broadcast premiere of Sundance hit Feels Good Man. Season also will feature the directorial debut of HGTV personality Jonathan Scott, who travels across the country to explore the obstacles and opportunities for achieving energy freedom in Jonathan Scott’s Power Trip.
Acorn TV acquired US and Canadian rights to BBC One Irish detective drama Bloodlands, and will debut the series in the fall after its BBC One premiere. From exec producer Jed Mercurio (Line of Duty, Bodyguard), four-part crime thriller follows a veteran detective who delves into his own dark past to try solve a cold case.
Nickelodeon is adding Young Sheldon to its Nick at Nite programming lineup this fall. Beginning in November, series will join comedies including Friends, George Lopez and Mom.
COMING UP
On Friday August 28, the 57th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, ABC’s 20/20 will present The March, narrated by Denzel Washington, at 9p. Film features interviews with civil rights proponents including Rep. John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, and Rachelle Horowitz, transportation coordinator for the March.
NBC Sports will recount unprecedented moments from the 2019-20 PGA Tour season in an hourlong show Sunday, August 30, at 2p… In related news, NBCU sister Peacock is going green as it expands sports offerings to coverage of the US Open golf championship in September. Along with NBC and Golf Channel, the platform will stream two hours of live tournament coverage each day, September 17-20.
Beginning Monday, August 31, AccuWeather Network and accuweather.com will feature curated content/programming surrounding back to school in 2020. Programming will air Monday through Friday at 8a and 8p.
Two upcoming Biography sessions from A&E. On Monday, September 7 at 9p the net will premiere Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne. Then Tuesday, September 8 at 9p is the premiere of Biography: I Want My MTV.
Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ virtual three-part reunion is set for three consecutive Wednesdays beginning September 2 at 9p. Following the reunion, the net will air a Secrets Revealed special on Wednesday, September 23 at 9p.
Feature doc Human Nature, which debuts on PBS Wednesday, September 9, is exec-produced by Dan Rather and traces the origins of gene-editing technology Crispr, examines the tool’s potential and reckons with its ethical implications.
Shark Attack: The Paige Winter Story with Robin Roberts is slated for Thursday, September 10 at 10p on ABC. From Rock’n Robin Production and ABC news, special delves into the recovery story of Winter, who was swimming in waist-deep water when she was attacked by a shark.
Habla Now, the latest installment of the HBO Latino series Habla, debuts Friday, September 18 at 9p. One-hour doc features chef and humanitarian Jose Andres, Olympian Laurie Hernandez and actress Diane Guerrero. Doc will be available on HBO Latino and HBO Max.
Netflix will debut The Forty-Year-Old Version on Friday, October 9. Written and directed by Radha Blank, autobiographical story is about a down-on-her-luck NY playwright, desperate for a breakthrough before 40, who reinvents herself as rapper RadhaMUSPrime.
SYNDICATION CIRCUIT
Live With Kelly and Ryan will return for its 33rd season in national syndication the week of September 7. “Live @Home” is the continuing theme as Ripa and Seacrest return to their New York studio. Show heads into the 2020-21 season after finishing last season as the top-rated show in Daytime in all key demos.
Meredith has set its hosts and a premiere date for People magazine’s new daily syndicated series People (the Show!). Kay Adams and Lawrence K. Jackson will serve as co-hosts for the show, which will draw on content from the company’s lifestyle magazine including human-interest, entertainment, beauty and style stories. Series will premiere Monday, September 14 and air in all 12 Meredith markets including Atlanta, Nashville and Phoenix.
TECH TALK
Tubi and TiVo renewed and expanded their agreement that now will see Tubi’s library of more than 23,000 movies and shows available on the new TiVo Stream 4K device and streaming on the TiVo+ content network.
Facebook launched a suite of tools and features designed to expand commerce across its social media platforms. Facebook Shop, a dedicated space on the flagship Facebook app is among the new offerings in the company’s bid to make all things shoppable on its platform.
Angling to optimize pent-up demand for returning to movie theaters, Snapchat and Atom Tickets launched Movie Tickets By Atom. The app, under the Snap Minis umbrella, serves up trailers and tickets to users in the US and Canada and links their movie plans with their personal networks. As theaters gradually are starting to reopen, Atom said its survey of 16,000 moviegoers found 74 percent are ready to return to theaters in the next month.
As an advocate for our industry, we’re delighted to shine a spotlight on those who are making a difference in the digital media supply chain with our Adtech Awards program. Finalists were announced last week… go check them – and their amazing work – out: ow.ly/EzRs50B6Vxm
ADVERTISING & BRANDS
Ad management firm Viamedia received a patent for its QTT platform, a cloud-based television advertising solution aimed at bridging the gap between linear TV and digital advertising. QTT requests and receives ads from programmatic digital ad exchanges to enable real-time linear cable TV ad insertion using existing cable TV infrastructure.
CASTING
Schitt’s Creek alums Tim Rozon and Sarah Levy, plus Adam Korson, Maurice Dean Wint, Savannah Basley and Tennille Read are in as series regulars for Syfy’s upcoming drama The Surrealtor… Trevor Tordjman will join the cast of Disney Channel sitcom Bunk’d for its fifth season.
Netflix has set the cast for its quarantine series Social Distance. Danielle Brooks, Mike Colter, Oscar Nunez, Guillermo Diaz, Asante Blackk, Peter Scanavino, Lachlan Watson and Marsha Stephanie Blake are on board, and select cast members’ real-life relatives also will make appearances.
HBO announced the second wave of featured performers for Between the World and Me. Joining the cast are Jharrel Jerome, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Janet Mock, Jason Moran, Wendell Pierce, Mj Rodriguez, Kendrick Sampson, Yara Shahidi and Michelle Wilson.
GOING GLOBAL
MTV International is launching a 10-part short-form series to support Black Lives Matter. Featuring Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock and other talent, MTV Generation Change: Black Lives Matter will explore issues impacting Black youth and the road to positive change.
Idris Elba will offer seven disadvantaged young people lessons in discipline and determination under the auspices of an experimental boxing school for new BBC Two series Idris Elba’s Fight School.
Nippon TV acquired Japanese broadcast and streaming rights to Turkish drama series Anne. Series will air on BS Nippon TV and on Hulu in Japan beginning Thursday, September 3.
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