IN THE NEWS

HBO renewed Last Week Tonight with John Oliver for three more seasons, keeping the satirical late-nighter on the net through 2023. “We’re all extremely happy to be able to continue to do our show on HBO for another three years, or until the end of the world, whichever comes first,” said Oliver.

VIacomCBS has entered into a definitive agreement to sell CNET Media Group to Red Ventures, a portfolio of digital brands, for $500 million. “I believe that the combination of Red Ventures customer experience platform and CNET Media Group’s rich content and deep editorial expertise greatly benefits both our audiences and our partners,” said Mark Larkin, EVP and GM of CNET Media Group. CBS acquired the CNET for $1.88 billion in 2008.

Hulu grabbed 100 hours of Vice TV shows, including F*ck That’s Delicious, Bong Appetit and Dark Side of the Ring. It’s Vice Distribution’s first deal since launching in July.

Concerned that Apple’s privacy settings in its new iOS14 system, which will require consumers to opt in to tracking, will cost companies ad revenue, ad industry groups are asking for a meeting with the company – stat. “We believe the proposed changes could have a negative impact on both consumers and business, as iPhone and iPad users risk losing access to many popular ad-funded apps, news organizations and other publishers are starved of a vital source of revenue during the current economic crisis, vibrant ad-supported innovation and competition withers, and critical functionality grinds to a halt across the advertising supply chain,” said the organizations.

Talking turkey: Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade is going virtual this pandemic year. “The celebration will shift to a television only special presentation, showcasing the Macy’s Parade’s signature mix of giant character helium balloons, fantastic floats, street performers, clowns and heralding the arrival of the holiday season,” said Macy’s. Balloons will be flown with specialty vehicles instead of the traditional 80-100 handlers, and the number of participants will be reduced by 75%, but Santa Claus made the cut.The parade has aired on NBC since 1953.

HBO’s Watchmen nabbed the most Television Critics Association awards, with four, including Outstanding Movie, Miniseries or Special. HBO’s Succession landed the award for drama, while Pop’s Schitt’s Creek picked up the outstanding comedy honor.

NFL Network and NFL Red Zone, dark on Dish since mid-June, managed to come to terms with the satellite distributor before Sunday’s kickoff. “We join millions of NFL fans who are thrilled to see NFL Network and NFL RedZone back on Dish and Sling TV in time for the 2020 NFL season,” said Hans Schroeder, EVP and COO of NFL Media. “Our goal is to provide NFL fans everywhere the opportunity to view award-winning coverage of America’s favorite sport and DISH and SLING TV are important partners in that mission.”

PBS Kids series Odd Squad signed a national sponsorship deal with Age of Learning. The live-action school-age series co-produced by Fred Rogers Productions and Sinking Ship Entertainment is in production for its third season.

Wheel of Fortune is teaming up with mobile game developer Jam City to “Make Life Sweeter” through a cross-platform integration that will incorporate Wheel of Fortune and Jam City’s Cookie Jam into each other’s games. Wheel of Fortune will air a “Make Life Sweeter” themed week from September 21-25, and Cookie Jam will be themed in the style of Wheel of Fortune today through October 4.

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Dyn-o-mite! Netflix handed a series order for an animated version of 1974-79 sitcom Good Times, from Norman Lear’s Act III Productions, Steph Curry and his Unanimous Media, Seth MacFarlane and his Fuzzy Door, and Sony Pictures Television. It’s the first animated series for Lear, who created the Maude spin-off.

AMC greenlit Mega City Smiths, a stop-motion baby doll dramedy series from Steve Conrad (Patriot) and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Robot Chicken). The network ordered an initial season of six, 30-minute, episodes scheduled for 2021. Creator Conrad will serve as showrunner, with Jennifer Scher, Jeff Dieter and Tom Glynn as producers. Stoopid Buddy Stoodios’ Seth Green, John Harvatine IV, Matthew Senreich, Eric Towner and Chris Waters will serve as executive producers.

Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios picked up America’s Court With Judge Ross for a whopping seven more seasons, through fall 2027. “As we start our eleventh season, America’s Court With Judge Ross is our first and longest-running court series, and we are enthusiastic to continue its success and longevity for another seven seasons,” said Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Entertainment Studios/Allen Media Group.

Starz has put into development two series from Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Power) and his G-Unit Film & Television. The first is an untitled female sports agent drama inspired by the life of sports agent and attorney Nicole Lynn, who will also serve as executive producer, from writer and executive producer Tash Grey (Raising Kanan). The second is Moment in Time: The Massacre (wt), from writer and executive producer Abdul Williams (The New Edition Story).

CMT renewed Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team for season 15. Season 14 was up 23% among P18-49 year over year in Live+3 Nielsens, its highest-rated season so far.

UK producer Nicola Shindlern (Hillsborough, Queer as Folk) is launching a new scripted label within ITV Studios. Based in Manchester, the new label will develop and produce premium drama for the UK and international market. Shindler will join ITV Studios and launch her new label in 2021.

Fox Station Group renewed The Dr. Oz Show for two more seasons, keeping the series distributed by Sony Pictures TV on the air through the 2022-23 season. “Fox Television stations renewing The Dr. Oz Show for seasons 13 and 14, underscores the on-going value the show delivers for local broadcast stations,” said John Weiser, President of First Run Television for SPT. “Dr. Oz is the hardest working talent in daytime television.”

The Big D, from Lily Rabe and her Kill Claudio Productions and writers/directors Samantha Black and Marie Schlingmann (Sister Aimee), is in development at HBO. The drama follows three women circa 1980 unearthing a secret about Dallas’ would-be First Lady.

Gunpowder & Sky is partnering with filmmaker Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Encounters at the End of the World) and his son, Rudolph Herzog (The Heist) to produce Last Exit: Space, a documentary exploring mankind’s push to colonize space. Rudolph will direct, with Werner attached to narrate and executive produce the film.

STREAMING SCOOP

The US government is reviewing a bid that would make Oracle a US technology partner for TikTok, which has until September 20 to make a deal that satisfies government security concerns. The Oracle proposal, which TikTok parent ByteDance chose over one from Microsoft, commits to treating TikTok global as a US-headquartered company with 20,000 new jobs, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told CNBC on Monday. But the clock hasn’t run out on participation from Walmart, which “continues to have an interest in a TikTok investment and continues discussions with ByteDance leadership and other interested parties,” said the company.

As TikTok faces instability in America, YouTube has jumped in with a rival short-form video experience, YouTube Shorts. Starting in India, users will be able to upload 15-second-or-less videos with creator tools including a multi-segment camera, set to music from YouTube’s extensive library of songs. Instagram recently introduced its own TikTok competitor, Reels.

FuboTV has added options including a cloud DVR with 1000 hours of space for $16.99/month, and Family Share Max, allowing subscribers to watch simultaneously on five devices on their home internet connection and two outside the home, for $9.99/month.

In partnership with Party Crashers Media, Cindedigm is launching “a progressive political, news and lifestyle” OTT network. The Party Crashers Channel will debut in 1Q21 on free ad-supported linear television and AVOD platforms across Cinedigm’s global footprint. Cinedigm will distribute the channel across distribution partners including Vizio, Samsung, Xumo, Tubi and more. “Progressives, particularly GenZ and Millennials, are united in their vision of a more humane and egalitarian world and we will showcase that sensibility in our programming and across our Channel,” said Party Crashers’ Sue-Ling Braun and Jamie McGurk.

The Paley Center for Media inked a deal with Verizon that will grant the tech giant exclusive streaming rights to the Paley Center’s lineup of 2020-21 events. Verizon will also serve as the official sponsor of the Paley Center programs.

COMING UP

“Ghostober,” Travel Channels third annual paranormal programming event, culminates with “7 Nights of Fright,” kicking off Sunday, October 25 with two-hour countdown, Paranormal Caught on Camera: Top 100.

The Lost Lincoln, exploring whether a newly discovered photograph could be the 131st and final image of President Lincoln, taken after his assassination, premieres Sunday, October 4 at 9p on Discovery. The show is part of Discovery’s new documentary strand, “Undiscovered.”

The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, Disney+’s new animated shorts series, debuts on Mickey’s birthday, Wednesday, November 18. New shorts roll out every Friday beginning November 27.

To celebrate 50 years since the premiere of The Partridge Family (1970-74), FETV will air an “I Think I (Still) Love You” marathon on Sunday, September 27 from 2-8p, with an encore presentation from 8p-2a.

Cartoon Network is marking Hispanic Heritage Month with the expansion of “Drawn to,” an ongoing content series that celebrates equality and individuality. Starting today, September 15, the month-long campaign will roll out across all platforms.

Sunday, November 29 will bring the return of ION’s holiday lineup, including four new movie premieres and more than 30 returning films. In 2019, the event ranked #2 among networks airing holiday movies, averaging 919,000 households in primetime. ION’s highest-rated movie, A Christmas Princess, delivered more than 1.7 million total viewers in primetime.

ABC News is hosting a town hall with President Trump tonight at 9p, anchored by George Stephanopoulos. Democratic candidate Joe Biden was offered a similar town hall, but ABC News and the campaign were unable to find a mutually agreeable date.

Samara Davis, Founder of the Black Bourbon Society, and pitmaster Chef Bryan Furman of B’s Cracklin Barbecue, are co-hosts of the Spirits Networks’ new program, Grillin’ It. David and Furman discuss culture, music and fashion while crafting their cocktails and grilling.

CripTales, a collection of six short films curated by Mat Fraser (His Dark Materials, American Horror Story), each written, directed and performed by a person living with disabilities, premieres on Thursday, October 1 at 10p on BBC America. The films will also be available to stream at the start of National Disability Employment Awareness Month across the digital platforms of the AMC Networks Entertainment group.

TECH NEWS

Altice USA is now offering flexible data options starting at $12/month. Customers can choose between 1 GB, 3 GB, and Unlimited GB of data with the ability to switch at any time. “We know that data consumption can vary from consumer to consumer and on a month to month basis,” said Hakim Boubazine, President of Telecommunications and COO. “Altice Mobile’s flexible data options provide customers more control over their wireless experience with the ability to switch plans based on what makes the most sense for their lifestyle.”

CASTING

Ben Lewis (Arrow, The Handmaid’s Tale) and real-life husband Blake Lee (Fam, Parks and Recreation) will co-star in Lifetime’s LGBTQ holiday romance The Christmas Setup, also starring Fran Drescher (The Nanny) and Ellen Wong (Glow). Jacky Lai (V-Wars) and Tony Giroux (Motherland: Fort Salem) will headline the net’s A Sugar & Spice Holiday, alongside Tzi Ma (Mulan), centered on the story of a Chinese-American woman who draws on her family’s cultural traditions to spice up an old-fashioned Christmas baking competition.

GOING GLOBAL

Abacus Media Rights has secured pre-sales for the documentary feature People You May Know. The film hs been acquired ahead of its MIPCOM launch by Sundance Now US, UK & Canada, Fusion US, ZDF Germany, HistoireTV France, DR Denmark, NRK Norway, Channel 8 Israel, DIRECTV Latin America, Globoplay Brazil, iwonder Australia & Asia and Rialto New Zealand.

Dynamic Television sold CBBC teen comedy drama Almost Never to CBC Gem in Canada, ABC in Australia, SVT in Sweden, YLE in Finland, NRK in Norway, and Talit in Israel. From Jeremy Salsby’s Saltbeef Productions and co-creator Paul Rose, the series charts the ups and downs of a boy band.

Japan’s Nippon Television Network announced two new formats with a focus and enhancement of production values: Double Booking, a mystery drama scripted format which takes place entirely on a computer screen, and Piggyback Challenge, an unscripted game show format where partners ride piggyback trying to accomplish tasks.

Cactus Tree Entertainment, in partnership with Toronto-based RMI, sold the second installment of Covid-19: Race for the Cure to M-Net for Africa and ZDF Info for German-speaking Europe. M-Net and ZDF premiered the first episode, titled Covid-19: The Ripple Effect, in July 2020.

Monster Entertainment announced that Nine Network Australia acquired the Australian distribution rights for Jungle Beat!. The series will debut on 9GO! on Sunday, September 20.

HGTV’s Good Bones delivered its highest-rated season ever for the net among P25-54 and W25-54. The season garnered double-digit ratings growth in both demos, delivering a .73 Live+3 rating among P25-54, a 50% lift over the previous six weeks and a 22% increase over year-ago levels. Among W25-54, it delivered a 1.01 Live+3 rating, a 60% six-week increase and a 26% lift over the prior year. To learn about the hitmaking strategies of HGTV and Good Bones producer High Noon Entertainment, register for next week’s Cynopsis Big TV virtual event.

Shareablee Top 10 TV Shows for the week of September 7
Program, Network, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content, Fans & Followers
Hannity (Fox News), 3.3M, 278, 12,050, 9.6M
Today Show (NBC), 2.8M, 881, 3,173, 13.7M
The Daily Show (Comedy Central), 2.1M, 104, 20,536, 25.7M
Entertainment Tonight (CBS), 1.6M, 502, 3,236, 9.1M
The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC), 1.4M, 55, 25,711, 12.9M
Fox & Friends (Fox News), 1.2M, 72, 17,317, 4.8M
The 100 (The CW Network), 1M, 33, 30,687, 5.1M
Good Morning America (ABC), 980K, 821, 1,193, 14M
The 700 Club (CBN), 903K, 159, 5,680, 2.8M
The Late Late Show with James Cordon (CBS), 669K, 72, 9,289, 7.6M

Shareablee Top 10 Streaming Shows for the week of September 7
Program, Platform, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content, Fans & Followers
Umbrella Academy (Netflix), 1.9M, 15,124,878, 3.3M
Cobra Kai (Netflix), 707K, 41, 17,234, 1.1M
The Boys (Amazon Prime), 433K, 87, 4,976, 713K
The Mandalorian (Disney+), 351K, 5, 70,239, 1.4M
Netflix Is A Joke (YouTube), 262K, 50, 5,246, 2.1M
KonoSuba (Netflix), 209K, 41, 5,107, 283K
P-Valley (STARZ), 174K, 13, 13,451, 265K
Stark Trek (CBS All Access), 163K, 161, 1,014, 640K
Black Clover (Funimation), 161K, 12, 12,399, 682K
One Piece (Netflix), 139K, 7, 19,884, 3M

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Friday, September 11
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: 9/11 Remembered 2.92 (0.4), 20/20 3.67 (0.6)
CBS: MacGyver 2.92 (0.4), Love Island 1.81 (0.5), Blue Bloods 2.72 (0.3)
CW: Masters of Illusion 0.62 (0.1), Masters of Illusion 0.53 (0.1), Being Reuben 0.23 (0.0), Being Reuben 0.19 (0.0)
FOX: WWE Friday Night Smackdown 2.33 (0.6)
NBC: America’s Got Talent 1.90 (0.3), Dateline 2.18 (0.4)
Telemundo: Exatlon Estados Unidos 1.14, Todo por me Hija 1.41, Enemigo Intimo 0.79
Univision: Rosa de Guadelupe 1.23 (0.4), Medicos Linea de Vida 1.33 (0.4), Dulce Ambicion 1.16 (0.3)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

ITV America has promoted two ITVA veterans to EVP positions. Danielle DiStefano has been upped to EVP, post operations and technology, while Tonko Soljan has been promoted to EVP, business affairs.

Kevin Brockman is leaving his post as EVP, Global Communications at WarnerMedia after just over a year. “I joined WarnerMedia to work with Bob Greenblatt and to take on the challenges he presented to me at the start,” Brockman said. “I’m incredibly proud of the work we accomplished in such a short time, and especially with the premiere of HBO Max, which was a personal highlight.” Brockman, whose exit comes amid a reorg under new CEO Jason Kilar, will aid in the transition until the end of the year.

Vision Films Inc. enlisted Andres Santos and his sales company, Screenbright Media, for licensing outreach and relationship development. Santos formerly served as VP of International Distribution for Sonar Entertainment.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which teen drama included a clique of mean girls called “The Jens”? The Carrie Diaries (2013-14). Kudos to: Joseph Leydon-Cowboys & Indians Magazine/Houston, Robert Levy-NOAA Video Production Studio/Washington, DC, Charles Lore/NYC, Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL, Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank, Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA, David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank

Today’s Trivia Question
What was Roger Moore’s first starring role in a US series? (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.)