Today’s Premieres
A&E: Killer Cases at 9; Murder in the 21st Century at 10p
ABC: Shark Tank at 8p; 20/20 at 9p
Apple TV+: Interrupting Chicken
Crunchyroll: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Discovery: Gold Rush at 8p
Disney+: Disney’s Launchpad; Marvel Studios Legends
FX: The New York Times Presents at 10p
Max: Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?
Netflix: Choone; Power Rangers Cosmic Fury
NBC: Dateline NBC at 9p
OWN: Rebuilding Black Wall Street at 9p
Prime Video: Gen V

Today’s Finale
CBS: Secret Celebrity Renovation at 8p

Saturday’s Premieres
A&E: Cold Case Files: The Rifkin Murders at 8p
Adult Swim: FLCL: Shoegaze at midnight
Crunchyroll: Firefighter Daigo: Rescuer in Orange; Berserk of Gluttony
Food Network: Hot Dish with Franco at 12p
Hidive: Ragna Crimson at 10:30a
Oxygen: Final Moments at 10p

Sunday’s Premieres
ABC: America’s Funniest Home Videos at 7p
Crunchyroll: Berserk of Gluttony; MF Ghost
Fox: The Simpsons at 8p; Bob’s Burgers at 9p; Family Guy at 9:30p
ID: Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks at 9p
Netflix: The Night Logan Woke Up
Travel: Jack Osbourne’s Night of Terror at 10p
Univision: Mira Quien Baila: La Revancha! at 7p; De Nocho Pero Sin Seuno at 9p

IN THE NEWS

SAG-AFTRA will resume talks with studios and streaming services on Monday. Several studio executives are expected to attend, as they did during the talks with the WGA that wound up with a new contract in a matter of days. The meeting will take place at union headquarters, instead of AMPTP’s offices, where they took place last year.

AMC Networks has begun the roll-out of an ad-supported version of its AMC+ streaming service. Priced at $4.99 per month, new version includes an ad load of less than five minutes per hour and all of the same series and film titles that are offered on the ad-free version. “This ad-supported version of AMC+ gives consumers more flexibility while bringing ads to the only piece of our distribution ecosystem that wasn’t already ad-supported,” said Kim Kelleher, Chief Commercial Officer of AMC Networks. “We are also able to offer marketers new and innovative ways to reach consumers, like interactive and shoppable ads, more flexibility in product integrations, whole genre takeovers and other tech-enabled enhancements that weren’t possible before.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has a new streaming and broadcast home: Disney+ and ABC. The 2023 Induction ceremony will be broadcast live Disney+ from Brooklyn, New York, on Friday, November 3 at 8p, and will be available to stream following the ceremony. ABC also will air a special featuring standout moments on Monday, January 1 at 8p. The ceremony had aired on HBO since 1995.

CNN picked up 10 Emmy trophies at the 44th News and Documentary Awards; Vice was second with nine. Outstanding Live News Program was “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir”; CBS’ “Sunday Morning” won for Outstanding Recorded News Program; “CNN Worldwide” took the prize for Outstanding Live Breaking News Coverage; and “60 Minutes” won for Outstanding Edited Breaking News Coverage.

X (fka Twitter) will likely be profitable by 2024, maintained CEO Linda Yaccarino at this week’s Code Conference. “Now that I have immersed myself in the business, and we have a good set of eyes on what is predictable, what’s coming is that it looks like in early ’24, we will be turning a profit,” she said, adding that “90% of the top 100 advertisers” have returned to the platform in the past twelve weeks.

Also at the event was former Twitter trust and safety head Yoel Roth, a late addition to the conference who had words of warning for Yaccarino regarding the online attacks she has undergone since joining the company. “Look what your boss did to me,” he said, referring to attacks on him by CEO Elon Musk that led to Roth being forced to move. “It happened after he sang my praises publicly. It happened after I didn’t attack him. I didn’t attack the company. I quietly left,” Roth said, then advised Yaccarino, “For those that you love, you should be worried. I wish I had been more worried.”

X is cutting half of its global team dedicated to election integrity, including all four staff members based in Ireland, according to The Information. How did Elon Musk respond to the report? “Oh you mean the ‘Election Integrity’ Team that was undermining election integrity?”, he tweeted. “ Yeah, they’re gone.”

Television and streaming scatter market prices have reportedly been weak since 4Q22. Steven Cahall, media analyst of Wells Fargo Securities, offered an explanation. “Linear scatter may be seeing weaker demand because TV ad buyers committed to more upfront volume this year at the behest of media networks, enticed by attractive pricing… and looser cancellation contingencies,” Cahall said during Wells Fargo Advertising Day.

The Cynopsis Big TV Conference wrapped on Thursday, after two days of robust discussions ranging from CTV to sustainability to local TV. VAB president and CEO Sean Cunningham called out Google/YouTube for gaming the ad market by playing by a different set of rules; sustainability expert Laura Marks suggested branding linear networks as the “green choice” versus streaming; and on a panel about cost-effective programming, producer Paul Epstein described the surprising effectiveness of shooting a desert scene in a sand pit in Lithuania. And those were just a few of the highlights. Winners of the Best of the Best and Rising Star Awards were announced on Wednesday – for a list of honorees go here.

FOX Television Stations and Waymark signed a local advertising deal to assist smaller advertisers via Waymark’s Generative AI technology, rolling out across all of FOX’s owned and operated stations in 17 markets nationally. The partnership enables FOX Television Stations to offer their local advertising partners instant and affordable video creative.

2023 Esports & Gaming Business Summit

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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

“Got to Get Out” is in a Hulu. The social experiment, which tests the loyalties of a group of strangers vying for a major payday, comes from Wheelhouse. Glenn Hugill (“Deal or No Deal”), president of Wheelhouse’s UK arm, created the show, which will be produced by Wheelhouse’s Spoke Studios.

A 15th season of “Ink Master” kicks off Wednesday, November 1 on Paramount+. Joining the judging panel this season is three-time “Ink Master” champion DJ Tambe. He joins returning judges Ryan Ashley, the first female tattoo artist to win the competition, and Nikko Hurtado, a premier color realism artist.

Shudder has renewed “The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs” for a supersized sixth season. The expanded season will include more than 30 titles, starting with a series of seasonal specials, then transitioning to a new schedule beginning in March 2024.

Asylum Entertainment Group announced an investment in newly launched production company Moon&Back Media. Based in London, Moon&Back Media was founded by producer Nigel Hall (“Britain’s Got Talent”), Dawn Airey (C4, C5, ITV, Sky) and talent manager Russ Lindsay (Ant & Dec, Simon Cowell).

The Roku Channel has ordered a second season of “Morimoto’s Sushi Master.” The competition series hails from Ample Entertainment. “We’re proud to continue partnering with our amazing collaborators at Ample Entertainment and the icon himself, Chef Masaharu Morimoto, to serve up another season of this first-of-its-kind competition series for audiences to savor,” said Brian Tannenbaum, Head of Originals, Roku Media.

Netflix confirmed a third season for “Alice in Borderland.” The new season of the dystopian Japanese thriller will be directed by Sato Shinsuke, who has directed several other Netflix series’ and films including “Inuyashiki,” “Death Note,” “Death Note: Light Up the New World” and “Kingdom.”

Call for Submissions: Cynopsis is producing our annual Holiday Programming Guide, which comes out on November 1 and will be sent to all Cynopsis subscribers. If your network has holiday programming airing from November 2 through January 1, please send your listing to [email protected] and [email protected] no later October 16 with the subject line: Holiday Guide. To be included, programs must be listed by date, title of program, and start times, in the following format: “Thursday, November 19: Network Name: My One Christmas Wish at 9a, Paper Angels at 11a, 12 Days of Giving at 1p”. Holiday-related programs only! A confirmation email will be sent following each submission (if you don’t receive a confirmation email, please resubmit).

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” will look a little different when it makes its post-strike return on Monday. Instead of guests, the episode will be an hourlong “Closer Look” segment.

“Paris Police 1905” premieres Tuesday, November 14 on MHz Choice. The period drama, a follow-up to “Paris Police 1900,” is based on real events.

“True Detective: Night Country” premieres January 14 at 9p on HBO. The series’ fourth season will star Jodie Foster and Kali Reis with Issa Lopez serving as showrunner. Foster will also serve as the show’s executive producer.

Season eight of “The Real Housewives of Potomac” launches Sunday, November 5 at 8p. There’s a new housewife in town – Nneka Ihim is a first-generation Nigerian-American from a well-to-do family, a successful lawyer and owner of multiple homes.

BET+ nabbed US rights to upcoming UK series “In Love & Toxic: Blue Therapy.” The reality show, based on the viral YouTube series “Blue Therapy,” will follow the complex relationships of five young, diverse couples.

Season two of “Spy x Family” premieres Saturday, October 7 on Crunchyroll after its broadcast in Japan. The series will be subtitled and dubbed in all of its territories, with new episodes premiering every week.

Animated series “Hazbin Hotel” drops on Prime Video in January. The eight-parter follows Charlie, the princess of Hell.

COMING UP

MGM+ has scared up a marathon of Halloween programming on October 31, starting at 11a with five episodes of “Chapelwaite,” based on a short story by Stephen King, on MGM+.

HBO Original documentary film “No Accident” debuts Tuesday, October 10 at 9p. The doc follows the aftermath of the deadly Charlottesville, Virginia “Unite the Right” white nationalist rally in 2017.

AXS TV’s “Heavy Metal Halloween” is back with in-depth artist profiles, performances and special themed episodes of AXS TV original series, starting with “Metal Massacre: The Story Of The Legendary Album,” on Saturday, October 28 at 9p.

Real-life partners Jenna Dewan (“The Rookie”) and Steve Kazee (“The Rookie,” “Shameless”) star and executive produce “Devil On My Doorstep.” The movie, filmed earlier this year prior to the strikes, is part of Dewan’s overall production deal with Lifetime via her Everheart Productions with Kyle McNally, who is also an executive producer. The film premieres Saturday, November 11 at 8p.

Disney Original Movie “The Naughty Nine” debuts Wednesday, November 22 at 8p on Disney Channel and Thursday, November 23 (Thanksgiving Day), on Disney+. The film centers on a crew of kids who plot an elaborate heist at the North Pole. Danny Glover (“Lethal Weapon”) stars as Santa Claus.

“Sanctuary of Sin” premieres Sunday, October 1 at 9p on NewsNation. Anchored by Marni Hughes, the special will explore the investigation into a little-known religious order, the role it played in the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals, and how the Catholic Church is still protecting some of the church’s worst accused priests who are hiding in a compound.

TECH TALK

SaaS solution Mirakl and Havas have formed a global partnership for an independent retail media network for brands and retailers, leveraging Mirakl’s AI-powered advertising technology optimized for marketplaces and eCommerce. The partnership will make Mirakl’s suite of solutions available to Havas clients to sell on Mirakl-powered Marketplaces and position Mirakl as a strategic partner to help Havas clients launch and grow their marketplace.

Creative automation platform Spaceback announced the launch of Social TV CTV, an AI-powered solution that automatically generates CTV-compliant creative from brands’ highest performing social content for programmatic distribution across CTV. There are no production costs associated with Spaceback’s Social CTV offering. It operates on a CPM-based pricing model, allowing marketers to easily refresh CTV creative often. “Brands have a carefully curated catalog of social content that is far superior to traditional ads in building relationships and driving long term results. Now any brand – no matter its size – can harness the power of social content to spin up authentic CTV ads that fuel performance,” said Casey Saran, CEO and Co-Founder of Spaceback. “As marketers double down on their efforts to engage with Gen Z, the combined firepower of social content and shoppable TV will play an important role in fostering authentic connections with not only the up and coming generation, but with all consumers.”

IAB Tech Lab announced the establishment of two new working groups: the Privacy Sandbox Task Force and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Subcommittee. “Given their worldwide market share of approximately 65%, understanding the shifts brought about by Chrome’s Privacy Sandbox development is crucial,” said Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab. As for AI, Katsur noted, “AI is not just a technological tool; it’s a force reshaping our media landscape. Its impact extends across content creation, distribution, consumption, consumer privacy, and monetization. The AI Subcommittee is poised to assume a vital role in comprehending and directing Tech Lab’s AI roadmap to manage this evolution.”

Meta Quest 3 is shipping October 10, priced at $499.99. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg referred to it as “the first mainstream mixed-reality headset,” designed to “blend physical and digital worlds together.” Zuckerberg also unveiled “Stranger Things VR,” in which users can experience a story in the “Stranger Things” universe seperate from the Netflix series. Price tag: $29.99.

TransUnion announced a partnership between its marketing solutions business, TruAudience, and Crackle Connex, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s advertising sales division. TruAudience will help Crackle Connex create custom audiences from first-party “viewership” data and retarget viewers of CTV campaigns at Redbox kiosks nationwide.

STREAMING

Spotify and Roku are partnering to bring video ads to Spotify’s app on Roku. “It’s long been our goal to make Spotify available to anyone on any device and this partnership with Roku answers the call from advertisers who want even more ways to reach our users,” said Lee Brown, Global Head of Advertising Business & Platform at Spotify. “Both our brands have been at the forefront of the streaming revolution and together we’re continuing to invest in more opportunities for advertisers to connect with our immersed users.”

Xumo is teaming up with Best Buy to bring Pioneer Xumo TVs to customers just in time for the holiday season. The first Pioneer Xumo TVs will launch in Best Buy stores and on BestBuy.com in November. “Our partnership with Best Buy represents a great step forward for consumer choice,” said Stephanie Cassi, SVP, Sales and Marketing, Xumo. “We’re focused on removing the complexity that’s come with the rise of streaming, enabling consumers to get back to enjoying their TV experience.”

Speedvision is now available on Xumo Play. “The Speedvision channel on Xumo Play will appeal to millions of auto enthusiasts and car aficionados alike with its unique, original content,” said Stefan Van Engen, VP, Content Programming and Partnerships, Xumo. “Our goal is to delight viewers with the very best premium programming that caters to a wide range of lifestyle interests.”

The CarbonTV app is now available on VIZIO smart TVs, offering content including hunting, fishing, survival, aviation and outdoor lifestyle. The app offers a library of on-demand, outdoor content, including original series, documentaries, and live events that cater to nature enthusiasts, hunters, anglers, and farmers.

MyBundle and Tastemade struck a comprehensive agreement for the distribution of Tastemade+ on MyBundle’s broadband partner network representing more than 175 broadband providers.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Spring football leagues XFL and USFL are merging. “The new league will establish best-in-class operations based on the most recent seasons of both leagues,” said an announcement about the move. “This historic combination will anchor professional spring football with substantial capabilities and resources to ensure future growth and continue to enhance the development of the collective players, coaches, and staff that are coming together.” The USFL is backed by Fox Corp., while the XFL is controlled by Redbird Capital and Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia.

IMG has secured an agreement to exclusively manage the NFL’s media rights in 30+ international markets across Asia and Europe from 2024. The three-year deal will see IMG manage the NFL’s network of broadcast deals across the territories for its current rights cycle. IMG will also provide strategic advice and guidance on the local media landscape across the regions.

GOING GLOBAL

Sanna Marin is signing with Range Media Partners. Marin is the former prime minister of Finland, and has been an active member of parliament since 2015. She is known for leading Finland through COVID and condemning the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. In April, HBO announced its first Finnish show, “First Five,” which is a portrait of Marin and the female cabinet she appointed during her time in office.

Lineup Industries is launching trivia game show “SWITCH” in Greece. This move comes after signing a deal with VCM Production to bring the format to primetime on the public broadcaster ERT1. Additionally, a new 50-minute version of the game show has been tailored to fit the ERT1 schedule, and a total of 80 daily episodes, including celebrity editions, have been commissioned.

Among the shows Blue Ant Media will be packing for MIPCOM are true crime shows “The Playboy Bunny Murder” and “Body in a Suitcase”; factual entertainment like “Best in Miniature”; and nature shows “Dynamic Planet” and “My Best Friend’s an Animal.”

Autentic Distribution is headed to MIPCOM with a fall/winter line-up of over 90 hours of factual content across all genres including more than 30 hours of history and science productions by Autentic Studios, wildlife programs, and a commitment to addressing current affairs and environmental issues.

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EXECUTIVE MOVES

Locality has appointed John Brohel as Chief Financial Officer. Brohel joins from AMC Networks where he was EVP of Finance.

Ashley Brucks has been appointed president of Screen Gems. The Paramount executive will begin her position on November 13. The news was announced by Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch, Presidents of Sony Motion Pictures’ Motion Picture Group.

Rachel Smith has been promoted to EVP, Unscripted Content, Lifestyle & Documentaries at NBCUniversal. Smith has been filling in for Rod Aissa, who departed in June, on an interim basis.

National Geographic has made two appointments: Vice President, Social Media, Tulani André and Vice President, Head of Visuals, Soo-Jeong Kang. Andre? joins National Geographic from Prime Video, while Kang most recently served as executive director of programming for The New Yorker.

Brianne Bonney has been named as Head of TV Sales at Global Screen, starting November 1. Julia Weber, Head of Sales and Acquisitions, has left the company.

Amy Israel is stepping down from her role as EVP, Original Programming, Global Scripted at Showtime. Israel, who has been with the company for over 10 years, will remain until the end of the year in a transition role.

Jim Ryan will step down as CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment after 30 years of service. He is expected to exit in March 2024, to be replaced by Sony Group president Hiroki Totoki. Totoki will be appointed as interim CEO as the company searches for Ryan’s replacement.

The WNET Group’s Vanessa Wise has been named VP Advancement/Chief Strategy Officer. Her new role will include enterprise strategy, with immediate focus on implementation of The WNET Group’s strategic plan.

IN MEMORIAM

“Harry Potter” (Warner Bros.) star Michael Gambon has died at 82. The Irish-English actor played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies from 2004-2011, after replacing the late Richard Harris.

This Day in History
1906 – The US occupied Cuba after the rebellion surrounding the reelection of Tomas Estrada Palma.

Friday Fact
It takes 90 days in the Mississippi River for a drop of water to travel from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What poem did Kelly read at David and Donna’s wedding on “Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000)? “How Do I Love Thee” (Sonnet 43). Kudos to: Ken DuBow-Access Entertainment/LA; Brianne Maciejowski-BZM Productions/Sarasota, FL; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA

Today’s Trivia Question
Which future “Three’s Company” star played a reporter in a 1970’s drama? (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