Today’s Premieres
Apple TV+: Tiny World
CBS: Undercover Boss at 9p
Cinemax: Warrior at 10p
Crunchyroll: Jujutsu Kaisen
Hulu: Monsterland
Netflix: Emily in Paris, Song Exploder

Today’s Finales
FX: A Wilderness of Error at 10p
PBS: Art in the Twenty-First Century at 10p

Saturday’s Premieres
Animal Planet: Mega Zoo at 10p
Cleo TV: New Soul Kitchen at noon
NBC: Saturday Night Live at 11:30p
PBS: Austin City Limits at 8p
Reelz: Ted Bundy: The Survivors at 8p

Sunday’s Premieres
Adult Swim: Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal at 11:30p
AMC: The Walking Dead: World Beyond at 10p
AXS TV: Top Ten Revealed at 8p, Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar at 9p, A Year in Music at 9:30p

BYUtv: The Chosen at 7:30p
CNN: First Ladies at 10p
CW: Pandora at 8p
Epix: Britannia at 9p
PBS: Flesh and Blood on Masterpiece at 9p, Cobra at 10p
Showtime: The Good Lord Bird at 9p, The Comedy Store at 10p
Travel: World’s Most Unexplained at 10p
Univision: Tu Cara Me Suena at 8p

Sunday’s Finale
AMC: The Walking Dead at 9p

IN THE NEWS

Showtime picked a sixth season of Billions, and upped Corey Stoll (House of Cards to series regular. Season five returns with five new episodes in 2021.

Also coming back is Netflix’s F Is for Family, for a sixth and final season. The animated dysfunctional family comedy loosely based on the life of co-creator Bill Burr is executive produced by Vince Vaughn.

Vice Media CEO Nancy Dubuc sent an email to staff assuring them that Vice founder Gavin McInnes has no affiliation with the company, and “any association he had with the company ended more than a decade ago in 2008.” While McInnes went on to found neo-fascist group Proud Boys in 2016, Dubuc added, “let me say – to leave no shred of doubt – we all condemn white supremacy, racism and hate in every form.”

The fact that determining the results of the presidential election could take days or weeks, thanks to mail-in voting and legal challenges, has an upside for advertisers. Reuters reports Fox News and NBC are anticipating high demand for the week following the election, with Fox News offering major advertisers the option to extend their campaigns if results are not in after the first week.

After Tuesday’s presidential debate, during which President Trump made claims about the integrity of the election results and refused to agree to accept the outcome, Facebook announced it will prohibit ads “with content that seeks to delegitimize the outcome of an election. That would include calling a method of voting fraudulent, or using isolated incidents of voter fraud to delegitimize results.” Facebook also removed ads from Trump’s campaign claiming that allowing refugees from abroad will increase the US risk of COVID-19, and said it will ban ads that “praise, support or represent militarized movements and QAnon.”

Moderator Chris Wallace called the presidential debate “awful” during an interview on Fox News’ Bill Hemmer Reports. “I felt like I had gotten together all of the ingredients. I had the baked this beautiful delicious cake. And then, frankly, the President put his foot in it, and that was frustrating. And it was frustrating for me because I tried hard to prepare for a serious debate, much more frustrating and more importantly for the American people because they didn’t get the debate they wanted, and that they deserved.”

While the Commission on Presidential Debates said it planned to adjust its format after Tuesday’s much-criticized face-off to allow for “a more orderly discussion of the issues,” the president was having none of it. “Why would I allow the Debate Commission to change the rules for the Second and Third debates when I easily won last time?” Trump tweeted. Next in the hot seat: C-SPAN’s Steve Scully, for round two on October 15.

What were the key takeaways from IAB’s Reach Conference this week? “2020 was the year where the streaming evolution turned into a massive viewing revolution, with consumer time spent with CTV increasing exponentially. Marketers and agencies are still navigating how to best activate against this shift in consumer behavior. The Reach Conference answered many questions buyers had during NewFronts surrounding challenges of achieving incremental reach, further highlighted the need for flexibility and agility in a time of uncertainty and explained how to best leverage free ad-supported TV, CTV, and streaming audio,” David Cohen, CEO, IAB, tells Cynopsis. “From the week’s presentations we saw how the consumer journey is increasingly fragmented, with even more opportunities pushing the boundaries of ad formats and consumer experiences. One thing that is abundantly clear is effective cross device planning, buying and measurement is more important today than it has ever been before.”

Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson has joined upcoming pop culture show PEOPLE (the TV show) as special contributor. Carlson will focus on everyday American heroes. Kay Adams and Lawrence K. Jackson will co-host the daily syndicated half-hour from Meredith.

Bounce nabbed the rights to air all five seasons of OWN’s Greenleaf starting Sunday, October 4, and Everybody Hates Chris, which ran from 2005-06 on UPN and CW from 2006-09, on Monday, October 5. Crossover alert: Greenleaf star Gregory Alan Williams is joining the season five cast of Bounce’s Saints & Sinners.

Lifetime’s PSA for its annual Stop Breast Cancer for Life public affairs initiative features actresses across the network’s It’s a Wonderful Lifetime holiday movie slate: Kelly Rowland, Vanessa Lachey, Melissa Joan Hart, Ali Stroker and Carly Hughes. The PSA began airing October 1, to kick off National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and will run throughout the month on Lifetime and LMN.

Call for Submissions: Cynopsis is producing its annual Holiday Programming Guide, which comes out on October 28 and will be sent to all Cynopsis subscribers. If your network has holiday programming airing from October 28 through January 1, please send your listing to [email protected] and [email protected] no later than Monday, October 19 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, A Christmas Kiss at 3p, A Very Country Christmas at 5p, Christmas on the Coast at 7p, A Christmas Cruise at 9p”. Holiday-related programs only! A confirmation email will be sent following each submission (if you don’t receive a confirmation email, please resubmit).

Join Cynopsis for the inspirational, Top Women in Media (Virtual) Awards Ceremony taking place October 13-October 16.

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Waleed Zuaiter, the producer of Oscar winner Omar, has launched a production company focused on diversity in TV and film. FlipNarrative aims to amplify underrepresented and misrepresented voices, and has numerous projects already in development. “Audiences have shifted to TV in droves, increasing pressure on studios to offer content that reflects the ‘real world’, but despite this, Hollywood and the industry still appears to be averse in making inclusive films and TV shows that are truly reflective of international audiences,” said Zuaiter. “We want and inclusive and diverse industry to become a reality, not a priority.”

TruTV gave a greenlight for Double Cross with Blake Griffin, an unscripted comedy prank show, set to bow in 2021. Each week, Griffin conspires with people who are tired of being the victim to help them get revenge on their unsuspecting prankster.

Coronavirus-themed comedy Real people is in development at ABC. The project from ABC Signature and Tonight Show writer Nedaa Sweiss follows diverse neighbors who grew close during lockdown, and struggle to return to everyday life.

Warner Animation Group and Dr. Seuss Enterprises are expanding their partnership with new projects including film adaptations of Dr. Seuss classics, as well as a second season for Netflix series Green Eggs and Ham.

UMC greenlit three unscripted series. A Closer Look will spotlight musical artists, My Mane Problem follows celebrity hairstylist Dr. Boogie, and Notorious Queens centers on four women who work to leave behind troublesome pasts.

Netflix ordered 40 episodes of Ada Twist, Scientist, following a young Black scientist. The animated preschool series comes from President and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, Doc McStuffins creator Chris Nee and her Laughing Wild, and Wonder Worldwide.

Where media education, network and benchmarking meet: We know you need you need to be on top of your game to succeed in today’s media world. That’s why we have created the Cynopsis Membership Program, to provide the insights and research to make you the smartest person in the room.

Renee Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton) will star opposite Sara Bareilles in Peacock’s Girls5eva, from Tina Fey, Robert Carlock and Meredith Scardino, about a one-hit wonder girl group with another shot at fame. “This wickedly talented team is creating something brave and new,” said Goldsberry. “I’m grateful I get to be in the room with them. I honestly can’t think of a better way to transition out of this year and into the new one than laughing with strong and beautiful women.”

The ensemble cast for Apple TV+’s untitled musical comedy project starring SNL’s Cecily Strong and produced by Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video includes Keegan-Michael Key (Dolemite is My Name), Alan Cumming (The Good Wife), Fred Armisen (Portlandia), Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked), Aaron Tveit (Graceland), Dove Cameron (Hairspray Live!), Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Jaime Camil (Jane the Virgin), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock) and Ann Harada (Avenue Q). The series follows a couple on a backpacking trip who stumble on a town in which everyone acts as if they’re in a musical from the 1940s.

The Woman’s Hour, based on the book, The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote, is in development at the CW. The anthology drama comes from Hillary Rodham Clinton, Amblin Television and Warner Bros. TV.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Home renovators Dave and Jenny Marrs are back at it when a new season of Fixer to Fabulous debuts on HGTV on Tuesday, October 27 at 9p. The husband-wife duo attracted more than 17.9 million viewers to the first season of Fixer.

What happens when the “other woman” in a couple’s relationship is the guy’s mom? It’s a situation TLC explores in I Love a Mama’s Boy, premiering Sunday, October 25 at 10p.

CMT’s Pardi Time, an 8-episode digital-variety series shot, directed and hosted by singer/songwriter/producer Jon Pardi (with an assist from CMT), premieres Tuesday, October 6 on CMT’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

Showtime is releasing the premiere of limited series The Good Lord Bird for free online sampling, on streaming platforms and on demand at midnight on Sunday, October 4, three hours after its linear debut.

International music competition Your Face Sounds Familiar airs for the first time in Spanish in the US when it premieres – as Tu Cara Me Suena – on Univision on Sunday, October 4 at 8p. Eight celebrities transform to look and sound like music idols to raise money for charity.

COMING UP

Antenna TV is celebrating the 70th anniversary of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show premiere in 1950 with a marathon running Saturday, October 10 at 10a through Sunday, October 11 at 8:30p. The bingefest will feature 70 classic episodes of the sitcom.

Feature doc 537 Votes, chronicling the contested outcome of the 2000 presidential race, debuts on HBO on Wednesday, October 21 at 9p.

STREAMING SCOOP

Google introduced a new Chromecast. Chromecast with Google TV delivers a new Android-based operating system, with native streaming apps and a remote control. Google TV’s main home page will feature titles from the user’s integrated streaming services, as well as other channels. Tabs at the top let viewers see suggestions for movies, TV shows and more. “With more choices than ever, it can take a long time just to find something to watch,” wrote Shalini Govilpai, Senior Director of Google TV. “That’s why we made Google TV – a new entertainment experience designed to help you easily browse and discover.”

AMC Networks streamer AMC+ is now available through Prime Video Channels and Apple TV channels. The service is also distributed through Comcast/Xfinity and DISH/Sling TV.

fuboTV announced the launch of its public offering of 15 million shares of common stock, priced between $9 and $11. In September, the company said revenues for 3Q20 are expected to be $50-$54 million, a 27% to 38% increase year-over-year, and subscribers are anticipated to reach 370,000-380,000, an increase of over 28% year-over-year and up from 20% growth previously forecast.

Disney+ is getting into the Halloween spirit with Hallowstream, offering Halloween movies, specials, and episodes including Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Disney Channel and Disney Junior Halloween episodes, and 30 episodes of The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror franchise.

TECH TALK

The Walt Disney Company, Xandr, BuzzFeed and true[X] collaborated on a white paper that looks at consumer attention as a metric when tied to outcome. “Driving Attention: Good Creative Is Not Enough” focuses on determining the right ad unit (“respect the viewer experience”), ad length (“tailor creative to work for shorter spots”), audience segment (“generational differences are critical to consider”), and overall campaign planning (“think about campaigns holistically”). “Advertisers should advocate for industry-wide infrastructure that supports linking consumer attention and outcomes, at scale,” concludes the report. “The more we embrace the different facets of measuring attention, whether it’s with the right ad unit, length, audience or campaign plan, the more ability we will have to future proof our businesses for the long-term.”

TransUnion has agreed to acquire Tru Optik, the data marketplace and data management platform for connected TV, streaming audio and gaming. “Connected TV has quickly become most consumers’ preferred way to access long form video content. With the standard digital identity signals being sunset, marketers and media companies are looking toward a new generation of identity and audience products to reach the right people and households,” said Matt Spiegel, EVP Marketing Solutions and Media Vertical, TransUnion. “By bringing our two companies together, our combined assets will result in an expanded suite of solutions that modern marketing requires.”

Nielsen is partnering with ad intelligence company The Search Monitor to offer Nielsen Ad Intel subscribers real-time market data across search advertising channels. Nielsen is also teaming with digital ad intelligence and media measurement company BIScience to measure additional sites, integrating virtual and human panel data across desktop and mobile devices.

GOING GLOBAL

Channel 5 has signed a content partnership deal with AMC Networks International – UK for two of its branded channels, CBS Reality and Horror Channel, to launch on its VOD service My5. The channels, which are part of a joint venture between ViacomCBS and AMCNI UK in the UK, will bring 400 additional hours of content to My5 over the next year.

iZen, the producer-led content group made up of a network of independent production companies in Spain, the Middle East and the UK, has announced the launch of Clapperboard. The new scripted-content production company will be overseen by Mike Benson, MD of UK indie Chalkboard and director of iZen’s UK strategy.

UK’s Woodcut Media has launched a new international sales business, Woodcut International. Established as an extension of Woodcut’s production activities, Woodcut International’s focus will be on the global sales of a program catalogue that currently consists of approximately 100 hours.

NENT Studios’ reality competition The Farm has been picked up in the Netherlands by NPO1. Twelve territories in Europe are producing the COVID-friendly format this year.

November 17-18

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This Day in History
1946 – The first network soap opera, Faraway Hill, began broadcasting on DuMont Television Network.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
In which sitcom did the US president’s wife leave him at the beginning of the second season? Mr. President (1987-88). Kudos to: Dan Whitford-WTTW/Chicago, Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL, Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, John Kukla-KDFW/Dallas, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
Who attempted to assassinate President Frank Underwood on House of Cards (2013-18), leaving him comatose? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four.)