IN THE NEWS

Peacock is launching two original news shows, featuring Mehdi Hasan and Zerlina Maxwell, today, October 5. The Mehdi Hasan Show and Zerlina will run on Peacock’s news commentary channel, The Choice. “News is a key differentiator for Peacock and we’re excited to bring more original and popular news programming to the platform,” said Jen Brown, SVP of Topical Programming and Development for Peacock. “We will continue to expand news content on Peacock with a focus on aggregating varied perspectives and diverse voices.”

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case about whether the FCC can change US media ownership rules. A lower court has prevented the commission’s attempts to revise the rules since 2003, including eliminating a ban on cross-ownership of a newspaper and TV station in the same market, and making it easier for media companies to buy additional TV stations in the same market. The FCC argued in 2003 that ownership rules “no longer reflect current market realities.”

Sinclair Group named Jan Jeffcoat as main anchor of its headline news service set to launch in early 2021. Jeffcoat most recently anchored WUSA Washington, and launched and hosted Scripps magazine show, The List. Sinclair said Jeffcoat will provide “accurate news that doesn’t just say what the headlines are, but gives viewers an in-depth look into why each headline matters.”

AMC Networks has launched a nonpartisan voter awareness campaign leading up to the 2020 election with a series of on-air and social spots, partnerships with Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote and the Civic Alliance, and more. The campaign provides a custom voting information and registration portal through its partnership with When We All Vote. Voter engagement spots will air across AMC, IFC and SundanceTV, as well as across social channels.

Dish and Cox Media averted a blackout of 18 local stations, at least until October 8, as carriage negotiations got an extension. The stations were initially dropped in January, but Dish and Cox called a temporary truce in March due to the pandemic.

From January to August 2020, the average Cost-Per-Point across US local TV markets was about 10% higher than in 2019, according to an analysis by SQAD. The increase is consistent with past Presidential election years, where increases from 2015 to 2016 and 2011 to 2012 were approximately 8% for both periods, notes the media research company. “Although local ad spending declined significantly in the 2nd quarter, the strong rebound in Q3 has shown how the record-breaking political spending has absorbed much of the economic downturn experienced in the local TV markets. While the ad spend data trends indicate that 2020 will continue to perform under expectations for an election year, the market-level CPP would be in a worse condition if the pandemic had happened in a non-election year,” concluded the report.

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).

After Chris Christie, who appeared as part of ABC’s post-debate coverage, tested positive for COVID-19, ABC said any staffers who came in close contact with him would self-isolate for 14 days. Christie sat spaced apart from George Stephanopoulos, Rahm Emanuel, Linsey Davis, Yvette Simpson and Sarah Fagan; Stephanopoulos, Emanuel and Simpson have all tweeted they have tested negative for the coronavirus.

Comscore and LiveRamp announced the launch of a new product, Data Plus Math Powered by Comscore, for measuring the outcomes of cross-platform advertising campaigns. “It marks a critical milestone in fulfilling our joint mission to provide better accountability for marketers, better monetization for the sell side, and deliver more relevant customer experiences,” said Chris Wilson, Chief Commercial Officer at Comscore.

Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has been greenlit by Netflix. The limited series, slated to begin production in January, dramatizes instances in which the serial killer was nearly apprehended.

Matt Olmstead, showrunner of NBC’s upcoming spinoff, Law & Order: Organized Crime has stepped down, according to the Hollywood Reporter. While NBC announced in June the show would air Thursdays at 10p as part of its fall schedule, an exact date was never announced, due to production challenges during the health crisis. The show is still expected to premiere this season, though likely later than initially planned. Olmstead will continue to develop via his overall deal with Universal TV.

Cameras follow a team of archaeologists as they excavate an ancient necropolis, undisturbed for over four thousand years, in Tomb Hunters, greenlit by Smithsonian Channel. The four-part series is slated to premiere in 2021.

Acorn TV has commissioned British crime drama Whitstable Pearl with Acorn Media Enterprises, from Buccaneer Media. Based on the novels by Julie Wassmer (EastEnders), the six-part series will feature Kerry Godliman (After Life) in the lead role.

Jermaine Fowler (Superior Donuts) sold an animated comedy project to Fox, inspired by his years growing up in a working class town in Maryland. The studio is Fox Entertainment.

Stand-up series Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready was renewed for season two on Netflix. Comedians onboard this time around include Godfrey (Our Cartoon President), Tony Woods, Barbara Carlyle (Apollo Comedy Hour), Erin Jackson (Conan), Kimberly Clark (Last Comic Standing), and Dean Edwards (SNL).

CASTING

Ricky Martin (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) has joined the cast of Netflix’s Jingle Jangle: A Christman Journey. The live-action film launches on November 13.

Andie MacDowell (Cedar Cove) will star opposite her daughter, Margaret Qualley (Fosse/Verdon), in Netflix dramedy Maid, inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. Shouldn’t be too mucf of a stretch – MacDowell will play Qualley’s mother.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

The pandemic gave miners added incentive to head for the gold fields of Oregon, so in the new season Gold Rush, seasoned gold miners are joined by greenhorns as the price of the precious metal spikes to record highs. Discovery’s #1 series returns Friday, October 23 with a two-hour premiere at 8p.

Unleashed, a comedic animal acts competition hosted by Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, premieres Thursday, October 22 at 7p on Nickelodeon. Peyton List (Cobra Kai), Preacher Lawson (America’s Got Talent) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (Brittany Runs a Marathon) serve as judges.

Season seven of Braxton Family Values debuts on WE tv on Thursday, November 5 at 9p. WE tv promises “the family’s biggest surprise.”

Step right up! Crime tied to carnivals is explored in ID limited series Killer Carnies, premiering Monday, October 19 at 10p.

The Snoopy Show, a series from Apple TV+’s partnership with Peanuts and Wildbrain, launches February 5, 2021. The animated show will consist of three, seven-minute cartoons.

STREAMING SCOOP

Emmy-winning season six of Schitt’s Creek dropped early on Netflix. The CBC/Pop TV comedy was supposed to be released on the streamer October 7, but arrived a few days early, on October 3.

Season 31 of The Simpsons has landed on Disney+. The latest season joins over 600 episodes of the show streaming on the service.

NBCLX, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ new TV and OTT network aimed at viewers age 18-45, is now available on the Roku platform. The network’s reach includes mobile, online, linear TV, cable, and dMVPD platform users. NBCLX made its debut as a digital news brand in September 2019 and as a linear/streaming network on June 1, 2020 with the launch of LX News, a live news program that airs Monday to Fridays across OTT, mobile, linear and cable platforms.

Future plc, the platform for specialist media, announced the acquisition of CinemaBlend, a digital entertainment publisher focused on the TV, film, and entertainment market. CinemaBlend provides a platform to discover, explore, and discuss films and TV shows.

Film Movement Plus, the streaming subscription service of distributor Film Movement, is partnering with the National Film Festival for Talented Youth to showcase shorts from around the world during the month of October. In conjunction with NFFTY 2020 Online, the 14th edition of the Seattle-based festival will premiere 17 select short films from the 2019 fest, with new films debuting each Friday through the month.

COMING UP

Comedian Bill Burr is set to host NBC’s Saturday Night Live on Ocober 10, with Wallen as musican guest. Issa Rae (Insecure) will host October 17, with musical guest Justin Bieber.

O.J. & Nicole: An American Tragedy premieres tonight, October 5 at 10p on ID, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the verdict in the trial of the century. What should viewers expect? “Our ID viewers will have the opportunity for the first time, ever, to hear one of the most important voices of the O.J. Simpson trial, the voice of Nicole Brown,” Henry Schleiff, Group President of ID, Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel and Destination America, tells Cynopsis. “With never-before-seen journals and family home videos, we aim to humanize the woman who for so long was treated as a mere accessory to what has been called ‘The Trial of the Century’. Indeed, the 25th anniversary of this historic verdict, should serve to further remind us of the true impact of this case – the prevalence of domestic violence in our society, even today.”

Robert Zemeckis film The Witches will premiere on HBO Max on Thursday, October 22, ahead of its release in theaters internationally beginning October 28. The movie is a reimagining of the Raold Dahl story. “We are thrilled to be able to use our platform to deliver timely, relevant and engaging new content during this time when the theatrical experience is not available to everyone,” said Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer, HBO Max.

Kabillion and Kabillion Girls Rule will celebrate Halloween with themed episodes throughout October, including Angry Birds, Monster High, Sabrina and more. Since October is also National Bullying Prevention Month, the platforms will also air special programing throughout the month to help shine a light on that issue.

GOING GLOBAL

Barcroft Studios announced the appointment of Beyond Rights to distribute a set of films that look at the unorthodox side of people’s sex lives. The documentaries follow a variety of characters and explore how their unconventional approach to sex enhances their lives, complements their relationships and also offers contemporary business opportunities.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Who attempted to assassinate President Frank Underwood on House of Cards (2013-18), leaving him comatose? Reporter Lucas Goodwin. Kudos to: Charles Lore/NYC, Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, Any Pittman-TAMU/College Station, TX, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA, David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA, Susam Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA, Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL, Bob Telford-SAG/AFTRA/Valley Village, CA

Today’s Trivia Question
In which 1960s sitcom did the two leads get engaged at the end of the second season, and married in the third and final season? (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.)