PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
Rainn Wilson’s Soul Pancake formed a content partnership with digital media brand Tastemade, to produce original programming across platforms. Slate of projects includes unscripted Board of Dating.
Thicker Than Than Water landed a pilot production commitment from ABC. Dramedy from Tig Notaro (One Mississippi), Cara DiPaolo and Michael McDonald (American Crime) and ABC Studios focuses on a woman who finds herself at her father’s graveside with strangers who turn out to be half siblings.
Top 10 Weekend Domestic Box Office Estimates: October 5-7, 2018
Venom (Sony) $80.0 million, opening weekend
A Star Is Born (Warner Bros.) $41.3 million, opening weekend
Smallfoot (Warner Bros.) $14.9 million (week 2), cume revenue $42.8 million
Night School (Universal) $12.3 million (week 2), cume revenue $46.8 million
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Universal) $7.3 million (week 3), cume revenue 55.1 million
A Simple Favor (Lionsgate) $3.4 million (week 4), cume revenue $49.0 million
The Nun (Warner Bros.) $2.6 million (week 5), cume revenue $113.4 million
Hell Fest (Lionsgate) $2.1 million (week 2), cume revenue $8.9 million
Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros.) $2.1 million (week 8), cume revenue $169.1 million
The Predator (Fox) $.9 million (week 4), cume revenue $50.0 million
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
Screaming fans at Comic Con learned Freeform’s Siren dives season two on Thursday, January 24. Many of those on hand for the news will presumably take part in a contest launching October 18 which offers the chance to swim with the mermaids on the Siren set.
Also at Comic-Con: Star Trek: Discovery fans got a first look at Spock (Ethan Peck), and learned season two will take off Thursday, January 17 on CBS All Access….Syfy announced the launch date for school for assassins drama Deadly Class: Wednesday, January 16 at 10p. Series set in world of late 80s counter culture is based on the 2014 Image Comics graphic novel….The fifth and final season of Fox’s Gotham will introduce Batman, in the series finale. And among the season’s villains will be Bane, played by Shane West.
Live-action superhero series The Umbrella Academy, based on the Dark Horse comics, drops on Netflix Friday, February 15.
New UFO drama series Project Blue Book, based on the true top secret investigations from 1952-1969, debuts Tuesday, January 8 at 10p on History.
You know the holidays are approaching when Food Network sets the date for the premieres of Holiday Baking Championship and Christmas Cookie Challenge (Monday, November 5 at 9p and 10p). Also on the way are Holiday Wars and Holiday Gingerbread Showdown (Sunday, November 25 at 8p and 9p). Leading things off is the debut of new series Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge, arriving Sunday, November 4 at 9p.
ABC’s The Middle spinoff project has a name: Sue Sue in the City. Brock Ciarelli, who appeared as Sue’s friend Brad Bottig on the mother ship, has been added as a series regular.
If you ran into a zombie this weekend, we’re not surprised. Walkers roamed NYC from Thursday through Sunday, coinciding with Comic Con and part of an activation around last night’s season nine premiere of AMC’s The Walking Dead. “The NYCC panel is the night before our fall premiere, so it’s almost like our Super Bowl,” Justin Manfredi, SVP of marketing for AMC and Sundance TV told Adweek. “This is really our opportunity to ignite their fandom and allow them to engage with the brand in a unique and memorable way.”
COMING UP
Travel Channel is airing a four-hour, live Ghost Adventures on Halloween night at 8p, with the team sealed inside Zak Bagans’ Las Vegas Haunted Museum. New season premieres three nights later, on Saturday, November 3 at 9p.
First Lady Melania Trump will be interviewed in Being Melania – The First Lady, a special edition of 20/20 airing Friday, October 12. The net’s chief national affairs correspondent, Tom Llamas, who traveled with Trump to Africa; excerpts of their talk will air across other ABC platforms.
British singer/songwriter Ella Mai will perform at the American Music Awards airing Tuesday, October 9 at 8p on ABC. Xfinity TV customers will get a bonus: an encore performance from the “Boo’d Up” artist after the broadcast. Rock duo Twenty One Pilots have also been added to the roster.
HBO acquired rights to surfing doc Momentum Generation. The feature length film will air on December 11, after its international November 5 digital release on Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Group.
The ALMA Awards, spotlighting Latino artists and influencers, is shifting from a traditional awards competition show to a new format, as “an entertaining celebration that embraces the passion and values of our diverse audience,” said Fuse Media president and CEO Michael Schwimmer. The ALMAs 2018 will air live as a 75-minuute special on Fuse and sister channel FM on Sunday, November 4 at 8p.
CASTING
Naomi Watts will play former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson opposite Russell Crowe as Roger Ailes in Showtime’s upcoming limited series about Fox News founder Ailes….Justin Long (Dodgeball) will recur on ABC’s Roseanne spin-off The Conners, set to debut Tuesday, October 16 at 8p, as a love interest for Darlene (Sara Gilbert)…. ….Comedy Central Roaster Jeff Ross will recur on season three of Amazon’s Sneaky Pete.
Comic Con Casting Notes: Wilson Bethel is joining the season three cast of Netflx’s Daredevil as Marvel villain Bullseye…Gena Gershon (Showgirls) will play Jughead’s mother and Trinity Linkins (Unspeakable) will play his sister on season three of CW’s Riverdale, launching Wednesday, October 10 at 8p.
Guest stars for season two of NBC’s Midnight, Texas include Michael Harney (Orange Is the New Black), Mindy Sterling (The Goldbergs), Adam Langdon (Moe & Jerryweather), Jasmine Cephas Jones (Girls), Jaime Murray (Once Upon a Time) and Nick Lee (Reign). Sophomore run starts Friday, October 26 at 9p.
DIGITAL
YouTube TV announced users now have control to pause, rewind and fast forward anytime during playback. Partners AMC, Disney, Fox, NBCU and Turner have made their content available for DVR playback.
Kraft Heinz announced the launch of Evolv Ventures, a venture fund to invest in emerging tech companies, with the goal of accelerating the company’s exposure to emerging technologies. “With the insights, data and access available at Kraft Heinz, we look to take full advantage of our unique position and be the foremost value-added investor in the space,” said venture investor Bill Pescatello, brought on the lead the fund.
Live TV streaming service fuboTV is expanding its pro hoops coverage with the addition of NBA League Pass, offering access to nearly 1,000 out-of-market games per year.
Discovery Digital Studios launched Battlebots: Resurrection, going behind the scenes to follow viewers’ favorite bots and the teams behind them. Six-episode series is streaming on Discovery Channel GO and SCI GO.
Netflix has leased a 13-story, soon-to-be-completed office building in Hollywood, with a plan to start moving in in 2020. “We have created a customized, state-of-the-art, creative urban campus that holistically supports Netflix’s unique culture and business needs,” said Hudson Pacific Properties CEO Victor Coleman. The streamer also has Hudson lease deals for studio space and office space across the street.
The entire season of Discovery of Witches will debut on AMC Networks’ streaming services SundanceNOW and SHUDDER on Thursday, January 17. Drama is based on the bestseller by Deborah Harkness.
NASCAR is launching an augmented reality experience that will allow fans to walk through virtual portals to experience memorable moments in the 2018 Monster Energy Drink NASCAT Cup Series Playoffs. New content will be added weekly. “NASCAR is always looking for unique ways to engage fans and bring them closer to the sport,” said Tim Clark, NASCA digital media VP.
GOING GLOBAL
Toronto-based Our House Media has taken a stake in the recently formed production company 4East Media, which will develop and produce multi-genre, unscripted content for international audiences.