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PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
Sylvester Stallone, Bear Grylls (“Man vs. Wild”) and Endemol Shine North America are partnering to create a “genre-bending” adventure series. “My goal has always been to push the envelope not only in life, but in all of my creative endeavors,” said Stallone. “Nothing is more satisfying than mixing the improbable with the incredible and creating the unforgettable. What we have planned is epic, beautiful and game-changing.”
Martin Scorsese is attached to executive produce a TV series project from Miramax Television based on the 1927 book The Gangs of New York, which was turned in a 2002 film directed by Scorsese, reports Deadline. Scorsese would also direct the first two episodes of the series. The project was developed internally at Miramax TV and written by Brett Leonard (“Fear the Walking Dead”).
Kurt Sutter (“Sons of Anarchy”) landed a series order from Netflix for “The Abandons.” The western drama series follows a group of outlier families pursuing their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon when a corrupt force of wealth and power tries to force them out. Sutter will serve as showrunner and EP via his SutterInk.
Disney Branded Television has picked up to series “Pretty Freekin Scary,” part of a first-look deal with Cakestart and former Disney exec Kory Lunsford. The sitcom is based on the books from Cakestart Entertainment, where Lunsford is now President and Partner, and Cloudco Entertainment. The 20-episode first season is slated to debut in summer 2023 on Disney Channel and Disney+.
Hulu has ordered “Interior Chinatown,” based on the bestseller by Charles Yu, from 20th Television and Creator/Exec Producer Yu. Jimmy O. Yang (“Crazy Rich Asians”) will star. The series follows an actor swept up in a criminal web.
Limited series “Heatwave, following relationship drama on a family holiday, is in development at HBO Max. The project comes from director Shannon Murphy, writer Anna Symon, and Tiger Aspect Productions.
Coming-of-age docuseries “God. Family. Football.”, about the high school football coach who came out of retirement to lead the Louisiana football program he founded back to national prominence, scored a series order from Freevee. The series comes from Propagate, Watershed and Ascending Media Group.
OUTtv has commissioned three new reality series: dating competition “For The Love of DILFS”; “Miami Dolls,” set in a drag venue; and “Hot Haus Uncut,” a spinoff of “Hot Haus.
Boat Rocker preschool series “Dino Ranch” has been renewed for a third season, to air on Disney Junior and Disney+ in the U.S in fall 2023, followed by an international rollout on Disney Junior in Latin America and streaming on Disney+ in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
WildBrain announced new-season greenlights for kids’ shows “Fireman Sam” and “Polly Pocket,” based on the Mattel brands.
Deadline is tomorrow! Cynopsis is producing our annual Holiday Programming Guide, which comes out on November 2 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 15 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 AND RETURNING SERIES
All six episodes of Prime Video western drama “The English,” starring Emily Blunt (“A Quiet Place”) and Chaske Spencer (“Wild Indian”), will drop November 11.
Turner Classic Movies series “Reframed” will return for season two on November 5, with the theme, “Films That Shaped Our Culture.” Starting the lineup is 1932’s “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang.”
Drama “Mood” premieres Sunday, November 6 at 10p on BBC America and AMC+. The six-part series centers on a would-be recording artist struggling in an influencer world.
Food Network has the holidays covered, starting with “Christmas Cookie Challenge,” returning Sunday, November 6 at 8p, followed the next day by Holiday Baking Championship” at 8p and “Holiday Baking Championship: Gingerbread Showdown” at 10p. “Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown” premieres Tuesday, November 8 at 9p, and “Kids Baking Championship: Gobble Goodies” kicks off Monday, November 28 at 9p. Which appears to be a winning recipe. “Food Network’s fourth quarter programming is a holiday wonderland for viewers year after year, reaching more than 59M P2+ viewers last year,” said Jane Latman, President, Home & Food Content and Streaming, Warner Bros. Discovery. “Food Network’s holiday programming has become a tradition in homes around the country.”
COMING UP
Documentary “Santa Camp” premieres on HBO Max in November, after its debut at the IFC Center as part of DOC NYC on November 12. The film follows the action at a summer campsite where professional Santas learn the tricks of the trade, and tackle the lack of diversity in the Santa industry.
Comedy Central digital special “Stand-Up & Vote Early,” in partnership with Michelle Obama’s nonpartisan voting initiative When We All Vote, will feature stand-up sets from comedians discussing democracy and voting in the US. The stand-up special will debut on Monday, October 24 ahead of Vote Early Day (Friday, October 28) at 8p on Comedy Central’s Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.
STREAMING
Netflix is lining up partners as it prepares for the aforementioned November 3 launch of its ad-supported tier. DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science will verify the viewability and validity of ads, and Nielsen will add Netflix to its Digital Ad Ratings product in 2023.
Just a little more Netflix: 82% of Americans use at least one premium streaming service, according to Big Village Insights, with 61% using Netflix, the most popular streaming service. In more findings:
· 47% of respondents said they use smart TV to stream television, making it the most used device consumers for streaming needs.
· Half of consumers use traditional linear (cable TV, satellite TV, and antenna/broadcast tv) to watch TV, falling from 60% just three years ago.
· 79% of Americans use CTV to access their shows.
Tubi has integrated FreeWheel’s Beeswax technology into its proprietary ad technology, offering mutual clients full access to programmatically acquire incremental inventory and extend audience reach in one workflow. The adoption also allows Beeswax customers access to Tubi’s first-party data targeting and measurement solutions, as well as real-time addressability via its earlier adoption of LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution.
QVC and HSN have launched their streaming service on Cox Contour and Contour Stream Player. It’s the first livestream shopping app on either platform.
Speedvision will be revived as a FAST network with more than 500 hours of auto-related content this fall. Speedvision launched as a cable network in 1995, was bought by News Corp. in 2001, and replaced by Fox Sports in 2013.
TECH TALK
Updates to the TikTok Creator Marketplace, announced at the TikTok World event, include:
* Improved creator-matching results with precise and granular keyword searches.
* TTCM Match, a new recommendation functionality that automatically generate lists of creators based on a brand’s brief in under 10 seconds.
* Open Application Campaigns, allowing brands to post details of an upcoming campaign on the TTCM platform for creators to proactively apply.
* Invite Links allowing any brand or any agency to work with any creator.
* Gaming Anchor, enabling creators working with mobile gaming companies to add iOS or Android app store links to download the game to their content.
* Comment Anchor, allowing creators to add and pin a clickable link at the top of comments.
* Enhanced post-campaign reporting.“
As we continue working with our community of creators, partners, and users, we’re committed to building solutions that bring even more creators into the ecosystem, making it easier for brands and creators to work together,” said the company in a blog post.
MyBundle.TV, the online platform connecting consumers, streaming services, and broadband providers with tools to simplify streaming television, has entered into a partnership agreement with the National Content & Technology Cooperative. The agreement gives the cooperative’s members the ability to deploy a range of tools that simplify the world of streaming TV. The MyBundle.TV platform works in conjunction with NCTC members’ own video offerings or as a standalone broadband solution.
IPG Mediabrands and its intelligence arm MAGNA unveiled the 4th issue of its Media Responsibility Index. The index allows for teams and clients to incorporate brand and consumer safety priorities into their investment decision-making for a variety of media types, from large global social platforms to local broadcast media outlets. Key highlights include:
· Social media platforms showed continued improvement across the four priorities (averaging +3-point in overall performance). Partners attained a ~10% increase in Inclusivity, driven by increased focus on internal accountability and creator equity.
· Safety is a standout priority for broadcast and cable, based in part on federal industry regulations forcing uniformity and 3rd party enforcement in safety standards.
· Tech proficient digital-first CTV partners are driving higher Data Ethics performance than their traditional-first counterparts.
· In a mixed marketplace for Sustainability practices, online video platforms showed strength in their ad-business emissions measurement + setting net-zero goals.
“The MRI is an important underpinning of our Media for Good positioning, putting responsibility at the heart of every media decision, as concern over the interplay and societal impact of advertising, media and misinformation increases,” said Eileen Kiernan, Global CEO of Mediabrands. “Our clients are increasingly pursuing ESG criteria within their own businesses and we are providing a resource to support these goals along with advocating for stronger, safer standards in media.”
IAB Tech Lab’s US State Signals Initiative has been released as part of the Global Privacy Platform. The US State Signals are a set of specifications for privacy strings for multiple US states that should be used in conjunction with the Global Privacy Platform. Currently specifications have been developed to support privacy signals from five US states: California, Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and Connecticut. The MSPA and US State Signals specifications are available for public comment until October 27.
SPORTS
UFC Fight Pass is taking its live and on-demand MMA events to VR via Meta’s Horizon Worlds, an immersive social experience app available on the Meta Quest 2 headset. The platform’s first live MMA event to be featured in Meta Horizon Worlds will be LFA 144 tonight at 9p with fans entering “an immersive environment in Meta Horizon Worlds where they can see and speak with other fans in real time while enjoying unprecedented VR views of all the thrilling action in the LFA Octagon, including strikes, takedowns, grappling, and more.”
Bleacher Report welcomes the return of the NBA regular season with its biggest slate of live and original NBA-themed programming for the first week of the NBA Tip-Off. The lineup includes hours of original programming and round-the-clock coverage punctuated by a live interactive fan experience in downtown Los Angeles ahead of the Lakers/Clippers game that will feature a livestream celebration of LeBron James’ 20 years in the league, Through the Wire live show, special e-comm drop, and more.
For Soccer Ventures named BODYARMOR Sports Drink as Presenting Sponsor of its influencer soccer league, “The Association.” The 2022 installment of The Association will feature teams from CAA, Sony, Religion Of Sports, 424, The Shoe Surgeon, Winston House, AEG, Immortals FC, the American Outlaws, and Google.
GOING GLOBAL
Cineflix Rights has sold the first season of Syfy supernatural drama “Reginald the Vampire” to Sky for the UK, and Ireland, NBCUniversal International Networks & Direct-To-Consumer for its science fiction channels Syfy in France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Switzerland; and SCIFI in Poland and the Balkans, and AMC Networks International for Latin America.
Wildlife cinematographer Vianet Djenguet embedded himself with a family of wild gorillas for “My Gorilla Dream,” a natural history doc for UK’s BBC Two and iPlayer from Off the Fence Productions.
MIPCOM Mentions: Underknown’s digital science show “What If” is being launched as a long form TV show….Studiocanal has acquired Danish comedy series “The Orchestra” from Sam Productions….Abacus Media Rights made multiple sales of non-fiction programming and drama series to Benelux ahead of MIPCOM…Molly Parker, Brian J. Smith, Stephen McHattie, Finlay Wojtak-Hissong, and Kevin Durand lead the cast of “Essex County,” a limited series based on Jeff Lemire’s graphic novel…. Scorpion TV announced a string of sales for its recently acquired documentary “A President, Europe and War”…Distribution 360 is launching chainsaw carving competition “A Cut Above”…. Toonz Media Group has partnered with China Bridge Content on the original animated comedy “Peaches & Creaminal.”
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