Tonight’s Premieres
Acorn TV: Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House
Cooking Channel: The Best Thing I Ever Ate at 9p
PBS: Independent Lens at 10p
Tonight’s Finale
HBO: The Deuce at 9p
IN THE NEWS
Batwoman and Nancy Drew nabbed full-season, 22-episode orders from The CW after three airings each. The freshman series are seeing major boosts in delayed viewing – Batwoman’s ratings have risen 73% among A18-34 and 80% among A18-49 in Live+7 Nielsens, while Nancy Drew has seen increases of 94% among A18-34 and 114% among A18-49.
Former NBC News employees who signed nondisclosure agreements and believe they suffered sexual harassment will not be bound by the legal documents, said NBCUniversal. “Any former NBC News employee who believes that they cannot disclose their experience with sexual harassment as a result of a confidentiality or non-disparagement provision in their separation agreement should contact NBCUniversal and we will release them from that perceived obligation,” said the company in a statement. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow reported the move on her show on Friday, before an interview with “Catch and Kill” author Ronan Farrow, who had reported on agreements reached with women at NBC. Farrow called NBCU’s move “a model for other companies.”
France’s Banijay Group is acquiring Endemol Shine Group (Big Brother, MasterChef) for a reported $2.2 billion. “Combining the resources of these two companies will instantly strengthen our position in the global market, and our capabilities across genres will further define us as a go-to provider of first class IP worldwide,” said Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti. “Welcoming the Endemol Shine brands and talents to our existing business will signal enhanced opportunities in the marketplace.” Endemol Shine, owned by Disney and Apollo Global Management, was created in 2014 through a merger between Endemol and Shine (The Biggest Loser).
A Democratic presidential candidate debate will take place at UCLA on December 19, hosted by PBS NewsHour and Politico. The next debate is slated for November 20, hosted by MSNBC and the Washington Post in Georgia.
Courtney Cox and soccer star David Beckham will guest on an upcoming episode of ABC’s Modern Family. The duo play themselves at a celebrity bowling tournament, where they get draw into Pritchett family shenanigans.
Facebook is attempting to stem the tide of misinformation by testing a “News” tab that gives users more tools to control the news items they see, and the ability to a view a wider range of news interests. The system supplements AI and algorithms with professional journalists. “We talked to news organizations about what they’d like to see included in a news tab, how their stories should be presented and what analytics to provide,” wrote Campbell Brown, VP, Global News Partnerships and Mona Sarantakos, Product Manager, News, in a blog post, adding that Facebook News will feature a wide of content across general, topical, diverse and local categories. “We hope this work aids in our effort to sustain great journalism and strengthen democracy,” they concluded.
Broadband growth for cable operator Charter Communications made up for a loss of 75,000 video subscribers, as 3Q19 earnings per share of $1.74 beat analyst estimates. Charter added 380,000 internet customers.
Felicity Huffman was released from prison on Friday. The Desperate Housewives alum had served 11 of the 14 days she was sentenced to in the college admissions scandal, normal policy for inmates set to be released over the weekend.
Court TV debuts today on 19 stations, including New York (WPIX), LA (KTLA) and Chicago (WGN). The new launches of the multi-platform network reboot will push its over-the-air penetration to nearly 90% of the country, and nearly 40% on cable.
Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos will receive the Milestone Award from the Producers Guild of America, at its event Saturday, January 18 in LA. “He has provided a platform for producers to create new content that may not otherwise be seen, providing not only more opportunities for producers, but also more content and pleasure for audiences around the world,” said Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher, Presidents of the PGA.
LAST CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Cynopsis is producing its annual Holiday Programming Guide, which comes out on November 7 and will be sent to all Cynopsis subscribers. If your network has holiday programming airing from November 7 through January 1, please send your listing to [email protected] and [email protected] no later than today, October 28 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 14: UPtv: 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).
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STUCK.
A podcast, produced in partnership with Situation Interactive.
Season 3 Episode 2 – Dealing with Slackers
It’s a small company, you’ve got a coworker conflict, and there’s no HR – recipe for disaster or opportunity? Listen in: https://stuckpod.com/subscribe
Season 3 of STUCK is available wherever you listen to podcasts or
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PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
Disney+ gave a series order to a puppet talk show. Earth to Ned, from The Jim Henson Company, is described as a comedic half-hour series that follows a blue-skinned alien and his lieutenant, sent to scout Earth for an invasion but instead hosting a talk show from the bridge of their spaceship. Series starts streaming in 2020.
Another forthcoming streamer, HBO Max, gave a series order to florist competition format Full Bloom, from Eureka Productions (Hole Moley). “Full Bloom will transport viewers into the intricate and fantastically colorful word of competitive floristry,” said Jennifer O’Connell, EVP, original content, HBO Max. “HBO Max is the trellis for this series to bloom and shine the light on this incredibly beautiful art form.” Series is not to be confused with upcoming Netflix competition, The Big Flower Fight. HBO Max also picked up season two of Rooster Teeth animated series gen:LOCK, voiced by Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan.
Comedy Central ordered animated comedy Loafy, about a marijuana-dealing manatee voiced by SNL alum Bobby Moynihan.
Redbox, the disc-rental company that launched streaming service Redbox On Demand two years ago, is getting into the production business. Redbox Entertainment will acquire and produce content, headed by Lionsgate vet Marc Danon. “The formation of Redbox Entertainment leverages our deep insights to bring projects that we know appeal to our audience to deliver additional value and entertainment,” said CEO Galen Smith. Projects will cross genres, with a focus on action, comedy and suspense/thrillers.
Urban Movie Channel renewed A House Divided for season two, and added LisaRaye McCoy (All of Us) and Parker McKenna Posey (My Wife and Kids) to the family drama’s cast in recurring roles.
Top 10 Weekend Domestic Box Office Estimates: October 25-27
Joker (Warner Bros) $18.8 million (week 4), cume revenue $277.6 million
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (Buena Vista) $18.5 million (week 2), cume revenue $65.4 million
The Addams Family (United Artists) $11.7 million (week 3), cume revenue $72.8 million
Zombieland: Double Tap (Sony) $11.6 million (week 2), cume revenue $47.0 million
Countdown (STX) $9.0 million, opening weekend
Black and Blue (Screen Gems) $8.3 million, opening weekend
Gemini Man (Paramount) $4.0 million (week 3), cume revenue $43.3 million
The Lighthouse (A24) $3.1 million (week 2), cume revenue $3.7 million
The Current War: Director’s Cut (101 Studios) $2.7 million, opening weekend
Abominable (Universal) $2.0 million (week 5), cume revenue $56.8 million
Source: Comscore
RETURNING SERIES
The new season of PBS’ Independent Lens kicks tonight at 10p. Lois Vossen, the documentary series’ founding Executive Producer, talks about the explosion of the genre – and the secrets to success – in Cynsiders.
STREAMING NOTES
Why isn’t FX accepting advertising from Netflix? Speaking at USC on Saturday, FX chairman John Landgraf noted, “FX has had the most reach of any cable network in the last five years. I would prefer not to share a scarce resource in an environment where we’re fighting for our lives.” Landgraf also pointed out that FX made 13 shows over the last year, all of which landed on ten-best lists, a record not matched by Netflix or HBO. “It’s very hard to compete when you only have 13 at bats,” he said. “It’s pretty stressful. You need to take risks.”
HBO Max will be free to 10 million AT&T customers who are also HBO subscribers in the US, reports Reuters, citing a long-term HBO Max goal of helping AT&T retain wireless subscribers. The upcoming streamer is expected to cost more than services from Apple ($4.99), Disney ($6.99) and Netflix ($12.99).
Crackle docu-series Going From Broke had over one million views in the five days after its October 17 launch. Series exec produced by Ashton Kutcher focuses on student debt.
TECH TALK
Short video app TikTok is facing bipartisan scrutiny from lawmakers, with Senators Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton asking the US intelligence community to assess the risks of the app, and others owned by China, of being used in foreign influence campaigns. TikTok, owned by Beijing-based Bytedance, was downloaded 177 million times last quarter, second only to WhatsApp.
GOING GLOBAL
Discovery and Cyfrowy Polsat have signed a joint venture agreement to create a video streaming platform which will operate in Poland and international markets. The new OTT service will offer Polish content including movies, series, documentaries, sports and entertainment, with local productions supplied by TVN and Polsat, acquired content and new series, differentiated by more local characters and stories.
Cinemoi TV has acquired the worldwide rights (excluding Asia) to short film The Power of Beauty, part of the feature-length documentary Tomorrow and The Butterfly, directed by Italian filmmaker Alessandro Soetje and produced by Soetje and sustainable global beauty brand Davines.
PODCAST POST
Satirical original scripted comedy podcast series, 14 Days With Felicity, launches October 29. The 14-part series follows Felicity Huffman as she serves her 14-day prison sentence (in reality cut to 11 days) for her role in the college admissions scandal. 14 Days With Felicity is produced by At Will Media & Animal Kingdom and presented by Forever Dog.
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Give Them The Recognition They Deserve
The Cynopsis Rising Star Awards is designed to encourage and reward exceptional accomplishments, shining a light on young professionals with the smarts, maturity, and drive to become industry leaders. We look forward to honoring these young innovators with an award at our Best Of The Best Awards gala, taking place in February in NYC.
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RATINGS
The premiere of the final season of NBC’s Will & Grace drew 2.28 million viewers and 0.5 among A18-49, down from its prior season averages but up two tenths from the show it replaced in the timeslot, Sunnyside.
Fuse late-night show The Read with Kid Fury & Crissle was the best performing Fuse original TV series premiere in four years among A18-34, and attracted a young, gender-balanced audience, with a median age of 33. Also on Fuse, week two of season five of Complex x Fuse grew its A18-49 audience an additional 28% above its week one premiere (which increased +23% from the season four premiere).
Live + Same Day Viewers AA (millions) Thursday, October 24 time period averages
Source: Nielsen Live+SD
FOX: 9.92 million
Thursday Night Football 9.92
CBS: 5.50 million
Young Sheldon 8.50, The Unicorn 5.88, Mom 6.35, Carol’s Second Act 5.11, Evil 3.59
ABC: 4.29 million
Grey’s Anatomy 6.05, A Million Little Things 4.39, How to Get Away With Murder 2.42
NBC: 2.75 million
Superstore 2.93, Perfect Harmony 2.07, The Good Place 1.94, Will & Grace 2.28, Law & Order: SVU 3.63
TELEMUNDO: 1.54 million
Exatlon 1.45, Final del Paraiso 1.57, Senior de Cielos 1.60
UNIVISION: 1.27 million
Rosa de Guadelupe 1.40, Cun De Lobos 1.30, El Dragon 1.11
CW: 1.06 million
Supernatural 1.25, Legacies 0.88
Thursday A18-49 Ratings
GOX 2.8/13, ABC 0.9/4, CBS 0.7/4, NBC 0.6./3, TELE 0.5/3, UNI 0.4/2, CW 0.3/1
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Y&R PR tapped Dean Mastrojohn to serve as SVP, Integrated Media. Mastrojohn was formerly Global Media Relations Lead for Pfizer, Inc.
Gunpowder & Sky named Paul Evans as Head of Unscripted in the UK. Evans was most recently a format consultant for Optomen Television.
FETV appointed Karen Bressner as EVP of National Sales. Bressner’s prior roles include SVP, National Advertising Sales for TV Land and Nick at Nite.
This Day in History
1746 – An earthquake in the Peruvian cities of Lima and Callao led to 18,000 deaths.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What kind of animal stalked Elisha Cuthbert’s character Kim Bauer in season 2 of 24 (2001-10)? A cougar. Kudos to: Aaron Paquette-Screen Engine/ASI/Fort Worth, TX, Matt Fumagalli-NBC/Chicago, Mike Seidel-CSI Sports/Jersey City, NJ, Art Salisch-Nielsen/NYC, Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, David Rubisohn/American Public Television/Boston, Eric LItt-Tribune Media/Chicago, Tom Boyd-WGN-TV/Chicago, Rick Pike-InterMedia Advertising/Woodland Hills, CA, Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA, Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA
Today’s Trivia Question
Which sitcom focused on a group that plotted to rob celebrities, starting with Mick Jagger? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four.)
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MULTI-PLATFORM MARKETING MGR
SNY
NYC
Reinforce/solidify SNY’s positioning as the Home for NY sports in a breakout way. Using proper creative and marketing strategies, this position will leverage best practices in marketing, social media, digital promotions, mobile marketing, and technology. Min 5 yrs mktg/advertising exp sports/media.
Full info HERE (11/2)
MGR, MULTIPLATFORM PROGRAMMING >>
BET/NYC: Manage and schedule content to our VOD and EST (Electronic Sell Through) partners. Previous exp in TV programming and/or scheduling. Great organizational & communication skills a must. Full info HERE(11/9)
DIRECTOR COMMUNICATIONS >>
National Geographic/LA: Run point on major NGC public relations campaigns for upcoming 2.0 tentpole projects, with a primary focus on scripted content. also be responsible for planning and overseeing assigned shows and talent at key industry events. 10 yrs relevant exp. Full info HERE (11/9)
COORDINATOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT >>
VENN/NYC: Assist the department with planning, organization and execution. Candidate must have knowledge of, and passion for the media and gaming industries, staying up to date across the latest trends. Full info HERE (11/8)
MGR, PRODUCTION ACCOUNTS >>
Nickelodeon/NYC: Supervise logistic and financial elements of Nick Experience projects. Manage aspects of production, including but not limited to legal, risk assessment and financial. 4 yrs of exp in prod. accounting or prod management. Full info HERE (11/8)
DIRECTOR, BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE >>
Major League Soccer/NYC: Establish/maintain company-wide KPI measurements and associated processes to drive strategic decision making. 8+ years of experience, preferably in business intelligence, analytics or relevant data driven support roles. Full info HERE (11/8)
VP, ANALYTICS >>
Major League Soccer/NYC: Dive integration of advanced analytics projects throughout the enterprise & lead a team that will transform data thru application of advanced data modeling techniques. 12+yrs of exp working in data science and/or advanced analytics w/ track record of delivering insights & business impact. Full info HERE (11/8)
COORDINATOR, INTEGRATED MEDIA SOLUTIONS >>
Major League Soccer/NYC: be the subject-matter expert on MLS & SUM Digital advertising systems and processes, who will help operationalize and streamline all internal aspects of our digital media campaigns. 1++ years digital marketing/promotions/advertising role or capacity. Full info HERE (11/8)
TV AD SALES BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/SR ACCT EXECUTIVE >>
Black News Channel/NYC: Exp’d in Major market and Network TV Sales and is an extremely motivated multi-platform sales professional. Exceed or at a minimum achieve monthly, quarterly and annual sales/revenue goals. Min 5 yrs media sales exp. Full info HERE (11/8)
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE >>
Ride TV/NYC & ATL: confident, driven, goal-oriented, relentless, and self-motivated with a positive attitude and the ultimate team player to succeed in the fast-past entrepreneurial sales environment. 8 yrs sales expe, preferably in the ad sales space. Full info HERE (11/8)
SALES PLANNER >>
Ride TV/Chicago/LA/NYC: Develop media proposals and create sales presentations for all RIDE TV networks and platforms utilizing all available research, sales and content resources. Minimum 1 yr exp as ad sales planner or 3+ yrs as an ad sales assistant. Full info HERE (11/8)
SALES PLANNER >>
The Weather Group/NYC: Dvlp sales plans/packages for clients that meet the needs of the network, clients & sales staff. 2-3 yrs of ad sales ind exp (agency and/or sales) Media math req’d. Potential growth into Sales position Full info HERE (11/7)
DIRECTOR of DEVELOPMENT >>
Thriving NYC production company: Dvlp/generate internal ideas. Identify & Skype talent. Exp preparing and pitching ideas directly to the networks. Oversee shoots & sizzle reels. In-depth knwldg of unscripted prgring & exp in a similar, sr level development role. Full info HERE (11/7)
SALES ASSISTANT >>
UP/NYC: Provide sales support to AEs, Sales Planners & Pricing & Inventory. Establish relationships w/agency buyers. Act as a liaison w/agencies & internal depts. Strong orgnztnl skills, att to detail, ability to work in a fast-paced envir. Prior internship exp in media a +. Full info HERE (11/5)
INVENTORY MANAGER >>
UP/NYC: Support VP, Pricing & Planning. Mng all aspects of channel inventory, oversee flighting & shift requests. Mng day to day bus processes w/sales assistants & sales planners. Provide support for stewardship, deal approvals, and pricing. Strong analytical skills, quick learner and problem solver. Full info HERE (11/5)
DIRECTOR, TECHNICAL & DIGITAL OPERATIONS >>
NBC Sports/Stamford CT: Oversee the design, development, deployment, and support of state-of-the-art sports content management systems, web services and API’s. Full info HERE (11/2)
Jr PUBLICIST >>
NBC SPORTS/Stamford CT: Publicize and promote NBC Sports Group programming in accordance with the overall strategy and brand positioning. BA degree. Min 2 yrs exp working in PR and/or Sports industry. Full info HERE (11/2)
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT >>
9 Story Media Group/NYC: Provide administrative support to two executives in a collaborative, creative, fast-paced environment working in production of current series and development of new properties. Candidate must be organized, detail oriented and self-directed, with strong verbal and written comm skills. Full info HERE (11/2)
MULTI-PLATFORM MARKETING MGR >>
SNY/NYC: Reinforce/solidify SNY’s positioning as the Home for NY sports in a breakout way. Using proper creative and marketing strategies, this position will leverage best practices in marketing, social media, digital promotions, mobile marketing, and technology. Min 5 yrs mktg/advertising exp sports/media. Full info HERE (11/2)
MGR, DIGITAL CONTENT (NIGHT SIDE) >>
NBC SPORTS/Philadelphia: Mng a team of NBC Sports Philadelphia’s content producers, ensuring that timely, relevant content is properly published to the website, app and social media accts. Min 7 yrs working in digital content prod, incl 2-3 yrs managing a team or unit. Full info HERE (11/2)
FREELANCE PROJECT MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR >>
Nickelodeon/NYC: Resp for project mngmt/coordinating social media creative for Nickelodeon’s fan-first, adult-targeted social accounts. Understanding of production methodologies across video, graphics/design & social media platforms. 1-2 yrs managerial exp. Full info HERE (11/2)
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE >>
NYC-based television production: Work closely with the VP and SVP of Finance in all aspects of production accounting/finance Overseeing production accountants & mngng show cash flows to ensure staying on budget. Min 5 yrs exp cost reporting as a production accountant. Full info HERE (10/29)
PROMOTION PRODUCER >>
WTTG/WDCA TV Fox 5 TV/Washington DC: seasoned creative services producer to conceptualize, write and produce dynamic promotional spots that promote our programming while reinforcing and expanding the stations brand and image. 4 yr degree & min 3 yrs brdcst exp in a top 50 market. Full info HERE (10/29) |
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| MONDAY OCTOBER 28
ABC: Dancing With the Stars, The Good Doctor
CBS: The Neighborhood, Bob Hearts Abishola, All Rise, Bull
CW: All American, Black Lightning
FOX: 9-1-1, Prodigal Son
NBC: The Voice, Bluff City Law
PBS: Antiques Roadshow, Retro Report on PBS, Independent Lens [p]
Telemundo: Exatlon Estados Unidos, El Final del Paraiso, El Senor de los Cielos
Univision: La Rosa de Guadelupe, Cuna de Lobos, El Dragon
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