IN THE NEWS

Hulu is hoisting its live TV subscription rate by 18 percent, beginning December 18. The live package includes more than five dozen networks and will cost $64.99/month for both current and new subscribers, up from the previous $54.99 rate. The version with no ads will rise to $70.99/month. Disney recently reported Hulu had 4.1 million live subscribers as of September 30 and 32.5 million customers paying for its on-demand service.

Netflix comedy “Dear White People” is halting production in LA for two weeks after several team members tested positive for Covid-19. The series is filming its fourth and final season.

NBCUniversal launched platformwide marketing campaign Family is Universal in conjunction with Progressive, Verizon and Walmart. The campaign aims to bring together families around holiday content, and will donate $600,000 to Feeding America and No Kid Hungry.

Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Lady A, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, and Darius Rucker with Lindsey Stirling are among the performers who’ll take the stage for “CMA Country Christmas.” The holiday special airs on ABC Monday, November 30 at 9p.

Netflix’s “Dick Johnson Is Dead” took the top honor at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards for best doc, while the streamer’s “My Octopus Teacher” was the only other film to win more than one trophy—for best science/nature doc and best cinematography.

Comedian and actor Sinbad, best known for his stand-up and role in “The Cosby Show” spinoff “A Different World,” suffered from a stroke and is currently recovering, according to a report by the Associated Press.

HBO Max is launching the TRANSlation Summit, today, November 17 through November 19 on its YouTube channel, in celebration of the premiere of the streamer’s new docuseries Transhood and Transgender Awareness Week. The summit will offer conversations about and catering to the transgender community, their families and their allies.

It’s all starting today... time to gain the tools you need to solve your cross-platform challenges with Cynopsis’ Measurement & Data [Virtual Experience]! It’s going to be a powerful ‘must-attend’ online conference, with two afternoons of content…you cannot afford to miss these conversations with executives from leading agencies, media and tech companies. Virtual doors will open at 12:30pm and our first session kicks off at 1pm ET. Register here.

Actor Richard Kind will host the International Emmy Awards ceremony, set to live stream from NY on on Monday, November 23 at 11a on the Academy’s website. He’ll be joined by presenters including Titus Burgess, Tim Daly, Indira Varna.

ABC gave a straight-to-series order to an untitled comedy series starring and exec-produced by Alec Baldwin and Kelsey Grammer. Tagged for the 2021-22 season, the project is from “Modern Family” co-creator/exec producer Chris Lloyd, Vali Chandrasekaran and studio 20th Television. The show follows three men—roommates in their 20s until their egos got in the way—who reunite decades later for one more run at the lives they’ve always wanted.

“Dial M For Murder,” based on the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock movie, is in development as a limited series at MGM/UA Television. Oscar winner Alicia Vikander is exec-producing through her Vikarious Film and may star in the series, which reimagines the suspense thriller story from the female perspective. Michael Mitnick (“The Giver”) is creating and penning the series; “Boardwalk Empire” creator Terence Winter is overseeing.

“For Real: The Story of Reality TV” is a go at E!. Hosted and exec-produced by Andy Cohen and set to air in early 2021, the series will revisit and share the inside scoop on iconic reality TV moments. Under the lens are “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” “The Bachelor,” “The Real World,” “Survivor” and more. In each ep, Cohen will explore a pivotal theme or moment from the genre.

Judd Apatow set his next project at Netflix. He’ll direct, produce and co-write the script for an untitled comedy film. Pam Brady is co-writer, and Apatow’s longtime partner Barry Mendel will serve as exec producer. In a little life imitating art moment, the story revolves around a group of actors and actresses stuck inside a pandemic bubble at a hotel, attempting to finish a film.

“The Final Girl Support Group” is in development as a series from Annapurna, which landed rights to the forthcoming horror novel from top-selling author Grady Hendrix. Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain, co-creators of ABC’s “The Fix,” are onboard to write the adaptation. Hendrix will serve as an exec producer.

Do you have time for a quick, 3-question survey? Cynopsis wants to gauge your feelings on all things production: Covid-19 safety protocols, “quarantine” shows produced from home and more. Take the survey here, thanks in advance! These quick community polls are analyzed and reported on exclusively to our members. Check it out, maybe you’d like to join?

Gretchen Mol (“Boardwalk Empire”) will topline opposite Jon Bernthal in Showtime’s pilot “American Gigolo,” a modern-day reboot of the 1980 film.

A three-part docuseries about Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s life, made in collaboration with her family, is heading to Netflix in 2021. The series will be produced by Lightbox and will detail the story of the 1996 murder that became a national obsession in Ireland and France.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

SVOD service True Royalty TV launched a curated collection of seven documentaries and original series focused on Princess Diana and other members of the Royal Family. The launch coincides with the return to Netflix of The Crown, which features Diana in its new season.

True crime net Law&Crime acquired rights to air “Caught in Providence,” featuring the courtroom of Judge Frank Capiro. Law&Crime will begin airing episodes of the Debmar-Mercury show this week.

Donald Sutherland and William Fichtner star in police crime drama “Crossing Lines,” which will debut on Ovation TV on Monday, December 7 at 7p. Created by Edward Allen Bernero (“Criminal Minds”), series eps will air in three-hour and four-hour blocks on Monday nights.

TLC’s “Unexpected” returns with an eye-opening look at teenage pregnancy and parenthood on Sunday, December 20 at 10p. Companion digital series “Baby Bumps,” on TLC Go, precedes with a Sunday, December 13 debut.

Five-episode CNBC primetime original series “Streets of Dreams with Marcus Lemonis” will debut Tuesday, December 29 at 10p. From the producers of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” the show features Lemonis traveling the country to reveal renowned thoroughfares that fuel America’s most vital business cultures.

COMING UP

BET will air Barack Obama’s sit down with Gayle King and Scott Pelley as a one-hour special tonight (November 17) at 8p. Also airing on BET Her, the interview first aired on CBS News. BET’s “An Hour With Barack Obama” will include excerpts from that airing.

NBC and L’Oreal Paris will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the brand’s signature philanthropic program, Women of Worth, in a special that spotlights the intrinsic worth of 10 women making an extraordinary difference in their communities. “Women of Worth” will air Wednesday, November 25 at 8p.

Feature doc “40 Years a Prisoner,” which drops on HBO on Tuesday, December 8 at 9p, chronicles the controversial 1978 police raid on the radical, back-to-nature group MOVE by the Philadelphia Police Department.

“Safety,” a film inspired by the true story of former Clemson University football safety Ray McElrathbey, will debut exclusively on Disney+ on Friday, December 11. A story of a community coming together for the greater good, the movie is complemented by a soundtrack featuring jazz musician/producer and composer Marcus Miller and original song Hold Us Together, performed by H.E.R.

“Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event,” will air on CBS on Sunday, December 20 at 8:30p. Husband and wife Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will perform holiday songs live from their home recording studio for the special, which also will stream live on CBS All Access. Brooks will share details about how viewers can make requests on his weekly Facebook Live show, “Inside Studio G.”

Free live TV service Redbox is adding a host of new channels including Pac-12 Insider, Conde Nast’s GQ, Bon Appetit, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Divorce Court, Stingray and So Yummy. The addition of Pac-12 Insider expands Redbox’s multiyear deal with the Pac-12; the newly added net will stream football and basketball game previews, highlights and encores and behind-the-scenes stories.

Lifestyle and entertainment streaming service Philo launched the Philo Phone Line, which provides personalized TV recommendations. Recs from a live-human are available 6p-9p every night via a toll-free line for both subscribers and non-subscribers. Philo currently has 800,000-plus subscribers.

The History of Sketch Comedy, an Audible original episodic podcast written and performed by Keegan-Michael Key, will debut on January 28. Directed and co-written by Elle Key, and produced by Bigger Picture Media group and Clamor, the series bills itself as equal parts master class, personal journey and performance.

STREAMING SNIPPETS

Litton Entertainment is jumping into the streaming game with the launch of Xplore, a free, ad-supported channel that houses more than 2,500 hours of content across travel, lifestyle, animals, natural sciences, tech and sports. With an estimated audience reach of more 50 million viewers, launch partners include Samsung TV Plus, Vizio SmartCast, The Roku Channel and Plex, scheduled to launch by late November, and Xumo, scheduled to launch by Q1 2021. Talent lineup includes Mo Rocca, Miranda Cosgrove, Dylan Dreyer, Kevin Frazier and Jack Hanna.

WarnerMedia and Amazon finally signed off on a streaming deal. HBO Max will begin rolling out on Amazon Fire TV streaming devices, Fire TV Edition smart TVs and Fire tablets today. Immediately at launch, current subscribers of HBO through Amazon’s Prime Video Channels will be able to log in to the HBO Max app with their Amazon credentials at no additional cost. The HBO app on Fire TV and Fire tablets will automatically update to become the HBO Max app.

AVOD service Pluto TV is boosting brand awareness during the holiday season. Debuting across broadcast, cable, CTV, streaming audio, social media and out-of-home, new “Pluto TV by the Numbers” campaign highlights the platform’s increasing scale and diverse content. Building on its spring brand refresh, the campaign will feature Narcos, Dora the Explorer, Star Trek, RuPaul’s Drag Race and other content, all highlighted by stats like: 9,844 Big Entrances, 45,192 Screams, 76,059 Laughs and 93,798 Escapes.

KIDS NEWS

Genius Brands International is acquiring marketing and media agency ChizComm Ltd. and ChizComm Beacon Media, its media research, planning and buying division. ChizComm is the largest purchaser of children’s media across both traditional and digital platforms in North America, and ChizComm Beacon Media is ranked among the largest media buyers within the K2-11 market, representing more than 32 percent of total gross rating points (GRPs).

CASTING

Freeform set the full cast for its “None of the Above” (working title) pilot. Gregg Wayans (“Kidding”) and Asjha Cooper (“Snowfall”) are in as leads; Justin Miles (“Paradise Lost”), Katelyn Tarver (“Famous in Love”) and Ron Taylor (“Oh Jerome, No”) are cast members.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What was Victoria’s occupation on “Mike & Molly” (2010-16)? She was a beautician at a funeral home (2006). Kudos to: Diane Ariano-NYC TA/Brooklyn; Barbara E. Bevel/Staten Island, NY; James DeBlasi-The Cue/NY; Marni C. Gold/Hawthorne, NJ; Misha Leister-AMC Networks/NY; Charles A. Mannino-SubCom LLC/Eatontown, NJ; Cherie Wall-Sandbox Entertainment/Nashville; Kerri Huyck/Kennewick, WA; Sally J. Maisel-Wienermania/Van Nuys; Dale Warshaw-KMSB/KTTU/Tucson

Today’s Trivia Question
On which British sitcom was “The Ropers,” the short-lived “Three’s Company” spinoff, based? (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.)