PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
CBS is developing a revival of Northern Exposure, the Cicely, Alaska-set comedic drama that ran from 1990-1995. Rob Morrow will return as cranky Dr. Joel Fleischman and also exec-produce. Series comes from the original’s co-creators, Josh Brand and John Falsey, John Corbett, Morrow, Ben Silverman and Universal Television.
Red Arrow Studios International struck a long-term development deal with Israeli writing and producing partners Amit Cohen and Ron Leshem (Kfulim). Under the partnership the team will develop multiple premium drama projects together.
Alex Duda (Steve Harvey) has been named Executive Producer for The Kelly Clarkson Show, premiering in national syndication next fall. Duda has an overall development deal with NBCUniversal.
Part2 Pictures and Metabook Films inked an option deal for upcoming true-crime series Blonde, Beautiful and Dead: The Murder Mystery That Inspired Twin Peaks, by David Bushman and Mark Givens. Under the terms of the agreement, Part2 Pictures will adapt a docu-series based on Blonde, Beautiful and Dead in association with Metabook Films. The companies will be taking the project to premium cable networks and streaming platforms.
Jeny Batten and M. Dickson (Disenchantment) will serve as showrunners for Netflix adult animated series Hoops, starring Jake Johnson (New Girl).
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
In new Travel Channel series Legend Hunter, wildlife biologist and explorer Pat Spain leaves the lab to unravel riddles and mythical events. First of seven episodes launches Tuesday, January 8, at 10p.
Cartoon Network‘s Steven Universe returns with a five-part arc, “Steven Universe: Diamond Days,” on Monday, December 17, at 7:30p. New episodes will premiere weekly on Mondays through January, with the arc culminating in an hour-long special event, “Steven Universe: Battle of Heart and Mind,” on Monday, January 21, at 7p.
The fifth and final season of You’re the Worst launches Wednesday, January 9, at 10p. “We’re not crying, you are,” snarked FXX.
Season three of Destination America’s Paranormal Lockdown premieres with back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, December 4, at 9p.
Death By Magic premieres Friday, November 30, on Netflix. Series follows British magician Drummond Money-Coutts, aka DMC, as he re-creates dangerous fatal stunts.
PBS’s Independent Lens announced the series of documentary films that make up its Winter/Spring 2019 slate. First up: My Country No More, which explores the human cost of oil drilling in rural North Dakota, premiering Monday, January 7.
COMING UP
ID explores the disappearance nine years ago of a 28-year-old mother of two in Susan Powell: An ID Murder Mystery. Two-hour special airs Wednesday, December 12, at 9p, unraveling a “twisted tale of dysfunction, obsession and jealousy.”
Four new holiday movies roll out on Hallmark nets the weekend of December 8. Homegrown Christmas premieres on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, December 8, at 8p, followed on Sunday by Welcome to Christmas. On Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Memories of Christmas makes its debut on Saturday, December 8, at 9p, with Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas premiering Sunday at 9p.
Ovation’s Versailles ends its run with a 90-minute series finale on Saturday, December 8, at 10p.To celebrate the end of the show, the arts net will also air Versailles: The Final Act, a special that includes interviews with actors, producers, crew and more, on Saturday, December 15, at 10p.
MTV’s The Challenge: CT’s Getting Married premieres Tuesday, December 11, at 9p. Two-part special focuses on The Challenge all-star “C.T.” Tamburello’s wedding to Lilianet Solores, mother of his two-year-old son.
Univision Thanksgiving special Dando Gracias en Familia airs Thursday, November 22, at 9p. Contestants from Nuestra Belleza Latina (Our Latin Beauty), Univision’s competition, will share family stories and traditions.
DIGITAL DATA
Discovery, Inc.’s HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY Network and Cooking Channel have been added to Discovery’s suite of TV Everywhere “GO” apps on all platforms. The former Scripps Networks Interactive networks join the twelve existing Discovery GO apps and bring more than 22,000 titles to the platform, increasing the number of titles across all of the apps to 45,000.
The winner of the ABC Discovers: Digital Talent Competition is Terry Hu. Actors were asked to create videos performing a scene and judged on performance, potential star power and technical skill. Grand prize: a one-year $25,000 talent deal with ABC.
For the first time, viewers will be able to purchase the WBC Heavyweight World Championship Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury on Showtime PPV directly through the Showtime app. Subscribers and non-subscribers can purchase and live-stream via the SHhowtime app on Apple mobile and AppleTV (4th Generation) devices, Amazon Fire TV devices, Android phones and tablets and directly on the net’s website for $74.99, or through cable, DBS, telco and streaming providers nationwide. Showdown is set for Saturday, December 1, at 9p.
The last regular-print edition of Condé Nast women’s magazine Glamour will be the January 2019 issue. “We’re doubling down on digital – investing in the storytelling, service, and fantastic photo shoots we’ve always been known for, bringing it to the platforms our readers frequent most,” said EIC Samantha Barry in a note to staff. While Glamour’s print circulation was about two million, the company says it reaches 20 million online. Like Hearst’s Seventeen, which also announced the end of its regular-print schedule this week, Glamour will continue to print special issues.
Cinedigm announced the launch of digital-first Dove Channel, Docurama and CONtv on free streaming service Tubi. The networks will be accessible through Cinedigm’s branded section on Tubi Channels.
Buzzr is now available on Pluto TV, with a live stream of vintage game show content. Buzzr is also airing the first season of The Great Christmas Light Fight on Sunday, November 25, starting at 8p.
GOING GLOBAL
Spanish series La Casade Papel won the Drama award and Israeli comedy Nevsu picked up comedy honors at the 2018 International Emmy Awards. The 11 winning programs and performances spanned ten countries: Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands, the UK and the U.S. “For people who work in television across the globe, this is the best of times. Despite change and uncertainty around the world, programming thrives,” said International Academy President & CEO Bruce L. Paisner at the Gala. “We congratulate the winners for helping to make television better and better.”
UK-based distributor DCD Rights signed a presale for new premium primetime drama My Life is Murder, with Acorn TV securing U.S. rights.
Woodcut Media announced production of a documentary crime series The Killer in My Family (international title: My Deadly Relation). UKTV has pre-invested in the series, set to premiere on its Really channel in January 2019.
Laurence Herszberg, founder and General Director of Series Mania, and Brigitte Maccioni, managing director of European cinema operator UGC, announced their partnership on the newly named UGC Writers Campus by Series Mania. Formerly known as Series Mania Writers Campus, the program is organized to kickstart the next generation of European series creators.
China International Television Corporation announced the 2018 CITVC acquisition slate, including over 100 imported international movies, TV series and documentaries. Among the programs are family drama A Love to Remember, from TV Azteca; Reckless Bride, from Bangkok Broadcasting; and Solo, from UFA Fiction Production.
CASTING
Bzhaun Rhoden (Van Helsing), Louis Ferreira (Bad Blood) and Peter Shinkoda (Daredevil) will recur in season four of Amazon drama The Man in the High Castle….David Krumholtz, Daniel Sauli, Sepidah Moafi and Olivia Luccardi have been upped from recurring to series regular status on the third and final season of HBO drama The Deuce.
Kids’ YouTube channel Bogglesox TV is now the exclusive UK home CBeebies pre-school series Grandpa in My Pocket. The channel is also airing full episodes of Turner’s Ha Ha Hairies.
Hasbro Studios struck an international deal with Cartoon Network to distribute season one of animated series Transformers: Cyberverse to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The deal includes both linear and digital distribution.
