Today’s Finale
ABC: Dancing With the Stars at 8p

IN THE NEWS

ViacomCBS is adopting a hybrid work model that calls for about 70% of its employees to work at least partly at home, according to a memo from CEO Bob Bakish. In addition to providing teams with “greater flexibility, and create a more balanced and engaging experience,” noted Bakish, the approach will “enable us to reduce our real estate footprint and keep costs controlled.”

Over at Fox Corp., the company delayed its target date for reopening offices from January to no earlier than April 2021. CEO Lachlan Murdoch also told employees that as a gesture of appreciation, Fox was extending its coverage of insurance premiums for full-time employees through 2021.

T-Mobile’s TVision is adding 33 channels from AMC Networks, Crown Media, Discovery and ViacomCBS, currently in its $10/month Vibe bundle, to its more expensive tiers. The networks come at no additional cost, in what T-Mobile described as limited-time “holideals.” The move puts it in compliance with content distribution agreements that stipulate that any channel in a provider’s entry-level tier must be carried on higher tiers.

Trump concession or not, President-elect Joe Biden will have control of the Twitter and Facebook @POTUS account on January 20. “Twitter is actively preparing to support the transition of White House institutional Twitter accounts,” said a Twitter spokesperson. Not that Trump won’t have a voice on the platform. While @POTUS has 32.8 million followers, Trump’s personal account, @realDonaldTrump, has 88.9 million – though post-presidency he will no longer qualify for the exemption that flags tweets that are policy violations, rather than removing them.

CW’s “Black Lightning,” the first DC superhero series with a Black lead, will end with its upcoming fourth season. “When we first started the ‘Black Lighting’ journey, I knew that Jefferson Pierce and his family of powerful Black women would be a unique addition to the superhero genre,” said executive producer/showrunner Salim Akil. “The love that Blerds and all comic book fans around the globe have shown this series over the past three seasons proved what we imagined: Black people want to see themselves in all their complexities.” Akil will oversee a planted spin-off of series, “Painkiller.”

TikTok and Horizon Media are teaming for a deal that calls for them to share data and analytics to provide “white glove services” for Horizon clients. The partnership will enable Horizon Media to give clients real-time feedback on product updates and launches, campaign strategy and execution support and strategic counsel. Horizon Media’s Blue Hour Studios will manage ViacomCBS and Fox Corp. extend work-from-home plans creative strategy around clients’ activatioms.

A contestant from TBS competition show “Wipeout” died last week after going into cardiac arrest following completion of an obstacle course. The contestant was treated on-site, then transported to the hospital, where he died. “We are devastated to have learned of his passing and our deepest sympathy goes out to the family,” said a TBS spokesperson.

Charter has plans for an IP video aggregation platform, similar to Comcast’s Flex product. At an investor conference last week, Charter CFO Chris Winfrey said the company will be developing a new IP video platform, noting there is already some integration of SVOD and direct-to-consumer platforms into Charter’s Spectrum. “So, we’ll move with the marketplace,” said Windfrey. “We’ll make sure that we’re in a position to continue to have a competitive video product.”

The Actors’ Equity Association, representing stage actors and managers, and SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors in TV and film, reached an agreement aimed at making it easier for theaters shuttered during the pandemic to stream productions. The terms of the deal called for Equity to cover work recorded for digital distribution that replaces or supplements a live audience. Normally, streaming work would fall under SAG-AFTRA’s purview.

WWE and Credit One Bank are partnering for a deal that includes a themed credit card and benefits. The partnership “will provide exciting opportunities for WWE fans and Credit One card members,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “We are confident the WWE Universe will enjoy the offerings we are creating as part of this integrated campaign.”

HBO handed a series order to the drama “The Last of Us,” based on the PlayStation video game. Craig Mazin (“Chernobyl”), Neil Druckmann (“The Last of Us” and “Uncharted” video game franchises), and Carolyn Strauss (“Chernobyl” and “Game of Thrones”) are executive producers along with Naughty Dog’s Evan Wells and PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan. Written by Mazin and Druckmann, the series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television. PlayStation Productions, Word Games, and Naughty Dog produce.

HBO Max picked up a docu-series from rapper Nicki Minaj. Each episode of the six-parter will follow her personal and professional journeys. Michael John Warren (“Fade to Black”) is directing; executive producers are Minaj, Warren and Aaron L. Gilbert, Brenda Gilbert and Cassandra Butcher for BRON Life, Irving Azoff, Tommy Bruce, in association with Creative Wealth Media.

Warner Bros. Television Group has signed an overall deal with author, human rights activist, and filmmaker Kimberly Latrice Jones (co-author of I’m Not Dying With You Tonight). Jones will collaborate with WBTVG to develop and produce original programming for all platforms.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

NBC’s new Tina Fey/Robert Carlock comedy “Mr. Mayor,” starring Ted Danson as a retired businessman who becomes the mayor of LA, will premiere Thursday, January 7 at 8p, with “Superstore” moving to 8:30p. Season two of “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” moves from Sundays to Tuesdays, with its premiere on January 5 at 8p.

Paranormal investigators Amy Bruni, Adam Berry and psychic medium Chip Coffey face hauntings “unlike anything they’ve seen yet” in the new 10-episode season of “Kindred Spirits,” premiering Saturday, January 2 at 10p on Travel Channel.

Animal Planet’s “Walking With Elephants” follows the journey of thousands of elephants on their annual migration across Botswana. The three-hour event premieres Tuesday, December 15 at 8p.

Maybe this will make 2020 look good: Nat Geo explores doomed areas in “Atlas of Cursed Places.” First up: the Bermuda Triangle, on Monday December 1 at 9p.

Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts sports franchise Combate Americas and Snap announced an extension of their partnership for “Combate Americas,” which has been renewed for an additional 10 weekly episodes to air on Snapchat through January 2021. Since premiering in June, “Combate Americas” has reached more than 2.6 million unique viewers. “It has been great working with Snap, which is committed to bringing its young, multicultural audience diverse voices and engaging content that resonates,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren

Season three of Food Network’s “Supermarket Stakeout” launches Tuesday, December 29 at 10p. Each episode features four chefs negotiating for items out of customers’ carts, then whipping up food in a pop-up kitchen set-up.

STREAMING

NowThis closed out its coverage of the 2020 election cycle with a week of live coverage that racked up 236 million views across platforms and garnered 35 million engagements. NowThis also registered 45,000 viewers on Snapchat.

Eddie Murphy film “Coming 2 America,” originally slated for theatrical release on December 8, will instead debut on Amazon on March 5. Amazon landed the film in a $125 million rights deal with Paramount Pictures.

COMING UP

Hallmark Channel’s 7 Night Thanksgiving Movie Event kicks off tonight, November 23, offering new original holiday films seven nights in a row. The stunt’s movie lineup includes “Heart of the Holidays” tonight, followed by“A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado” (November 24), “Good Morning Christmas!” (November 25), “Christmas by Starlight” (November 26), “Five Star Christmas” (November 27), “Christmas Waltz” (November 28), and “If I Only Had Christmas,” all airing at 8p. “Now more than ever, audiences are seeking positivity, warmth, and all of the things that our signature holiday programming provides,” Michelle Vicary, EVP Programming & Network Program Publicity, Crown Media Family Networks, tells Cynopsis. “Thanksgiving week is when people truly look to connect, reflect, and spend time with loved ones, and we look forward to bringing these new stories into the homes of our viewers during the most wonderful time of the year.”

E! is kicking off the holiday season with a three-day “30 Rock-in’ Around the Christmas Tree” marathon weekend. The full “30 Rock” series library will air on E! from Friday, November 27 through Sunday, November 29.

Holiday episode (and funny title) alert: TLC’s “Dr. Pimple Popper: Season’s Squeezings” premieres Monday, December 21 at 9p, followed at 10p by “My Feet Are Killing Me: Under the Mistletoes.”

GOING GLOBAL

Keshet International announced it has completed numerous deals with broadcasters across Europe, Asia and Australia, among them for Hello Halo Productions’ “River Hunters” to A&E Networks in Germany for its channel HISTORY and Foxtel in Australia, with Bomanbridge Media closing sales with The Outdoor Channel across Asia and also Thailand’s public broadcaster TPBS.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What was the occupation of Paul Lynde’s character in “The Paul Lynde Show” (1972-73)? Lynde played an attorney. Kudos to: Dan Whitford-WTTW/Chicago, Eric Litt-Nexstar/Chicago, Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station, TX, Charles Lore/NYC, Kevin Noonan-A+E Networks/NYC, Jon Krongard-Wonderama/NYC, Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL, Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank, Greg Stewart/LA, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA/Burbank, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
On which sitcom was Redd Foxx starring when he died? (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.)