Friday December 10, 2021

Today’s Premieres
HBO Max: Dafne and the Rest
Netflix: Aranyak, Saturday Morning All Star Hits!, Twentysomethings: Austin, Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story
Prime Video: The Expanse, LOL: Last One Laughing Mexico
PBS: Craft in America at 9p

The Roku Channel: Punk’d, The Now

Saturday’s Premieres
discovery+: Radford Returns, The Pioneer Woman: Hometown Stories
Netflix: The Hungry and the Hairy

Sunday’s Premieres
ID: Ken and Barbie Killers: The Lost Murder Tapes at 9p
TLC: 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days at 8p

Sunday’s Finale
HBO: Succession at 9p

IN THE NEWS

Paramount+ has introduced 18 live channels. Included are genres like Kids & Family Fun, Crime & Justice and Reality TV: Competitions, as well as fan-favorite franchises like “PAW Patrol” and “Star Trek.” “Inspired and informed by the winning model Pluto TV pioneered and popularized, these highly curated channels underscore the power of our unified streaming organization and serve as a product differentiator in the SVOD space,” said Tom Ryan, President and CEO, ViacomCBS Streaming, and co-founder of Pluto TV.

Peacock is also bolstering its offerings, with a new windowing strategy for titles from NBCUniversal cousin Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. “As we continue investing in the most valued and sought-after content for Peacock, films are essential to that mix,” said Kelly Campbell, President of Peacock. “The team at Universal Filmed Entertainment Group are fantastic partners and we are excited to bring their amazing slate of blockbuster films and beloved franchises to Peacock as early as 45 days after their theatrical release, and provide a steady stream of fresh, original films exclusively for Peacock customers throughout the year.”

Horizon Media inked a deal to sell a minority stake in the company to Singapore-based investment company Temasek. Merchant bank LionTree is also an investor in the transaction. “In evaluating the next evolution of Horizon, I wanted a world class partner who is like-minded strategically, has the same appetite for growth, understands the media, marketing, and technology landscape, is global in scale, and culturally aligned,” said Horizon Founder and CEO Bill Koenigsberg. “I found that perfect combination in Temasek and LionTree.”

OpenAP announced the launch of XPm, the collective TV publisher response to the Association of National Advertisers’ call to evolve to a cross-screen media measurement framework for marketers. XPm is built on the central TV identity spine, OpenID, and powers the sharing of campaign exposure data with third-party measurement companies in privacy safe environments. The VAB, as part of its Measurement Innovation Task Force, will operate as the governing body of XPm. “New innovations have made it possible to use the same IDs for campaign targeting and as for measurement, giving marketers the ability to understand not only how many people were reached but who specifically was reached across all screens,” said David Levy, CEO of OpenAP. “We believe cross-platform measurement at the ID level is the future for TV advertising, and we’re thrilled to link arms with our partners to bring optionality and more choice of solutions to market.”

As his time at Disney winds down, Executive Chairman Bob Iger returned to his roots on Disney’s ABC affiliate KABC Los Angeles, where he delivered the weather forecast. On Thursday, Iger, who began his career as a weatherman in 1973 in Ithaca, NY, warned viewers that it would be “very nippy” on Saturday morning, quipping, “That’s when I bike ride. I think I’m going to have to watch out for some early-morning frost!”. Of his future post-Disney, Iger, who retires December 31, said, “I’m looking forward to what comes next, although I’m not 100 percent sure what that is. But I haven’t had a day off since eighth grade.”

Google’s YouTube TV is now on Xfinity Flex, Comcast’s video platform for broadband-only customers. New and existing YouTube TV customers can access the service on Flex by saying “YouTube TV” into the Xfinity Voice Remote or by clicking on the new YouTube TV app.

Join us next Tuesday, December 14th, to hear from top executives who created some of the most successful platforms in this space, see case studies on activations, learn about the building blocks being leveraged to create these new worlds, and hear from brands and publishers who changed the game by engaging hungry consumers in new ways.

FIND OUT MORE

Freeform handed a series order to animated comedy “Praise Petey” (wt), from creator, writer and executive producer Anna Drezen (“Saturday Night Live”) and produced by 20th Television Animation. The voice cast includes Annie Murphy (“Schitt’s Creek”) as a city girl out to modernize her father’s small town-cult. Her Manhattan magazine editor mother is played by Christine Baranski (“The Good Fight”), and John Cho (“Cowboy Bebop”) plays a cult member/potential love interest.

IMDb TV ordered a second season of heist drama “Leverage: Redemption.” “Leverage: Redemption has delighted IMDb TV viewers with the perfect blend of familiarity and freshness,” said Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, co-heads of content and programming for IMDb TV.

Ilana Peña (“Diary of a Future President”) has a hybrid comedy in development at CBS. Peña will co-write and executive produce the potential series through her Tilde Productions banner, via her overall deal with producing studio CBS Studios, with comedian Anne Sundell.

Newcomer Aria Mia Loberti landed the female lead in “All the Light We Cannot See,” a limited series adaptation of the bestselling novel. An advocate for disability equity and representation, Loberti will play a blind woman in her first professional acting role.

Thora Birch has left Netflix’s coming-of-age comedy “Wednesday,” now filming in Romania. “Thora has returned to the States to attend to a personal matter and will not be returning to the production,” said a spokesperson for producer MGM.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

TLC is expanding its “90 Day Fiance” franchise with series centered on two fan favorite couples. “David & Annie: After the 90 Days” and “Loren & Alexei: After the 90 Days” premiere Monday, January 10 at 9p and 9:30p, respectively. “Family is everything to us at TLC and David & Annie and Loren & Alexei are family who will tickle us with all the heart, humour and torment that comes with everyday family life!”, said Howard Lee, President of TLC Streaming and Network Originals.

Also on the way from TLC is “I Am Shauna Rae,” a new series following the challenges of a 22-year-old whose growth was stunted due to a rare form of cancer. Premiere date: Tuesday, January 11 at 10p.

Season two of Syfy’s “Resident Alien” debuts on Syfy and USA (premiere simulcast only) on Wednesday, January 26 at 9p, followed by new series “Astrid & Lilly Save the World,” centered on heroic high schoolers, at 10p.

He’s got game: “Wild Game Masterclass,” featuring British game chef Mike Robinson (“Farming the Wild”), launches Monday, December 13 at 7p on Outdoor Channel. Robinson will offer step-by-step instructions for cooking restaurant-style dishes.

Joining RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley and Ross Matthews as guest judges for season 14 of VH1’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will be Lizzo, Alicia Keys, Dove Cameron, Taraji P. HensonAndra Day, Loni Love, Christine Chiu, Ava Max, Nicole Byer, Ts Madison, Alec Mapa and Dulce Sloan. The season kicks off Friday, January 7.

COMING UP

“Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook,” from Broadway and film composer Stephen Schwartz and writer David Stern is coming to BroadwayHD exclusively on December 22.

Urban One announced the of honorees for “Urban One Honors.” Set for celebrations are Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Lifetime Achievement; Timbaland, Music Innovation; Gamble and Huff, Living Legends; Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Inspirational Impact; and Jennifer Hudson, Entertainment Icon. Hosted by singer, songwriter and producer Ne-Yo, the two-hour telecast premieres Monday, January 17, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, on TV One and Cleo TV.

OTT app and FAST channel ElectricNOW has partnered with The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films to broadcast the 50th anniversary Saturn Awards ceremony live on October 25, 2022.

Ovation TV is celebrating New Year’s Day with a weekend marathon of “Hart to Hart” TV movies, filmed between 1993 and 1996 after the show’s fifth and final season.

IMDb TV original holiday special “Play-Doh Squished,” hosted by Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”), premieres today, December 10. The reality competition is set in a Play-Doh wonderland.

STREAMING

Netflix had 40 original shows that reached Nielsen’s top 10 list during 3Q21, but none of them accounted for more than 1.5% of time spent on Netflix in the US, according to research from MoffattNathanson. On the other hand, four of Netflix’s top acquired series accounted for more than 1.5% of total US viewing time during the quarter and were better at maintaining stable viewership share over time – but acquiring series isn’t going to be as simple as it once was. “With major media companies clawing back content for their own streaming services, we believe Netflix will need to rely even more on originals to provide compelling content for their subscribers,” said Nathanson.

Kids’ streaming service Sensical’s algorithm-free lineup is now available on VIZIO’s free streaming service, WatchFree+ through three, separate FAST channels for kids 2-4, 5-7 and 8-10. Among the new video content alliances for the service are studio/distribution partners including Hasbro and Entertainment One, Sinking Ship Entertainment and Splash Entertainment. New digital-first video content includes additional titles from Tankee, plus new acquisitions from Neptune Studios; content from Music/Social Justice Artist Fyutch and from the Metropolitan Opera Guild.

Allen Media Group streaming platform Local Now has introduced four new channels. The Preview Channel features previews and behind-the-scenes entertainment and interviews; Us Weekly TV focuses on celebrity news and entertainment; Local Now Destinations offers travel and lifestyle content; and ACL Cornhole TV covers backyard games.

VIZIO is also offering “Winter Watchland,” a collection of over 500 hours of free holiday-themed featured movies, TV shows, recipes, and music on WatchFree+. The holiday destination is sponsored by Microsoft.

Heritage+, dedicated to filming cultural, historical and tourism sites around the world, is now available on DistroTV in the US, Canada and Great Britain.

TUBI and TVSquared released key findings detailing the unique reach achieved by advertisers across industry categories. In Automotive, a European luxury automotive retailer turned to Tubi to extend the reach of its messaging to specific streaming audiences. Through continuous and transparent measurement via TVSquared, 89% of Tubi households were incremental to linear, with only 3% overlap between its streaming and linear campaigns. Leading up to the theatrical release of a summer blockbuster, a global entertainment brand turned to Tubi to help promote the film to audiences outside of its extensive linear buys, resulting in a campaign in which 84% of Tubi households were unique from linear. On the CPG front, promoting its sports beverage line, a global CPG’s Tubi campaign resulted in a 95% of Tubi households being incremental to linear.

“Leveraging Tubi for incremental reach to the linear audience intuitively makes sense, but being able to prove out its value through TVSquared was the selling point,” said Joe Sebolao, Director, Starcom. “Ultimately, 93% of the linear impressions delivered through Tubi were incremental to TV, proving out the value of the partnership and allowing us to further our client’s video strategy on future campaigns.”

FAST channel Fuse Beat, which celebrates Black culture, is teaming with Sprite’s limited-edition Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry for a themed sponsorship highlighting Fuse Beat’s holiday programming through December 24.

BBC Select has launched on Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel in the US. The line-up of originals and documentaries. Among the offerings are “David Bowie: Finding Fame,” “The Prince and the Epstein Scandal,” and “Jennifer & Joanna: Absolutely Champers.”

TECH TALK

Integral Ad Science announced an advanced integration with Mediaocean, enabling media buyers and planners to set up, launch, and adjust their digital campaigns within Mediaocean buyer workflow (Prisma) and automatically populate this information within IAS Signal. Initially available to select advertisers, this enhanced integration will launch globally in early 2022. “Speed is critical in our business, and this integration will be transformational for advertisers looking to launch campaigns faster while aligning to media quality standards,” said Lisa Utzschneider, CEO, IAS.

Local newspapers are filing antitrust lawsuits Facebook and Google, accusing the companies of monopolizing the digital advertising market. The movement has gained steam over the past year, with companies that publish over 200 smaller newspapers across dozens of states now involved.

CASTING

Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road”) will play George Jones and Steve Zahn (“The White Lotus”) is onboard as George Richey in “George & Tammy,” chronicling country power couple George Jones and Tammy Wiynette. The limited series, beginning production in North Carolina, will premiere exclusively on Spectrum followed by second window on Paramount+ and Paramount Network.

Frank Langella (“Kidding”), Carla Gugino (“Watchmen”), Mary McDonnell (“Major Crimes”), Mark Hamill and Carl Lumbly (“Alias”) will star in Netflix series “The Fall of the House of Usher,” described as a “modern remix” of the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

The CW’s adaptation of British panel show “Would I Lie To You?” will be hosted by Aasif Mandvi (“Evil”), who also exec produces alongside Robert and Michelle King; Matt Walsh (“Veep”); and Sabrina Jalees (“Carol’s Second Act.” Booked as guest stars are guest stars have also been confirmed including Brooke Shields, Amber Ruffin, Laura Benanti, Michael Ian Black, Andrea Martin, Julie Klausner, Jordan Klepper, Adam Pally, Chris Gethard, Dulcé Sloan, as well as former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara.

GOING GLOBAL

Endemol Shine Germany is producing the local adaptation of “Love IRL” for VOX. The docuseries brings together couples who have met online, but not in person.

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Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Wednesday, December 8
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: Olaf’s Frozen Adventures 2.63 (0/5), Toy Story that Time Forgot 1.95 (0.4), The Conners 1.72 (0.3), Home Economics 1.19 (0.2), The Chase 1.20 (0.2)

CBS: Survivor 5.70 (0.9), Tough as Nails 2.89 (0.4), CSI: Vegas 3.55 (0.4)

CW: Christmas Around the World 0.72 (0.1)

FOX: The Masked Singer 4.32 (0.9), Alter Ego 2.03 (0.3)

NBC: Chicago Med 6.59 (0.7), Chicago Fire 6.76 (0.7), Chicago PD 5.64 (0.7)

Source: Nielsen, live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Carrie Byalick has been named President of Stephen Colbert’s new Spartina Productions. Byalick has been running her own talent Management firm, B Company, since 2016, and spent 16 years working with Colbert.

Lauren Townsend has been appointed SVP of Communications for Fox Corporation. Currently a consultant at Hulu, Townsend was previously EVP, Communications at Starz.

Thunderbird Entertainment Group has promoted Matthew Berkowitz to the position of President of Thunderbird Entertainment and Atomic Cartoons, adding to his existing role as CCO.

Friday Fun Fact
Lemons will float in a glass of water, but limes sink.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What show did Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline appear in together before “Outer Banks”? “Stranger Things.” Kudos to: Gerry Bixenspan- TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Ginger Sheehy Tatic-Golden Peak Media/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
In which series did Claire Foy (“The Crown”) play ill-fated queen Anne Boleyn? (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.)