Hallmark Channel
***SLEIGHS IN Q4 ***

#1 Most-Watched in Total Day
W25-54
**Including News & Sports**

47 Million Unique Viewers-to-Date
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Wednesday December 15, 2021

Today’s Finales
BET: Twenties: How do you Feel? at 10p, Twenties: After Show at 10:30p
CBS: Survivor at 8p
Fox: The Masked Singer at 8p
HBO: The Murders at Starved Rock at 8p
MTV: The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies at 8p

IN THE NEWS

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and Television Academy jointly announced plans to realign the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards. Moving forward, the competitions will be organized solely by content genre as opposed to the current method, which separates programs based on program airtime. The announcement represents a transition that allows the competitions to reflect consumers’ evolving viewing habits, reduce category overlap, and provide clarity on eligibility requirements. Criteria like how a show is filmed and how frequently it airs would determine whether a program stays in the Daytime Emmy race or shifts to the Primetime one.

Following emergency surgery for appendicitis, Sherri Shepherd returned as guest host of “The Wendy Williams Show” on Tuesday. Michael Rapaport filled in for Shepherd on Monday, while she recovered. Shepherd has been one of a list of guest hosts subbing for Williams as she recovers from complications of Graves Disease.

CBS revealed plans to launch a full-scale news department in Detroit in 2022. CBS News Detroit is expected to launch in late summer/early fall of next year and will feature a 24/7 streaming service with live local news coverage from 4a to 11:35p, Monday through Sunday, for a total of 137 hours per week. In addition, CBS 62 will broadcast live CBS News Detroit newscasts 40 hours per week.

Television and cross-platform measurement and analytics company 605 has launched 605 EXCHAN6E, an independent media trading currency that will offer an alternative to Nielsen. It is designed to underpin advertising transactions between partners on the buy-side and the sell-side, and will build on the capabilities already delivered to partners through 605 PLATFORM, a high-speed measurement tool used by programmers, agencies and brands. 605 PLATFORM assimilates over 1.2 billion relevant audience and advertising metrics daily across thousands of networks and affiliates and is already deployed with major programming groups.

Channel Factory and the Racial Justice Institute have partnered to ensure diversity and inclusion among all practices at Channel Factory. Racial Justice Institute is conducting an audit of Channel Factory’s processes, as well as its diversity and inclusion activities. The initiative is part of Channel Factory’s dedicated efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within the YouTube ecosystem.

The National Cable Television Cooperative has concluded a National Affiliation Agreement with Jewish Life Television, the nation’s largest English language, Jewish-themed television network in the US. “Jewish Life Television is not only for Jewish Americans, but for Americans of all faiths that seek to be informed, educated and entertained about the Jewish religion, the Jewish people and the Jewish experience in the United States, in Israel and around the world,” said Brad Pomerance, JLTV’s Senior Vice President of Programming. “We are thrilled to be able to offer JLTV to NCTC’s more than 700 member operators.”

Contact Albert Nassour for more info: [email protected]

The legend of “Zorro” lives on. Wilmer Valderrama is developing a TV series based on the Disney western for Disney Branded Television. The actor is set to executive produce and star in the project as Don Diego de la Vega and his masked alter ego. The project is executive produced by former Disney Branded Entertainment President and Chief Creative Officer Gary Marsh under the production deal for his banner at Disney General Entertainment, and John Gertz of Zorro Productions, Inc.

NBC is joining forces with Shakira on “Dancing with Myself.” The series will celebrate people who dance like nobody is watching — except the millions on social media. From Irwin Entertainment, the family-friendly high-spirited competition aims to bring out the performer in all of us.

Ashley Nicole Black (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”) has inked a multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group. The writer, actor and producer will create and produce original programming for all platforms, including HBO Max, other streaming services, cable and broadcast networks. It’s Black’s first overall deal with Warner Bros., but continues a relationship that previously included Apple TV Plus’ “Ted Lasso.”

Apple TV+ has renewed Servant for a fourth season. However, it will be the final one for the supernatural drama. M. Night Shyamalan tweeted the news of the series end, after Apple declined to confirm it.

John Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the duo who turned Gossip Girl YA books into a hit series, are bringing another popular book series to the screen at The CW. They’re collaborating on “Sweet Valley,” a series based on Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High books, according to Deadline. The novels were previously adapted into the series “Sweet Valley High” in 1994 and aired in syndication before moving to UPN for its final season.

Fox is developing a one-hour drama series based on TJ Middleton’s English novel Cliffhanger with Melissa Byer and Treena Hancock, who have served as co-executive producers on “CSI,” “The Gifted” and “Chicago Med.” The book, first published in 2008, follows Al Greenwood, a maverick taxi driver who decides to kill his wife. The series will follow rideshare driver Audrey Greenwood, who emerges from the pandemic realizing she never wants to see her husband Al’s face again.

Lifetime continues to add to its 2022 unscripted programming slate. Docuseries “Million Dollar Hustle,” following the world of transformational marketing led by Stormy Wellington, debuts Saturday, January 29 at 10p. Premiere dates have also been set for “Leave it to Geege” and “My Killer Body with K. Michelle,” airing on Thursday, January 12 at 10p and Friday, January 28 at 10p, respectively. The news shows join “Married at First Sight” for its 14th season, bowing Wednesday, January 5 at 8p, followed by “Married at First Sights: Afterparty,” hosted by Keshia Knight Pulliam 11p.

“Big Nate,” a new animated series based on the best-selling children’s books and comic strip by Lincoln Pierce, is set to bow on Paramount+ in early 2022. Ben Giroux (“Henry Danger,” “Danger Forever”) will voice the title character, a sixth-grader who believes he’s awesome.

Casting Notes: Michael Ealy (“Stumptown”), Thadeus J. Mixson (“Safely”) and Aderinsola Olabode were cast as regulars, and Pauletta Washington (“Genius: Aretha”) and Sean Patrick Thomas (“The Tragedy of Macbeth) as recurring players in Disney’s Onyx Collective series “Reasonable Doubt” on Hulu… Chris O’Shea is boarding The CW’s “Riverdale” as major recurring character…as per Deadline.

OUTtv renewed “Call My Mother” for a sophomore season. The drag competition series has been the most watched program on OUTtv’s platforms since launching in October and is the most watched OUTtv original series to date.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Former first lady Michelle Obama guest stars on The Season 8 premiere of “Blackish.” The episode airs Tuesday, January 4 at 9:30p on ABC.

“Remix My Space with Marsai Martin” begins streaming Saturday, January 15 on Discovery+. The series centers on remarkable young people, who have made a lasting positive impact in their communities, getting the surprise of a lifetime, when Martin shows up with her team to give them a personalized bedroom makeover.

COMING UP

Ted Allen (“Chopped”) steps out of the studio and onto the town to find the ultimate places to dine in “Where Chefs Eat.” Premiering Wednesday, December 29 at 9p, the new Cooking Channel special follows Allen as he embarks on a mission to find the places where the ultimate foodies break bread and satisfy their appetites.

All-new “Alaskan Bush People” Christmas special, “North Pole to North Star,” airs Sunday, December 19 at 8p on Discovery. It explores the Wolfpack’s holiday traditions taking place in their homestead.

The Science Channel covers the launch of James Webb Space Telescope with two new specials. “Beyond Hubble: The Telescope of Tomorrow,” examining the story of the telescope’s construction, extensive testing, and preparation for launch, bows Tuesday, December 21 at 10p. Then, on Sunday, December 26 at 10p, a follow up “Beyond Hubble” features all the exciting moments from the launch.

Turner Classic Movies celebrates films chosen to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, because of their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to the nation’s film heritage, on Friday, December 17. Set to be featured are “Sounder” at 8p, “Chicana” at 10p, “Strangers on a Train” at 10:30p, “The Watermelon Woman” at 12:30a, and “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” at 1:15a.

FOX News Channel will ring in 2022 live from the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, TN with special New Year’s Eve coverage on Friday, December 31 from 10p to 1:30a. Helmed by “FOX & Friends Weekend” co-hosts Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Duffy and Pete Hegseth, other FNC contributors and personalities will pop in throughout the evening from cities across the country, while “FOX & Friends” enterprise reporter Lawrence Jones and FOX News Radio’s “FOX Across America” host Jimmy Failla will be inside the Wildhorse Saloon interacting with guests.

An encore presentation of “CMA Country Christmas” airs Thursday, December 23 at 10p. Featuring new and original songs, as well as Christmas favorites, the special is hosted by Gabby Barrett and Carly Pearce.

STREAMING

With YouTube TV’s carriage deal with The Walt Disney Co. expiring on Friday, the streamer has said it will give subscribers a $15 price cut if a blackout occurs, while content like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “SportsCenter” is unavailable. Disney started alerting YouTube TV subscribers to the potential blackout on Monday. It covers ABC stations, ESPN networks, the Disney channels, the FX network, National Geographic channels and Freeform.

IMDb TV, Amazon’s free streaming service, has announce that the IMDb TV app is now available on PlayStation 5 consoles in the US. IMDb TV features originals from Amazon Studios as well as an extensive library of hit movies and television favorites such as “Chicago Fire,” “All in the Family,” “Die Hard” and “Angel Falls Christmas.”

PBS is offering a collection of streaming content free to audiences via its PBS Video App and PBS.org throughout December and in January 2022 to kick off the new year. Programming includes “Christmas at Belmont” bowing Monday, December 20 at 9p and “Call the Midwife Holiday Special” premiering Saturday, December 25 at 9p.

Via a new partnership Frequency will launch Overtime’s free ad-supported streaming TV offering. Overtime will utilize Frequency’s Studio platform to create a linear channel for OTT distribution, bringing its content library, which includes basketball, football, soccer and more, to millions of sports fans. For the first time fans will be able to watch Overtime programming on their preferred OTT/CTC device, complimenting its existing distribution across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Snapchat.

TECH TALK

Topic has set a deal with tech firm Deepdub to make its catalog of foreign-language series and TV shows available in English. The effort spans titles including “Arctic Circle,” “Pagan Peak,” “The Bridge” and “The Killing.” With streaming expanding, appetites for global content has expanded, however dubbing and subtitling remains a challenged in terms of cost and execution. Deepdub uses artificial intelligence to create what it deems fully “localized” entertainment, playable in a viewer’s native language depending on where programming is streaming. Other sound is preserved in the process including actors’ original voices.

Real-time cross-platform TV ad measurement company iSpot announced a 4.5-year licensing deal for all smart TV data from LG Ad Solutions. It gives iSpot access to LG on-the-glass program and ad data form over 20 million opted-in Smart TVs from a broad range of makers in addition to LG.

GOING GLOBAL

Discovery Latin America is producing a series about Diego Maradona through the eyes of his daughter Dalma, who’s serving as executive producer on the three-part docuseries. Through her own experiences and narrated in first person, Dalma Maradona revisits the life of her father, considered by many as the best football player of all time.

BritBox International will soon be available in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway via a distribution partnership with C More. It marks the first strategic distribution deal for BritBox in the Nordics and makes the streamer available in a total of eight countries.

Super Channel extended its partnership with Go Button Media for four new factual series. “The Animal Within” and “Colossal Machines” premiere on Canada’s Fuse in December and January respectively, while “Mysteries of the Ancient Dead” and “Secrets Societies: In the Shadows” follow later in 2022.

RX France, formerly Reed MIDEM, announced that OneMIP, the networking and content showcase platform designed to run year-round, went live on Tuesday in beta version. OneMIP integrates with MIPCOM, MIPTV, MIP China, MIPJunior and MIP Cancun to connect the largest global TV industry community of professionals.

The Resource Center is an online asset for media executives looking for the latest in tech, streaming, network offerings, and tools to support their business initiatives.

VIEW NOW >>

“Entertainment Tonight” led the pack of entertainment magazines in the post-Thanksgiving holiday session with a 2.0 Live+SD national Nielsen rating, up 25% from the week before. “Access Hollywood” (season high 0.8, up 14% in households and up 33% among W25-54, “TMZ” (0.7, up 17%) and “Extra” (season high 0.6, up 20% in households and up 50% among W25-54) also lit up the chart.

On the talk show front, “Dr. Phil” (1.8, up 20%) was the big winner, taking the category lead for the fourth time in the past five weeks. Meanwhile, “Judge Judy” (4.7, down 2%) was one of several daytime programs negatively affected by preemptions on November 29 and December 2 due to coverage of the latest coronavirus variant, but still topped the court shows for the 1,315th week in a row by a wide margin. “Hot Bench” (1.4, down 7%) placed second, followed by “People’s Court” (0.8, unchanged) and “Judge Mathis” (0.6, unchanged).

“Holiday Baking Championship: posted a 0.7 P25-54/1.0 W25-54 rating on Monday, making it Food Network’s highest-rated telecast since April. The number more than doubled YAGO timeslot benchmarks (up +148%) and ranked as the #1 non-news/non-sports cable program in its timeslot among both P25-54 and W25-54. To date, “Holiday Baking Championship” and its “Gingerbread Showdown” spinoff have reached more than 16.7 million P2+ viewers.

FOX News Channel was number one in basic cable with Total Viewers for the 43rd straight week. For the week of December 6, FNC secured 68 of the top 100 telecasts. “The Five” was the most-watched cable news program of the week with an average of 3,384,000 viewers, while delivering 477,000 A25-54 and 323,000 with A18-49.

Broadcast Nielsen Top 11 M-F Syndicated Strip Series for the week of November 29 ranked in order by HH Rtg
Jeopardy (CMV) 5.7 AA
Family Feud (CMV) 5.3 AA
Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 5.2 AA
Judge Judy (CMV) 4.7 AA
Inside Edition (CMV) 2.2 AA
The Big Bang Theory (WB) 2.1 AA
Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 2.0 AA
The Dr. Phil Show (CMV) 1.8 AA
Live With Kelly and Ryan (DAD) 1.7 AA
Last Man Standing (DAD) 1.5 AA
Hot Bench (CMV) 1.5 AA

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Monday, December 13
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: NFL Football 6.69 (1.6)
CBS: The Neighborhood 3.58 (0.4), Bob Hearts Abishola 3.17 (0.3), NCIS 3.40 (0.3), NCIS: Hawaii 2.84 (0.2)
CW: All American 0.70 (0.2), 4400 0.39 (.01)
FOX: Gordon Ramsay’s Road Trip 1.12 (0.3)
NBC: The Voice 7.05 (0.7), American Auto 1.79 (0.3)
Telemundo: Hercal: Amor e Venganza 1.10 (0.3), Malverde: El Santo Patron 0.74 (0.2)
Source: Nielsen, live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

AMC Networks has named Sara Wong to its leadership team as Senior Vice President of Streaming Strategy and Analytics. Wong was most recently Vice President of Direct-to-Consumer Strategy at WarnerMedia.

NBCUniversal hired Jen Friedman as Head of Global Communications, effective January 10. Friedman was previously at Blackstone where she oversaw public affairs globally across the investment firm’s businesses.

Aisle Rocket hired Steve Slivka as Chief Experience Officer. He previously spent seven years as Chief Creative Officer at Edelman Chicago.

Patrick Holland was appointed Banijay UK’s Executive Chairman, effective the beginning of Q2. He joins from the BBC, where he served as Director, Factual Arts and Classical Music.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which US daytime drama aired the first gay male wedding in 2014? “Days of our Lives” (1965-?). Kudos to: Marni C. Gold/Hawthorne, NJ; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing, Inc./NYC; Louis Lenow-FITE/Atlanta, GA; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton, FL; Sandy Spiegel-WTTW/Chicago, IL; Cherie Wall-Sandbox Entertainment/ Nashville, TN; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/Los Angeles, CA; Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank, CA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/Los Angeles, CA; David Garber-Loyola Marymount University, Playa Vista, CA.

Today’s Trivia Question
What prompted Tony to tell Angela he loved her on the second season of “Who’s the Boss?” (1984-1992)? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four per time zone.)