PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
A busy day for Fox, which put into development Adapted, a multicultural comedy based on a real story from The Last O.G. co-executive producers Mary Fitzgerald, Arthur Harris and Angela Nissel, Jeff Gaspin and his Gaspin Media, Mark Kassen’s Like Minded Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV. Fitzgerald, Harris and Nissel, who wrote the story, also will show-run. Series follows a 14-year-old boy who, after refusing to move from Las Vegas to Philadelphia so his neglectful mother can remarry yet again, convinces his African-American neighbors to adopt him… The network also gave a script plus presentation order to Lyle & Caroline, a half-hour animated comedy exec-produced by Lisa Kudrow, who also will provide voiceover, and written/exec-produced by Eric and Justin Stangel (The Late Show with David Letterman). The project, about an unexpected surrogate grandparent/grandchild bond, hails from Lionsgate and 3 Arts Entertainment.
STXalternative, a division of Robert Simonds’ STX Entertainment, signed a first-look development and production deal with Tracey Edmonds company Edmonds Entertainment. The deal will see Edmonds co-producing and co-developing scripted and unscripted content. First project is previously announced Games Divas Play, which will air on BET in 2019.
TV One announced production is underway in NYC on new series Cleo Speaks, which will highlight personal stories and voices of influential women of color. The series is slated to premiere on the new lifestyles and entertainment net Cleo TV in February. Featured Cleo Speaks participants include Tamika Mallory, activist; Dana Chanel, founder, Sprinkle of Jesus; April Reign, activist/creator #OscarsSoWhite; and Mahisha Dellinger, CEO/founder, Curls Beauty Brands. Series is produced by Ruby Red, with Gina Holland and Martine Charles as executive producers.
Boat Rocker Media is combining its content, distribution and brands teams under Boat Rocker Studios, which will be headed by Jon Rutherford as managing director while maintaining his role as the company’s president of rights. Boat Rocker recently closed the acquisition of U.S.-based Matador Content and earlier this year acquired Fremantle’s Kids & Family division as well as a majority stake in Insight Productions.
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
Telemundo Deportes will premiere season 2 of Que Momento (What a Moment) December 23 at 11p on Telemundo. The new season debuts with an in-depth look at three-time former welterweight world champ Antonio Margarito.
Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network are ringing in the new year with original premieres and new eps from returning series across all three networks beginning Monday, December 31. New fare includes the premiere of Booger Bottom on Outdoor Channel on Monday, January 7, at 7p and Dropped: Land of the Living Skies on Monday, February 4, at 7:30p.
CMT dropped a trailer for the new season of Music City, which debuts Thursday, January 3, at 10p and follows a group of young adults chasing success, fame and romance in Nashville. Season 2 will feature a breakup, a wedding, a cutthroat Miss USA competition, unexpected friendships and new and explosive rivalries.
Project Blue Book, from exec producer Robert Zemeckis based on true events, bows on History on January 8 at 10p.
AXS TV will debut the second season of music countdown series The Top Ten Revealed on Sunday, January 13, at 8:30p with the episode “Roller Rink Tunes.”
CW series Roswell, New Mexico premieres Tuesday, January 15, at 9p.
Love, chaos and uncertainty abound in TLC’s returning series Sister Wives and Seeking Sister Wife beginning January 20 at 8p with some familiar families and two new additions.
Paranormal investigators Amy Bruni and Adam Berry return for the third season of Kindred Spirits, premiering on Travel Channel on Thursday, January 24, at 10p.
The midseason return of The Walking Dead season 9 premieres Sunday, February 10, at 9p on AMC. The second half of the season finds survivors new and old and new continuing to deal with the impact of events that took place during the six years that have passed.
The fourth season of Showtime’s drama Billions, one of the network’s most-watched series, will drop Sunday, March 17, at 9p.
Orion Television’s relationship court TV shows Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court and Couples Court with the Cutlers has been renewed for the 2019-20 season in more than 100 markets, including NY, LA, DC and Chicago. This will mark the seventh season for Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court and the third season for Couples Court with the Cutlers.
COMING UP
Jennifer Lopez: The Ride, a doc about the 2018 MTV Video Vanguard recipient, premieres on the network tomorrow (December 21) at 3p. Lopez’s upcoming romantic comedy Second Act will be her 34th film.
Time flies. The 50th ep of Starz original series Outlander will premiere this Sunday, December 23, at 8p.
IFC will stage an all-day Die Hard Christmas marathon on Tuesday, December 25, featuring Die Hard, Die Hard with a Vengeance and Live Free or Die Hard airing all day long in succession beginning at 3p.
Jennifer Lopez and Bebe Rexha joined the lineup of artists performing on NBC’s New Year’s Eve, airing Monday, December 31, from 10-11p.
The film Our Faith in Action will be featured on Eternal Word Television Network on Sunday, January 6, at 3:30p. Movie is based on the TV series Our Faith in Action: Today’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
DIGITAL DATA
Snapchat unleashed new feature Lens Challenges, which enables users around the globe to participate in competitions with other users who create and send “Snaps” that use a lens tied to a song, dance and/or event. Challenges is intended to “inspire creativity, self-expression, and community for Snapchatters and Lens Creators alike,” the company said in a statement.
Comedy Central will accompany the special James Davis: Live From The Town, which debuts Friday, January 11, at 11p, with a digital album and linear and digital companion custom content.
Cable provider Charter Communications is making a strategic investment in Blade, the tech company specializing in cloud-gaming. Blade’s Shadow platform launched in the U.S. earlier this year.
Digital Media Rights announced its five OTT channels—Yuyu TV, Midnight Pulp, AsianCrush, Cocoro and KMTV—are available via Samsung Smart TVs.
SHORT FORM
Fiction Riot launched subscription-based short-form platform Ficto with an initial 20-episode series in production and slated to debut early next year. The new venture is headed by former agent Mike Esola. Three Ficto original series, based on upcoming feature films, will be released in advance of theatrical releases: Can You Keep A Secret, Hush, Hush and Project Xtraction, an original Chinese production starring Jackie Chan and John Cena. Each series runs 30 minutes and comprises three to five eps that are five to seven minutes in length. Fun fact: Ficto is one of the first streaming services to pay royalties using blockchain in order to create transparency of payment for all parties.
KIDS NEWS
Gigantosaurus, a new CGI animated dinosaur adventure series for preschoolers from Cyber Group Studios, will roar onto Disney Channel Friday, January 18, at 9a. Series introduces kids to Rocky, Bill, Tiny and Mazu, four inquisitive young dinosaur friends on a quest to solve the mystery of the biggest, fiercest dinosaur of all.
CASTING
Alexandra Breckenridge (This Is Us, The Walking Dead), Martin Henderson (Grey’s Anatomy, Miracles From Heaven), Tim Matheson (The Affair, The Good Fight) and Annette O’Toole (Smallville, Marvel’s The Punisher) lead the cast of Netflix series Virgin River… Colin O’Donoghue (Once Upon A Time) landed the titular role in Dolly Parton’s Heartstings: JJ Sneed, an ep of Netflix’s upcoming anthology series. Willa Fitzgerald (Scream: The TV Series), David Denman (13 Hours), Mac Davis and Vanessa Rubio (Cobra Kai) round out the cast… Evan Roderick (Arrow) has been cast opposite Kaya Scodelario in Netflix drama Spinning Out.
GOING GLOBAL
Corus network Global is cranking up the heat in Canada with a red-hot lineup of premieres and returning hits, including the premiere of Dwayne Johnson’s competition series The Titan Games and new comedy spinoff series Schooled. Global will also air new eps of New Amsterdam and FBI on Tuesday nights and return crime thriller The Blacklist, family comedy Man With A Plan and Big Brother: Celebrity.
SOCIAL GOOD
The NBCUniversal Foundation, in partnership with NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, is bringing back in 11 communities “Project Innovation,” a grant challenge that will award nearly $2.5 million next year to local nonprofit organizations addressing issues through solutions in the areas of storytelling, community engagement, culture of inclusion and youth education. Application period opens January 11 and closes February 15.
Hulu’s Stream for a Cause campaign is supporting the American Library Assn. Through December 31, each time viewers stream one of Hulu’s 10 holiday scenics, such as Puppies Crash Christmas, A Sap Story and The Snowman, Hulu will contribute to ALA up to a total donation of $100,000.
