Monday January 8, 2024

Today’s Premieres
A&E: Hoarders at 8p; Secrets of Polygamy at 10p
AXS TV: Cash Cab at 10p

Fox Nation: A History of the World in Six Glasses
PBS: Antiques Roadshow at 8p
TLC: 90 Day Diaries at 9p

Today’s Finale
History: Ancient Aliens Special Presentation at 9p

IN THE NEWS

Max has renewed “Bookie” for a second season. The season one finale of the comedy debuted December 21. “We couldn’t be more excited that Max listened to their gut, paid the juice, and let it ride on season two of ‘Bookie,’” said series creators Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay.

Ending after season one is Disney+’s “American Born Chinese.” The action fantasy series starred “Everything Everywhere All at Once” stars Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh.

“Minx” has been canceled, again. The 1970s-set comedy, yanked by Max as part of a tax write-off while production was wrapping on season two, was picked up by Starz, which will not proceed with a third season. The show will remain on the Starz app and major platforms.

Nigel Lythgoe, co-creator, judge and executive producer of “So You Think You Can Dance,” is stepping away from the show in the wake of two lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault, including one from Paula Abdul. “I have informed the producers of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ of my decision to step back from participating in this year’s series,” said Lythgoe. “I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.” Fox, 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions said season 18, slated to debut March 4, “will proceed, although without Nigel Lythgoe, to ensure the show remains committed to the contestants, who have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to compete on our stage.”

Moderators for the January 18 Republican presidential primary debate in New Hampshire include “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis, who will be joined by This Week” co-anchors Martha Raddatz and Jonathan Karl, and WMUR-TV political director Adam Sexton.

The SEC rejected requests by Apple and Disney to exclude from their upcoming annual meeting reports on their oversight of AI usage. The pension trusts of the AFL-CIO had filed the shareholder proposals, which Apple and Disney argued could be left off ballots because they related to “ordinary business operations.”

Among the firsts at the Creative Arts Emmys over the weekend: Judith Light’s win for her guest star role on “Poker Face,” the first Emmy for Peacock; Storm Reid’s first trophy, for her guest-starring role on HBO’s “The Last of Us”; and Ed Sheeran’s Emmy, which he can add to his collection of Grammys, for his work on “Ted Lasso.” For a complete list of winners, go here.

Host Jo Koy had fun joking about the film and TV nominees at last night’s Golden Globes Awards – and didn’t take it personally when every joke didn’t land (Taylor Swift, for one, took a sip of her drink rather than laugh at a crack about her appearance at the event). “I got this gig ten days ago and you want a perfect monologue?”, Koy asked. Big winners included “Succession” for drama series, “The Bear” for comedy, and “Beef” for limited series. Kieran Culkin took home the award for Best Male Performance in a Drama, a category that also included two of his “Succession” stars, Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong. For more, go here.

Q4 Nominations now open!

Cynopsis Standouts are people that have made an impact this past quarter, creating and executing innovative solutions for anything from tech to talent management to team spirit. With previous winners from Roku, TikTok, Red Bull, Microsoft, McDonalds, ESPN, Netflix, Spotify and more, we think it’s about high time you nominate the next shining star!

NOMINATE A STANDOUT NOW

CBS gave a straight-to-series order for “NCIS: Origins,” a prequel to the procedural that premiered in 2003. The project comes from series star Mark Harmon and his son Sean Harmon, who has appeared on the show; Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North; and CBS Studios. Mark Harmon will narrate the drama, set in 1991.

Bill Maher (“Real Time”) has partnered with PETA to executive produce “The Failed Experiment,” focused on the failures of outdated animal experimentation and the lives of animals in laboratories. “We’ve all lost loved ones to diseases, but did you ever wonder why there are so few cures?” said Maher, an honorary director of PETA. “’The Failed Experiment’ dismantles America’s archaic research program and exposes the bias that is preventing progress.” The six-parter premieres on Prime Video tomorrow, January 9.

Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey and Tayme Thapthimthong are headed to Thailand for season three of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” alongside previously announced returning cast member Natasha Rothwell. The series will begin production in and around Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok in February and will follow a new group of guests at another White Lotus property. HBO has partnered with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to support the filming and promotion of the season.

Derek Simonds (“The Sinner”) has joined the reboot of “Battlestar Galactica” as writer, executive producer and showrunner, reports Deadline. The project from Sam Esmail’s Esmail Corp. is in development at Peacock.

Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction”) has joined the cast of Peacock’s “Flight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.” The limited series is based on the podcast of the same name, centered on the after-party the night Muhammad Ali defeated Jerry Quarry during which guests were robbed at gunpoint.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Allen Media Group’s HBCU GO has signed a 10-year media rights partnership with the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, granting HBCU GO cable, linear, streaming, broadcast, VOD and pay-per-view rights coverage for all SIAC team sports through 2032 worldwide. “This is a historic moment,” said Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “The HBCU GO team is excited to partner with SIAC to distribute their conference games to a broader audience.”

The rollout for the paid version of the Max’s Bleacher Report Sports Add-On tier has been delayed. The original plan had been for the tier, launched for free in October, to cost $9.99/month after February 29. “The B/R Sports Add-On will continue to be made available to Max subscribers on us for a few more months as we finalize some tech integrations that will ensure a more seamless customer experience with our platform partners,” said a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery.

ESPN responded to accusations by the host of “The Pat McAfee Show” that a network executive was “actively trying to sabotage” the show. After McAfee said he believed Norby Williamson, head of event and studio production, was leaking incorrect ratings information, the network issued a statement saying, “No one is more committed to and invested in ESPN’s success than Norby Williamson. At the same time, we are thrilled with the multi-platform success that we have seen from ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ across ESPN. We will handle this matter internally.” McAfee’s comments came two days after he apologized for airing remarks from Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers that falsely suggested Jimmy Kimmel should be concerned about the release of names of people connected with the late Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of having sex with minors.

COMING UP

The “Southern Charm” crew gathers for a two-part season nine reunion premiering Thursday, January 11 at 8p on Bravo.

Hallmark Channel was the #1 most-watched entertainment cable network of 2023 among key demographics, with its Countdown to Christmas programming elevating it to be the most-watched entertainment cable network in Q4 among Women 18+ for a decade running. Sister network Hallmark Movies & Mysteries was the #2 most-watched entertainment network among key demos during the holiday season.

Spectrum News reports it was the most-watched network for news in 2023 among Spectrum customers, averaging 2 million daily viewing households. Among the year’s highlights, Spectrum News 1 in Buffalo, New York’s live coverage of the press conference announcing Buffalo Bill’s player Damar Hamlin’s release saw a 21% increase in viewership on January 9 from 3 to 3:30p.

ESPN had its fourth most-watched day ever (1979-present) on January 1, with College Football Playoff Semifinals and New Year’s Six. ESPN averaged 8.5 million viewers throughout the day, led by the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Music videos for “Murder on the Dancefloor” and “Time to Pretend” experienced surges of 496% and 115% in global views following their inclusion in the film “Saltburn,” according to Vevo.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Access Entertainment has changed its name to DuBow Media Distribution, and named Jonathan DuBow as VP, Global Sales. DuBow was previously Director of Financing Production and Distribution at OpenGate. Said company President, Ken DuBow, “Bringing Jonathan into the company will give me more time to focus on matters of production and financing while Jonathan leads sales. I could not be happier to be working with my son. It is a long realized dream come true.”

Gardner Reed has been upped to SVP, Development, at Wheelhouse Entertainment. Reed will focus on character-driven content, developing for Wheelhouse’s Spoke Studios, Wheelhouse DNA, and the company’s UK division, while also working with Wheelhouse partners Kimmelot, Butternut and Majordomo Media.

Nathaniel Brown is leaving his role as Chief Communications Officer at Warner Bros. Discovery. Brown was previously EVP of Communications for Discovery Inc.

IN MEMORIAM

Actor David Soul died January 4 at age 80. Soul was best known for his role on 1970s series “Starsky & Hutch.” “David was a brother, a friend, a caring man,” said Soul’s “Starsky & Hutch” co-star, Paul Michael Glaser. “We shall never see his like again.”

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
On “Blue Bloods” (2010-), how was Danny’s wife Linda killed? In a helicopter crash. Kudos to: John Carlo-UP Entertainment/NYC; Greg Moloznik-GLM Focus Media/Lakewood Ranch, FL; Michelle Barella-TelevisaUnivision/NYC; Ted Linhart-NBCU/NYC; Maggie Takei-Moore Media/Paducah, KY; Beth Tallent-TallentPR/Nashville; Rosemary Cunningham-MeTV/Chicago; Joy Aronson/LA; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank

Today’s Trivia Question
Which fantasy drama, the spin-off of a film series, premiered in 2014? (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.)

Cynopsis Team