Wednesday July 7, 2021

Today’s Finales
ABC: Card Sharks at 10p
A&E: Court Cam at 9p
TLC: Dr. Pimple Popper at 9p

IN THE NEWS

Peacock will become Universal’s pay TV partner after the studio’s deal with HBO expires at the end of the year. Beginning in 2022, all Universal Filmed Entertainment Group theatrical releases will play on Peacock during each movie’s pay-one partner TV window, which is 120 days after a title’s theatrical release. Each film will be available on Peacock for an initial exclusive four-month window followed by the last four months in a traditional 18-month pay-one period. The studio’s film product can be licensed to additional partners during the months in between. The Peacock deal covers all Universal, Focus Features, Illumination, and DreamWorks Animation theatrical releases.

Hello Sunshine, the media company founded by Reese Witherspoon, is exploring a sale, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company, whose titles include HBO drama series “Big Little Lies,” began pursuing a sale in recent months after receiving interest from multiple suitors including Apple Inc., according to a source in the WSJ article, which cites people close to the situation saying Hello Sunshine could be valued at as much $1 billion.

Bert V. Royal, the creator of Freeform series “Cruel Summer,” has exited the young adult drama from eOne and exec-produced by Jessica Biel. The news comes a few weeks after the Disney-owned network renewed the psychological thriller for a second season.

No laughing matter for four comedies that won’t be returning on Netflix. The streamer opted not to go forward with new seasons of “The Crew,” “Country Comfort,” “Mr. Iglesias” and “Bonding.”

HBO is taking a pass on new seasons of “Lovecraft Country.” The network isn’t bringing back the show, an amalgam of fantasy, horror, period drama and social commentary that served as a lightning rod for conversations ignited by the death of George Floyd. The show’s creators immediately launched a campaign to find a new home for the series.

NBA broadcasting legend Marv Albert signed off for the final time on July 4, his last gig with TNT calling the Milwaukee Bucks-Atlanta Hawks game during the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Lily Rabe will star alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Jesse Plemons and Patrick Fugit in HBO Max limited series “Love and Death.” The true story of Texas housewife Candy Montgomery’s brutal murder of Betty Gore in 1980, the series reunites “The Undoing” duo of David E. Kelley and Nicole Kidman, and Lionsgate Television. Kelley exec-produces via his David E. Kelley Productions; Kidman and Per Saari via Blossom Films.

Epix has begun production on season 3 of “War of the Worlds,” slated to debut on the network next year. Written and created by BAFTA Award winner Howard Overman (“Misfits”) and based on H.G. Wells’ classic novel, the third season will see the return of actor Gabriel Byrne (“In Treatment”).

“Snowfall” star Damson Idris is adding the title of producer on the FX series for the upcoming fifth season, slated to premiere in 2022. Snowfall, produced by FX Productions, was created by the late director John Singleton & Eric Amadio and Dave Andron.

Lifetime new original movie, “Safe Space,” is currently in production and scheduled to premiere in 2022. The suspense film marks Boris Kodjoe’s directorial debut and stars his real-life spouse Nicole Ari Parker (“Chicago P.D.”) as well as Drea de Matteo (“The Sopranos”), Nik Sanchez (“The Rookie”) and Mackenzie Astin (“The Magicians”).

Blackbox Multimedia has signed on to co-produce and distribute “Costa,” the supernatural crime drama written by Gaby Chiappe (“The Beast Must Die”) and Alex Perrin (“The Level”).

How has the pandemic permanently impacted viewing patterns? Luca Bernabei, Producer and CEO of Rome-headquartered Lux Vide (“Medici: The Magnificent”), offers insights on how producers can meet the moment, in Cynsiders.

NEW + RETURNING SERIES

Celebrities return hometo surprise a special person from their past with a home makeover in “Secret Celebrity Renovation,” premiering Friday, July 9 on CBS.

The first eight episodes of “Leverage: Redemption” will be released Friday, July 9 on IMDb TV. In this new iteration, the Leverage crew finds new blood in Harry Wilson (Noah Wyle), a corporate lawyer who is looking for redemption, and Breanna Casey (Aleyse Shannon), Hardison’s foster sister who has a knack for computers, robotics, and getting into trouble.

William Shatner seeks answers to timely questions in RT America series “I Don’t Understand,” making its debut Monday, July 12. “I have often pondered the questions we should be asking, but perhaps aren’t,” said the “Star Trek” star. “Just how much stuff is in space? When I really think about it, I realize that I don’t understand anything. So, I’m going to ask questions no one else is on TV, and we’ll see if we can take a journey to enlightenment together.”

“Good Trouble” is headed back to Hulu on Wednesday, July 14 at 10p. Last season some bold decisions were made in love and life, and now it’s time to deal with the consequences.

The trailer for “My Unorthodox Life,” debuting Wednesday, July 14 on Netflix, is live. Series centers around the personal and professional life of fashion mogul Julia Haart, former member of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community turned CEO of Elite World Group.

New eps of “Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby” premieres on streamer BBC Select on Thursday, July 15. Series returns with an all-new US/Canadian premiere season with more luxurious escapist delights that takes viewers behind-the-scenes at some of the world’s most spectacular properties. Hotels featured include St Lucia’s Jade Mountain, Macau’s MGM Cotai, England’s Swinton Estate and more.

Netflix served up a trailer for “Naomi Osaka,” the three-part series about the world’s No. 2 women’s tennis player. From director Garrett Bradley, Uninterrupted and Film 45, series—which debuts Friday, July 16—follows Osaka during a historic two years in which she accelerates her tennis game but also begins to find her voice.

Ovation TV will begin re-airing the first season of drama series “The Hour,” which first debuted in the US in 2011, on Saturday, July 17 at 7p. The espionage thriller set in Cold War-era England will be part of Ovation’s weekly Mystery Alley programming block.

Season 34 of independent documentary showcase “POV” will highlight Caribbean narratives told from the female perspective. The new season bows Monday, July 19 on PBS.

Streaming service Fox Nation will debut new series “Canceled in the USA” on Monday, July 19. Hosted by Dan Bongino, show will do a deep dive into the movement known as “cancel culture” and feature a variety of guests from comedians and professors to business professionals and “everyday Americans.”

Josh Gates is back on the hunt in a new season of “Expedition,” returning to Discovery and premiering on Discovery+ on Wednesday, July 21. Gates will uncover some mysteries including, How does a plane carrying three Navy airmen crash into the Pacific without a trace, and why has the stolen loot of America’s most notorious bank robber never been recovered?

Netflix also dropped a trailer for the third and final chapter of kids series “Transformers: War for Cybertron: Kingdom,” which premieres Thursday, July 29 with more action from the Autobots and Decepticons.

VH1 set Tuesday, August 10 at 8p for the season 16 premiere date for “Wild ‘N Out.” Created and hosted by Nick Cannon, the comedy improv competition series was in limbo after Cannon and ViacomCBS parted ways in summer 2020. They reunited in February and a digital special in conjunction with tech platform Stage TEN will precede the season debut.

The Dallas Cowboys are back in the spotlight for the next installment of HBO and NFL Films’ “Hard Knocks,” the insider look at pro football training camps. The Cowboys. Who were expected to be a major contender in 2020 under new head coach Mike McCarthy, were also spotlighted in 2002 and 2008.

COMING UP

National Geographic’s SharkFest continues across Nat Geo, Nat Geo WILD, Mundo, DisneyXD and Disney+ with new programming premiering through August 13. What are some highlights? “In ‘Shark Attack Files,’ viewers will learn the connection between shark attacks and the health of our oceans, uncovering a louder message for ocean conservationism,” Janet Han Vissering SVP, program development and production at National Geographic, tells Cynopsis. In “Shark Attack Investigation: The Paige Winter Story,” “shark attack survivor Paige Winter works with marine biologist Dr. Mike Heithaus to better understand the very shark that attacked her and overcome her greatest fears all the while remaining a fierce shark advocate.” And “Playing With Sharks,” airing Friday, July 23 on Disney+, features shark advocate Valerie Taylor.

Disney+ is dropping Marvel-themed short “The Good, The Bart, and The Loki,” from “The Simpsons” today, July 7. In the new crossover event, Loki is banished from Asgard once again and must face his toughest opponents yet: the Simpsons and Springfield’s mightiest heroes.

In a special episode of HGTV’s “My Lottery Dream Home,” designer David Bromstad fulfills his own Florida real estate fantasy. “David’s Home: My Lottery Dream Home” premieres Friday, July 16 at 9p.

MeTV will offer a Sunday mystery block starting with “Columbo” at a new time, 6p followed by “Monk” at 8p.

STREAMING

The Weather Channel is launching a subscription streaming service, The Weather Channel Plus. The new $4.99-per-month subscription service will debut in Q4 2021 and feature more than 50 news and entertainment streaming channels. The Allen Media Group-owned service is projecting 30 million subscribers in its first five years.

It’s now or never: Cinedigm has teamed with Elvis Presley Enterprises for The Elvis Presley Channel, an ad-supported and linear streaming service expected to launch in 2022. The service will include Elvis Presley archival content and specials, as well as musical content from other artists. The launch continues Cinedigm’s expansion into the legacy icon space which began last year through the launch of The Bob Ross Channel.

TECH TALK

Spectrum Reach, the advertising sales business of Charter Communications, has introduced a new deterministic, cross-platform attribution solution with Blockgraph and TVSquared, providing its advertisers with aggregated and de-identified insights to analyze addressable, streaming and linear TV campaigns. The solution enables advertisers to attribute TV ad exposure to specific consumer actions on digital devices, conversions and sales.

Megyn Kelly will host a daily talk show on SiriusXM. The former Fox News and NBC host will bring her podcast to the satellite network’s Triumph channel; “The Megyn Kelly Show” is slated to debut on Tuesday, September 7.

KIDS NEWS

Count Elmo in as a new puppy adopter. Tango makes her debut in the animated special “Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets a Puppy,” premiering on HBO Max on Thursday, August 5 and on PBS Kids in 2022. Together, Elmo and his new music-loving pal embark on fun adventures that also will be included in new books, stories and games.

DISTRIBUTION + CARRIAGE

In news from Cannes, Amazon Studios is in exclusive talks to acquire worldwide rights for the film “Foe.” According to Deadline, the thriller starring Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal and LaKeith Stanfield in an adaptation of the Iain Reid sci-fi novel will see Garth Davis directing from a script he wrote with the author, and filming will get underway in January in Australia.

Showtime Networks and Amblin Partners renewed their exclusive output agreement, under which qualifying Amblin Partners films theatrically released through December 31, 2024 will air across Showtime, The Movie Channel and Flix, as well as on Showtime multiplex channels and streaming service. The two companies originally struck a partnership in 2010.

CASTING

Milly Alcock and Emily Carey scored recurring roles in “House of the Dragon,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel… Michelle Yeoh has been cast in the role of Scían in Netflix’s upcoming “The Witcher: Blood Origin”… Robin Givens (“Riverdale”) landed a key role in the upcoming third season of the CW’s “Batwoman.”

Saidah Ekulona (“Better Call Saul”) will recur role opposite Chante Adams on Amazon’s “A League of Their Own” reboot series… Alli Chung (“Ballers”) joined the cast of Hulu’s “The Hardy Boys” in a recurring role for season 2… John Bercow, former Speaker of the House of Commons, is joining UK series “Unicorn Hunters.”

GOING GLOBAL

“Traffickers: Inside The Golden Triangle,” a three-part HBO Asia Original documentary series, will premiere on regional streaming service HBO GO on Friday, July 23. Series probes the secretive epicentre of Asia’s illicit drug production.

Buenos Aires-based, ViacomCBSfree-to-air network Telefe finished the first half of 2021 at No. 1 in Argentina, achieving the highest semester average share in history with 44,29 percent and 9.02 average rating points.

Indie TV and film production and distribution company Arab Telemedia and the Dutch content services and processing company ODMedia signed an aggregation and distribution agreement offering audiences unlimited access to Arab Telemedia’s exclusive movie titles.

www.cynopsis.com/resource-center

Shareablee Top 10 TV Shows for the week of June 28
Program, Network, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content, Fans & Followers
Hannity (Fox News), 2.8M, 229, 12,446, 11.4M
Today Show (NBC), 2M, 912, 2,243, 13.8M
Entertainment Tonight (CBSMV/syndicated), 1.9M, 613, 3,034, 9.3M
Ellen DeGeneres (Syndicated), 1.8M, 50, 35,062, 212M
Rick and Morty (Adult Swim), 1.5M, 15, 102,713, 11.6M
The Daily Show (Comedy Central), 1.3M, 88, 14,344, 28M
Yellowstone (Paramount), 720K, 38, 18,933, 2.3M
Good Morning America (ABC), 700K, 846, 837, 14.4M
The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC), 574K, 54, 10,629, 13.2M
America’s Got Talent (NBC), 382K, 105, 3,638, 17M

Shareablee Top 10 Streaming Shows for the week of June 28
Program, Platform, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content, Fans & Followers
Nanatsu No Taizai (Netflix), 600K, 91, 6,601, 881K
Lucifer (Netflix), 581K, 6, 96,755, 7.6M
Get Organized With The Home Edit (Netflix), 498K, 41, 12,156, 5.7M
The Grand Tour (Prime Video), 415K, 8, 51,885, 5.8M
High School Musical: The Series (Disney+), 308K, 4, 76,924, 590K
Gossip Girl (HBO Max), 300K, 36, 8,331, 16M
Shadow and Bone (Netflix), 240K, 6, 40,043, 722K
Loki (Disney+), 237K, 18, 13,184, 546K
One Piece (CrunchyRoll), 215K, 7, 30,748, 3.6M
Good Omens (Prime), 186K, 5, 37,113, 326K

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Friday, July 2
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: “Emergency Call” 2.62 (0.3), “20/20” 2.58 (0.3)
CBS: “Magnum P.I.” 2.75 (0.2), “Blue Bloods” 2.59 (0.2), “Blue Bloods” 2.87 (0.2)
CW: “Charmed” 0.36 (0.0), “Dynasty” 0.23 (0.0)
ION: “Hawaii Five-0” 1.04 (0.2), “Hawaii Five-0” 1.13 (0.2), “Hawaii Five-0” 1.19 (0.2)
FOX: “WWE Friday Night Smackdown” 1.74 (0.4)
NBC: “Stanley Cup Finals 1.9 (0.4)
Telemundo: “Exatlon” 0.99 (0.3), “Hercal: Armor y Venganza 1.26 (0.4), Café Aroma de Mujer 0.88 (0.3)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Simone Nardi is exiting his post as CFO at Fubo TV, which he joined in March 2020. He’ll transition to an advisory role.

TV One and CLEO TV appointed Charnelle Anderson SVP of marketing & creative services. Anderson formerly served as the head of marketing, branding communications, and business partnerships of dfree Global Foundation Inc.

Genius Brands appointed Kerry Phelan, former CP exec at DreamWorks and Pixar, to the newly created position of EV/GM of global franchise management.

ViacomCBS director of production Yanina Molina has joined Jesse Collins Entertainment as VP of unscripted production.

Sum Huang has been appointed CEO of Endeavor China. Huang was most recently co-founder and partner of XG Entertainment.

Stevenson Greene, former MTV Entertainment and Logo executive, is the new head development & production executive for Producer Entertainment Group and OUTtv USA.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which performer appeared in the most episodes of “Little House on the Prairie” (1974-1983)? Melissa Gilbert. Kudos to: Eric Dunefsky-Crossmedia/NY; Louis Lewow-FITE/Atlanta; Cathy Russo-M&G/NY; Tricia Wadsworth-Gracenote/Queensbury; Sally Sluss-Spectrum Research/St Louis; Sandy Spiegel-WTTW/Chicago; Barb Throm-Stealth Creative/St. Louis; Cherie Wall-Sandbox Entertainment/Nashville; Julie Houston-Tom Scott Agency/Boise, ID; David Westberg-SAG*AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Pete Hazell-Discovery Communications Europe/London

Today’s Trivia Question
Which series named almost all episodes of one season after ‘90s songs? 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.)