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| Wednesday, October 7, 2026 |
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Happy hump day! There’s been a lot of big news in TV land – here are the highlights you need to know:
- From Paramount And WBD’s Ashes, Skydance Is Born
- Amazon Takes Over The Emmy Awards
- ABC Makes Its Opening Arguments Against The FCC
Don’t forget! If your network has holiday programming airing from November 4 through January 1, please send your Holiday Guide listing to janetdilauro@gmail.com, alyssa@cynopsis.com and victoria@cynopsis.com no later than October 23 with the subject line: Holiday Guide.
To be included, programs must be listed by date, title of program and start times, in the following format:
Thursday, November 19: Network Name: My One Christmas Wish at 9a, Paper Angels at 11a, 12 Days of Giving at 1p.
Holiday-related programs only! A confirmation email will be sent following each submission (if you don’t receive a confirmation email, please resubmit).
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| In The News |
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It’s official: Paramount, now Skydance, closed its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) on Tuesday.
- The deal closing marks the end of an almost yearlong effort by Paramount, which outbid Netflix for WBD in late February and then spent the last eight months overcoming various regulatory hurdles.
- Skydance celebrated the news Tuesday morning with a staff memo, in which Co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz described the company’s key priorities moving forward. Skydance especially aspires to become the most “technologically capable” media company, per the memo.
- Part of that plan, according to Skydance’s recent press release, includes unifying both direct-to-consumer streaming services, Paramount+ and HBO Max, into “a single service.”
- So, what’s the damage? Skydance faces approximately $80 billion in debt, and the newly combined company will likely spend a lot more merging both portfolios on a technical level. In fact, credit rating analysis firm Fitch has already downgraded the combined Skydance’s credit ratings from BB+ to BB, citing “uncertainty about the company’s ability to achieve its stated synergies.”
- Also, Skydance will likely make cuts to its workforce as it merges teams and technologies. Tuesday’s staff memo acknowledged “difficult decisions” will be part of the integration process moving forward.
It’s official, part two: After much speculation earlier this fall, the Emmy Awards broadcast is moving to Amazon’s Prime Video as part of an exclusive six-year deal.
- This marks the first time in 31 years that the televised award show has aired somewhere other than a major broadcast network (NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox).
- The deal includes the Creative Arts Emmys, but not the Daytime Emmys, which are organized by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences rather than the LA-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The two split in 1977 but have recently discussed merging back together.
- TV Academy Chairman Cris Abrego and Prime Video head Mike Hopkins told TheWrap that the deal represents a significant investment on Amazon’s part and will allow the Emmys’ telecast a better opportunity to evolve and market itself with more of an on-demand presence.
- The Takeaway: Streaming services are increasingly taking over the live awards telecast space – Prime Video just nabbed the Emmys, YouTube will have the Oscars in 2029 and Netflix already has the Actor Awards (formerly called the Screen Actors Guild Awards). The trend reflects the increased influence streamers have on the media landscape, as well as the potential impact of diminished ratings for broadcast networks airing live non-sports events.
And now for a peek inside the courtroom. On Tuesday, a federal judge heard arguments in ABC’s First Amendment suit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
- A quick recap: ABC filed suit against the FCC in August after the agency called in ABC’s eight broadcast licenses for early renewal. ABC claims the request, which directly followed the Trump administration’s objections to Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and TV programming, violates the network’s right to free speech. The FCC maintains that the early renewal request and the administration’s network disapproval are unrelated.
- In court this week, ABC’s lawyer argued that the administration’s threats to the network’s programming have created a “chilling effect” on ABC’s content decisions. Last month, for example, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” chose to post an interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico (D) on YouTube instead of broadcasting it on TV.
- The Takeaway: The tension between the federal government and the media industry is hitting a fever pitch as federal courts grapple with a decision that can dictate separation between TV and state – or the lack thereof.
Speaking of politics and television: On Sunday, viewers reported seeing multiple ads promoting Talarico’s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, during several football games outside the state. According to Chron, it’s possible that Texas PAC, which bought the ads, sought out national spots to avoid the priciness of running local ads in relevant cities during that day’s Cowboys-Texans game, which could cost more than $2 million for a 30-second spot.
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| New & Returning Series |
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For sneak peeks, check out Cynopsis Trailer Park.
“All’s Fair,” Ryan Murphy’s legal drama starring Kim Kardashian (“Keeping Up with the Kardashians”) and Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story”) will have its Season 2 world premiere at the Rome Film Festival on Oct. 24. The second season will debut on television sometime in November on Hulu and Disney+.
Tubi’s five-part docuseries “Just One Before I Die,” about one of the most passionate fan bases in sports – that of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills – premieres on Oct. 21.
In more disturbing docuseries news, Hulu’s new true-crime series “Swipe Right on the Devil,” about a murderous couple with a literal cult following, premieres a day later on Oct. 22.
HGTV’s home renovation competition series “Rock the Block” is returning with a new season that takes place outside Nashville. Season 8 is slated to premiere early next year.
Meghann Fahy and Rose Byrne in “The Good Daughter”
Peacock debuted an official trailer for “The Good Daughter,” a new series adapted from a Karin Slaughter novel and starring Rose Byrne (“Mrs. America”) and Meghann Fahy (“The White Lotus”). The entire season premieres on Nov. 12.
Prime Video dropped a trailer for “The Watch: America’s Nuclear Mission,” a six-part series premiering in November.
BBC America and BBC Studios released an extended trailer for the upcoming natural history series “Blue Planet III.” The six-part series is set to premiere on BBC America and AMC+ in 2027.
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| Partner content |
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| Today’s Premieres |
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ABC: “Abbott Elementary” Season 6 at 8:30 p.m.; “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” at 9 p.m.
Apple TV: “Small Prophets” Season 2
BET: “Sistas” Season 10 at 9 p.m.; “Her Baby” at 10 p.m.
Crunchyroll: “Dandivine”; “The Detective Is Already Dead” Season 2; “Magic Knight Rayearth”; “A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special”; “Sasaki and Peeps”; “The World’s Strongest Witch”
HGTV: “Sin City Rehab” Season 2 at 9 p.m.
History: “Pawn Stars” Season 25 at 8 p.m.; “Mountain Men” Season 16
Hulu: “Merry Berry Love”
ID: “The Serial Killer Connection” at 9 p.m.
NBC: “Chicago Med” Season 12 at 8 p.m.; “Chicago Fire” Season 15 at 9 p.m.; “Chicago P.D.” Season 14 at 10 p.m.
Netflix: “Inside the Circle”; “Real Men” Season 2
Prime Video: “Carrie”
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| Production |
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Lucy Hale (“Pretty Little Liars”) will star in a new limited series for Roku called “Scarlett Holmes.” The show features Hale as a modern descendant of Sherlock who uses her powers of deduction to solve romance-related mysteries, alongside a yet-to-be-cast co-star playing “Jane Watson.”
StudioCanal and Deadpan Pictures are developing a live-action show based on “The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks,” Katie Kirby’s best-selling preteen book franchise. Josie Long (“Skins”) and Holly Phillips (“Get Even”) are attached as writers.
NHL star P.K. Subban is executive producing and starring in a new animated series called “Screech Owls,” based on a book series of the same name by Roy MacGregor. The series is co-produced by the NHL and Canadian production studios Shaftesbury, Sphere Animation and Boat Rocker Studios. It will premiere next fall on CBC in English and in winter 2028 on Radio-Canada and TFO in French.
All hail the Fresh Prince. Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff are developing a new series based on their early career as hip-hop performers together, called “215.” The project is one of several announced by Smith’s production company, Westbrook Studios.
A new Netflix dramedy is in the works called “Feral,” based on the novel “Savages” by Shirley Conran. The series will star Jessica Gunning (“Baby Reindeer”) and Michelle Dockery (“Downton Abbey”) and is set to begin filming in Australia this year.
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| Tech News You Can Use |
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Sony has named supply-side platform PubMatic as its preferred programmatic advertising partner for “Live TV on PS5,” the company’s new free ad-supported television channel offering on PlayStation 5 devices.
NBCUniversal, its supply-side ad platform FreeWheel, the media agency Carat and research firm Newton joined forces to announce an AI-backed media solution that aims to optimize upfront investments. The new product provides custom AI agents to make it easier for brand marketers to maximize the value of their ads in NBCUniversal inventory based on audience and ad performance data. Debuting the solution is a luxury retail brand that works with Carat.
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| Sports Report |
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Sports marketing agency IMG will serve as a production partner for Netflix’s coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027. The agency will also support the Final Draw broadcast, which takes place on Dec. 11 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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| Distribution |
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Following in the footsteps of “Ninja Warrior” and “Last One Laughing,” NBCUniversal is adapting the iconic Japanese game show “Action Arena” for international markets. The show first aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System in 1994 and ran for 17 years.
Meanwhile, Banijay Entertainment has acquired the global format rights to “Scrambled Up,” a word scramble-based US game show that launched in national syndication last year.
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Which “Bob’s Burgers” character was recast after voice actor Jay Johnston was arrested for his involvement with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021?
Email answers to Trivia@Cynopsis.com and include your name, company and city/state (don’t forget!). Only the first four correct responses from each time zone will be included.
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YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA ANSWER
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What late ‘00s teen drama series was greenlit off the success of “Twilight,” but based on young adult novels that predated Stephanie Meyer’s franchise by over a decade? “The Vampire Diaries”
Congrats to: Phyllis McQuillan-MSG Networks/NYC; Kristi Miller-Scripps Network/Atlanta, GA; Rev. Mark Wajda/Clermont, FL; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC; Matthew Weiss-Spark Foundry/Chicago; Aaron Paquette-AccelerateSG/Fort Worth, TX; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Jeff Adams-UsableNet/Sacramento, CA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA
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