Friday November 17, 2023

Saturday’s Premieres
History: Kennedy at 8p
Netflix: The Railway Men: The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984
Oxygen: Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler at 8p

Sunday’s Premieres
Discovery: Homestead Rescue at 8p
Food Network: The Elf on a Shelf: Sweet Showdown at 8p
Fox Nation: Liberty or Death: Boston Tea Party
Nat Geo: Incredible Animal Journeys at 8p

Sunday’s Finales
AMC: Fear the Walking Dead at 9p
PBS: Hotel Portofino at 8p; World on Fire on Masterpiece at 9p; Annika on Masterpiece at 10p

IN THE NEWS

Havas Media North America is partnering with the Impact Network, the Black founded and operated cable network, to give clients easier opportunities for efficient media spend and increased media investment in diverse-owned businesses. Impact Network will provide Havas Media access to custom content creation and efficient pricing. “Havas Media is incredibly excited to partner with Impact Network and provide our clients with new opportunities to connect with audiences in a safe, authentic environment that makes a difference in people’s lives,” said Anabela Bonuccelli, EVP, Multicultural Lead for Havas Media Network North America. “Not only are we thrilled that through our partnership we’re able to help Impact Network stay 100% family-owned and further our commitment in supporting diverse media, but we’re excited to collaborate on original content within Impact’s wheelhouse of positive, inspirational programming – a true expression of meaningful media.”

“Mary & George” has a new US home. The historical psychodrama, starring Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine as a pair of scheming 17th century social climbers, has landed at Starz in the US and Canada. The series had originally been set to air on AMC. “’Mary & George’ is the perfect complement to Starz’s provocative slate and we’re thrilled to partner with Sky Studios to bring this extraordinary series to U.S. audiences,” said Alison Hoffman, President of Domestic Networks for Starz. “We can’t wait for the world to discover the untold story of Mary Villiers, who mastered the art of sexual and political conquests in a male-dominated society. And to have Julianne leading this remarkable cast is a dream.”

Thirty percent of US adults say they regularly get news from Facebook, followed by 26% who report getting news from YouTube, according to data from Pew Research Center. About 30% of Americans say they often get news from television.

A study from Samba TV suggests this political season, advertisers would do well to look to look carefully for comprehensive omniscreen targeting and measurement – or turn off voters. “The 2024 election will demand that campaigns incorporate rigorous targeting and measurement strategies to prevent oversaturation,” said Samba TV Co-founder and CEO Ashwin Navin. “Interestingly, our data shows that 41% of undecided or dissatisfied voters claimed their perception of a candidate or issue would likely worsen upon seeing an ad repeated too frequently within a month.”

Add Fox’s “9-1-1: Lone Star” to the list of shows impacted by the Hollywood strikes. Season five of the procedural has been postponed until fall 2024.

“Harley Quinn” landed a season five renewal from Max. Max recently announced a spinoff of the adult animated comedy, “Kite Man: Hell Yeah!” debuting in 2024.

Netflix has canceled five series. “Shadow and Bone” will end after two seasons, while “Glamorous” wraps after one. Adult animated comedies coming to an early end include “Agent Elvis,” “Farzar” and “Captain Fall.”

Jeffrey Donovan won’t return for season 23 of NBC’s “Law & Order.” The actor, who played Detective Frank Cosgrove for seasons 21 and 22, has exited due to “creative reasons.”

American Documentary (AmDoc) has joined in the coordinated preservation efforts led by the American Archive of Public Broadcasting to ensure care, stewardship and accessibility of documentary film programs. Select POV documentaries will join historic public media programs from the past 70-plus years representing more than 581 stations, producers, and archives across the country.

Jimmy Kimmel will fourpeat as Oscars host in 2024. The late night vet previously emceed the 2017, 2018, and 2023 telecasts. Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNeary, will return as executive producer. “We are thrilled about Jimmy returning to host and Molly returning as executive producer for the Oscars. They share our love of movies and our commitment to producing a dynamic and entertaining show for our global audience,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang in a joint statement. “We are deeply grateful to Jimmy, Molly and their teams for their incredible creativity and partnership and for going on this ride with us again.” Said Kimmel, “I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times.”

FREE? VIRTUAL? NEXT MONTH? LET’S GO!

Join us on December 7 to learn about the must-have targeting tools both buyers and sellers need to optimize ad strategy. Secure your spot among leaders of the media industry and position yourself for success in the new year.

I WANT TO ATTEND

The Roku Channel has ordered talk show “What Drives You,” hosted by WWE star/actor John Cena. In each episode, Cena will take a drive will a celebrity guest in their favorite vehicle. “The car you drive and where you drive it can say a lot about who you are, from your personality type to what you value and prioritize the most,” noted Cena. “’What Drives You’ is all about tapping into this and each guest’s unique connection to their car, and a destination close to their heart, as the crux of a candid and wide-ranging conversation.”

FX has ordered to comedy “English Teacher,” created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez. Paul Simms (“What We Do in the Shadows”) will serve as an executive producer. The series follows a high school teacher in Austin who’s trying to balance the competing demands of the students and their parents in a world where the rules seem to change every day.

“Love Island USA” landed a two-season renewal from Peacock. The dating show is Peacock’s #1 original reality series

Andrew Gurland (“Married”) has replaced Victor Fresco as showrunner for Netflix comedy “Unstable,” starring Rob Lowe and his son John Owen Lowe. Production on season two had begun in March but had shut because of the writers’ strike.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Peacock’s Seth McFarlane series “Ted,” a prequel to the “Ted” movies, premieres Thursday, January 11. The event series is set in the nineties, “but is based on the timeless truth that being sixteen sucks,” said Peacock.

Crime drama “Monsieur Spade” premieres Sunday, January 14 on AMC, AMC+ and Acorn TV. Clive Owen (“Closer”) stars and exec produces the six-parter, based on the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon.

All eight episodes of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” a reimagined version of the 2005 film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, will drop Friday, February 2 on Prime Video. The series was originally slated to premiere in November but was postponed because of the strikes.

Peacock has acquired animated series “Mittens & Pants,” which launched on Canada’s CBC Kids in Canada and UK’s Sky Kids in February. Peacock plans a 1Q24 launch.

Japanese anime “Sand Land: The Series” is headed to Hulu in spring 2024. Based on the short story by Akira Toriyama, the series is set in a world where the water supply is all but dried up.

COMING UP

Dick Van Dyke will be honored in CBS special “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic,” airing Thursday, December 21 at 9p. “I started with CBS under contract in 1955 with the CBS morning show, then ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ and ‘Diagnosis Murder’,” said Van Dyke. “I’ve been with the CBS family for almost 70 years, and I couldn’t be prouder. I’m incredibly honored that CBS will be throwing a 98th birthday special for me.”

Holiday special “Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas” premieres Monday, December 18 at 9p on PBS (check local listings). Berry will be joined in Scotland by US Open champ Andy Murray, “Love Island” narrator Iain Stirling, and singer/songwriter Emeli Sande.

Keke Palmer will host “Soul Train Awards” 2023, during which Janelle Monae will receive the “Spirit of Soul” award. BJ The Chicago Kid, Coco Jones, Danté Bowe, Fridayy, Muni Long, SWV, and Palmer are set to perform, on Sunday, November 26 at 8p on BET and BET Her.

Tate McRae has been tapped to perform on the “2023 Billboard Music Awards,” joining a lineup including David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, Karol G, NewJeans, Mariah Carey, Morgan Wallen, Peso Pluma, and Stray Kids. The BBMAs will roll out across BBMAs and Billboard social channels on Sunday, November 19 beginning at 8p.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has a Spanish-language home on Telemundo on November 23, starting at 8:30a. The 97th edition of the turkey day tradition will be simulcast with NBC.

Catchy Comedy is serving up 21 episodes of “The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast” starting at 6a on Thanksgiving. The hour-long specials were filmed in the former MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Hungry for a little Hamlin and eggs? Harry Hamlin (“Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches”) joins his niece and chef Renee Guilbault for “In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin: A Holiday Special.” The show, airing Wednesday, December 13 at 11p on AMC+ and IFC, serves as a preview for new series “In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin,” slated for May 2024.

Jewish Life Television and Variety have partnered to broadcast “The State of Antisemitism,” a one-our panel discussion, on JLTV on Sunday, November 19 at 9p.

TECH

The average number of apps has doubled since Q4 2021, with consumers in Q3 2023 using an average of 5.4 for each smart TV, according to Inscape’s Q3 2023 TV Market Trends Report. In the third quarter, 94% of total streaming time was driven by viewers who only (64.6%) or mostly (29%) streamed on their smart TVs. Looking at the share of CTV viewing across all inputs (streaming, cable/satellite/OTA) from Q4 2021 to Q3 2023, the percentage of viewers who only stream content has increased from 45% to 54%, while the percentage who only use cable/satellite/OTA has decreased from 9% to 5%. “Marketers should really take note of these shifts,” advised Ken Norcross, VP, Data Licensing and Strategy, VIZIO/Inscape. “With more than half of smart TV viewers not reachable by traditional cable/satellite/OTA advertising, it reinforces the fact that brands should prioritize diversification across marketing efforts and lean into data that will give them the best decision-making ability to do so.”

STREAMING

“New to me” shows are just as appealing to viewers as new releases, according to Hub’s annual “Conquering Content” survey. Sixty-four percent of viewers reported their current favorite show is an older show that’s been on for several seasons, up from 54% in 2021. When it comes to discovery, 61% of respondents said they’d be more likely to choose TV sources that make it easy to discover new shows they’d like.

Speaking of, Samsung TV Plus is rolling out product update 5.2 with enhanced content discovery. Users will have a dedicated kids experience to connect consumers with ‘Best of Kids’ programming across over 20 family-safe channels, kids shows and on-demand movies. Launched in 2015, Samsung TV Plus has over 300 channels in the US.

The Chess TV FAST channel has launched on Fubo. “We’ve identified FAST as a key growth area especially with the volume of live and original content that we continue to produce around the game,” said Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com “We’re seeing average session times of more than two hours across our existing FAST partners so we’re really looking forward to bringing this significant audience engagement to Fubo”

Stingray introduced its latest TV channel, Stingray Holidayscapes. Now available on LG Smart TVs, the FAST channel offers a blend of thematic music and video footage, curated for diverse holidays and special events throughout the year, ranging from Valentine’s Day love songs to spooky Halloween hits and holiday classics.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Tennis Channel will be live in Malaga, Spain, as Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray attempt to lead their respective countries to another championship at the 2023 Davis Cup Finals November 21-26. Djokovic’s Serbia and Murray’s Britain are among the eight finalists competing during men’s tennis’ annual international team competition. The first head-to-head battle is a quarterfinal contest between Canada and Finland on Tuesday, November 21, at 10a.

On Tuesday, November 14, the New York Jets linebacker CJ Mosley and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas packed and distributed pantry bags at Food Bank’s Community Kitchen and Pantry in West Harlem, and also presented a $15,000 check to the Food Bank for New York City. The same day, the Jets and Campbell’s Chunky partnered with Food Bank For New York City to donate 3,500 cans of Chunky Soup to residents and families in need ahead of Thanksgiving. Additionally, the Jets partnered with Chunky Sacks Hunger – the organization’s charitable program – so that for every Jets sack during the regular season, the organization will donate an additional 1,000 Campbell’s products to the Food Bank For New York City.

GOING GLOBAL

Static Waves Media, the Amsterdam and Seoul-based media company focused on FAST channel creation and distribution, content production, and ad sales, and Dubai-based Web3 watch-and-earn streaming platform myco, have partnered to launch a new FAST, myco TV. The channel will launch this month.

Let’s Get Political

Political ad spend records are expected to top more than $10 billion by the end of the 2024 election cycle. It’s therefore critical to understand where these dollars are flowing and how to leverage the wave. More information on this 2024 virtual event is coming soon!

VIEW 2024 CYNOPSIS EVENTS

Bravo’s Housewives are cleaning up. The season six premiere of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Miami” drew 1.4 million viewers across platforms its first seven days, up 124% from the season five opener. The net’s “The Real Housewives of Potomac” season eight premiere drew 2.1 million in its first seven days, up 15% from the season seven debut.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Sony Pictures Television has promoted SVP, Drama Development Andrew Plotkin to EVP, Drama Development. Plotkin joined SPT in 2017.

Michelle Mendelovitz has joined Mattel as Head of Mattel Television Studios. Mendelovitz most recently served as Executive Producer, Hiddenlight Productions.

Leon Wilson has been appointed CEO of Banijay UK’s Shine TV and Zeppotron. Wilson founded Great Scott Media.

Marco Kraak has been named General Manager, Global Channel for Vizrt. Kraak joins from SUSE.

In London, Clare Vosper Mortimer has joined WildBrain CPLG’s in-house services team in the new role of VP, Finance and Operations. In Munich, Angela Reuber-Gundolf has been appointed Commercial Director, Germany.

AI software company Metaphysic has named Ed Ulbrich as Chief Content Officer and EVP of Production. Ulbrich was previously CEO of Digital Domain.

Friday Fun Fact
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
On “Ted Lasso” (2020-23) how did the AFC Richmond team find out Rebecca had a beautiful singing voice? She sang at a karaoke bar. Kudos to: Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Jordan Bienstock-E.W. Scripps/Atlanta; Rick Dascher-Turner Studios/Atlanta; C.J. Bottitta-Big Picture Productions/Durham, NC; Douglas Hochstadt-Disney/NYC; Colleen McGovern-Vivvix/NYC; Travis Wacker-ESPN/Chicago

Today’s Trivia Question
Who was the second person to host the daily syndicated version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (2002-19)? (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