Thursday December 7, 2023

Today’s Finale
ABC: Bachelor in Paradise at 8p

IN THE NEWS

Legendary television producer Norman Lear died December 5 at age 101. Lear’s sitcoms – from “All in the Family,” to “Maude,” to “The Jeffersons” and two iterations of “One Day at a Time,” among others – broke barriers by covering social issues like abortion, rape and racism. “It’s hard to reconcile that at 101 years old, Norman Lear is gone too soon,” wrote George Clooney. “The entire world of reason just lost its greatest advocate …. A giant walked in his shoes.” CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX and The CW simulcast an on-air in memoriam card last night in honor of Lear.

Freevee heist drama “Leverage: Redemption” has been renewed for a third season, and this time around it will be available on Prime Video. “Fans have been devoted to ‘Leverage: Redemption’ since the series premiered on Freevee,” said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD, unscripted and targeted programming, Amazon MGM Studios. “As we embark on our next chapter, we are thrilled to be able to share the show with our Prime customers and continue to offer the exclusive ‘Leverage’ FAST channel to our Freevee customers.”

Also renewed for a third season is Prime Video comedy “Harlem.” The series follows four best girlfriends in Harlem, NYC.

Studios issued a statement after 78.33% of SAG-AFTRA members voted to ratify a new deal. “The AMPTP member companies congratulate SAG-AFTRA on the ratification of its new contract, which represents historic gains and protections for performers,” wrote the studio group. “With this vote, the industry and the jobs it supports will be able to return in full force.”

Emmy winners in the juried categories from Animation, Costume, Hairstyling, Makeup and Motion Design were announced by the Television Academy. Among the trophy takers: Fox’s “The Simpsons” for Character Animation; Disney+’s “Ms. Marvel” for Motion Design; and double winners “We’re Here” (HBO Max) and “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” (ABC). The awards will be presented during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards taking place January 6 and 7; FXX will air an edited presentation of the ceremonies on Saturday, January 13.

Santa is the “ultimate influencer,” according to a survey from Samsung Ads focused on holiday advertising. While discounts are the top reason viewers favor ad content (88%), capturing the holiday season (67%) was second, and was twice as effective as a celebrity endorsement during the holidays (25%).

The HBO and Max brands announced a multiyear pay-1 U.S. output deal with A24 that brings the entertainment company’s theatrical film slate exclusively to Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO, Max and Cinemax. Among the movies included in the agreement are “Dicks: The Musical,” “Priscilla,” “Dream Scenario,” “Civil War,” and more. The agreement also extends the companies’ existing film library deal.

Dr. Phil McGraw’s Merit Street Media cable TV network has found a distributor in Trinity Broadcasting Network. The network, anchored by nightly “Dr. Phil Primetime,” is slated to launch on February 26.

HGTV has greenlit four new series for its 2024 programming slate: Renovation competition “Battle on the Mountain,” premiering in early 2024; spin-off series “Farmhouse Fixer: Camp Revamp,” debuting in summer; docuseries “Divided by Design” (w/t), and real estate show “Lakefront Empire,” debuting in the spring. “The formats we’re investing in, such as competition series and celebrity-led programs, are proven crowd-pleasers,” said Loren Ruch, Head of Content, HGTV. “Adding them to the HGTV lineup will be a catalyst for strong ratings and viewership throughout 2024.”

Production is underway on a new three-hour docuseries about cult Canadian television series, “Degrassi.” The as-yet-untitled show commissioned by Wildbrain is being produced in partnership with Peacock Alley.

Alexander Skarsgard, Eiza Gonzalez, Sarah Paulson, Sharon Horgan, Ron Perlman, Billy Campbell and Ursula Corbero have been added to the guest cast of Prime Video series “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” The reimagining of the 2005 film stars Donald Glover and Maya Erskine.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

New relationship series “Love & Translation” premieres Sunday, January 21 at 10p on TLC. The twist this time around: three American bachelors look for love among 12 women who don’t speak any English. “As a leader in love and relationship series, we wanted to break outside the mold of our day to day and experiment in a new type of setting,” said Howard Lee, President of Discovery Networks & TLC.

“The Power of Film,” a docuseries exploring some of the greatest American classic films from the past century, premieres Thursday, January 4 at 8p on TCM.

Season five of “Legacy List with Matt Paxton” debuts January 15 on public television (check local listings). “This season’s stories are more personal and emotional than ever,” said host Matt Paxton. “As more and more people from our parents’ generation choose to age in place, many of us are becoming caregivers. It’s inspiring to see people taking on these responsibilities with love and joy and an honor to get to know these awesome people and share their stories.”

French limited series “The Island of 30 Coffins” premieres Tuesday, January 2 on MHz Choice. In the six-parter, a woman who thought she lost her son at birth 15 years before receives a video suggesting he might not be dead.

ALL BLK’s “Double Cross” returns for season five on Thursday, January 18. Guest stars will include Eric Roberts and Zimzon Zion.

COMING UP

MeTV and Catchy Comedy remember the late Norman Lear with a retrospective special he hosted in 1979. “The 200th Episode Celebration of ‘All in the Family’” airs Sunday, December 10 at 6p on MeTV, and Friday, December 8 at 8p on Catchy Comedy.

“M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television” premieres Monday, January 1 at 8p on Fox. The two-hour special features interviews with cast members Alan Alda, Gary Burghoff, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, Wayne Rogers and Loretta Swit and series executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe, along with never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos and stories.

MGM+ has acquired the two-part docuseries “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon,” which will premiere on the platform on March 17 and March 24 at 9p. Directed by Alex Gibney (“Going Clear”), the musical biography offers footage of Simon’s career, from Simon & Garfunkel to Simon’s smash solo album Graceland.

Property Brothers Drew and Jonatan Scott will host HGTV’s “White House Christmas 2023,” premiering Sunday, December 10 at 6p. The one-hour special features a tour of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue led by First Lady Jill Biden.

Season two of Just for Laughs VR stand-up comedy series “Surrounded” will kick off with six new episodes starting Friday, December 29 on Meta Horizon Worlds. With their Meta Quest VR headset, viewers are transported into the comedy show through Meta’s Comedy Night Market.

Max original comedy special “Gary Gulman: Born on 3rd Base” debuts Thursday, December 21. Gulman chronicles his childhood experiences with free school lunch programs and questionable dental care, and takes a few swipes at billionaires.

Spectrum is rekindling its annual Holiday Yule Log. From now through December 31, Spectrum TV customers can find a little holiday spirit in the Holiday Yule Log On Demand category, which features eight channels of seasonal ambiance, including festive fireplaces, warm piano sounds and presents under the tree.

Lifetime’s January movie slate begins with Ripped from the Headlines film, “Girl in the Video,” inspired by real events in the dark underworld of catfishing, on Saturday, January 13.

Unforgettable Gala, also known as UNFO, the Asian and Pacific Islander awards ceremony, is taking place December 16. The annual event highlighting API excellence and representation will expand globally for the first time, and broadcast nationwide as a live-to-tape special on the ChimeTV cable network.

STREAMING

“The Underdoggs,” a comedy film starring and produced by Snoop Dogg, will skip its planned January 26 theatrical release and premiere on Prime Video on that date. The film follows a former football star who is sentenced to community service coaching a pee-wee football team.

Need more Snoop? Snoop Dogg’s “Doggyland,” a musical and educational series, is now available on HappyKids. The 3D animated series created by Snoop Dogg, October London and Claude Brooks, features a diverse cast of singing and dancing dogs.

Hulu has been added as a vertical on the home screen of Disney+, as the “one-app experience” announced in November launches in beta. A full rollout of the combined app is expected next March.

BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC, has launched a new BBC.com. The revamped digital destination was designed to make it easier for global audiences outside of the UK to discover and navigate BBC’s global journalism and storytelling. Available first in North America, the new BBC.com will be rolled out to more regions (ex-UK) in early 2024.

RETAIL MEDIA

Zitcha and Broadsign have teamed up to integrate the Broadsign OOH advertising platform with Zitcha’s retail media platform. “The potential of in-store retail media is huge and yet still relatively underutilised by retailers and brand advertisers. We think the ability to run in-store screens and report on transactions, similar to other marketing channels, is going to be a game changer for brands looking at how they spend their OOH budgets,” said Troy Townsend, CEO, Zitcha. “By harnessing Zitcha’s unified retail media platform and our native Broadsign integration, retailers around the world wanting a comprehensive retail media solution can simplify and supercharge their in-store screens to drive additional incremental revenues and sales for advertising partners.”

There’s a major disconnect between retailers and brands when it comes to retail media, according to Turbyne report, “Retail Media Mirage: How the growing divide between retailers and brands threatens retail media’s potential.” “The cracks in retail media’s foundation have begun to show in a big way,” said Greg Stevens, Founder and President of Turbyne. “78% of brands surveyed said it is difficult or very difficult to justify increasing their investment. That’s a troubling statistic given that most brands work with just a handful of retail media networks; 40% of brands work with less than three retail media networks and another 42% work with four to six. The channel’s forecasted growth is dependent in part on brands expanding their spending to other retail media networks.” According to the survey:
· Only 6% of larger brands ($500m+) would give their retail media experience an A, despite 65% of retailers stating they expected their clients would grade it an A.
· Brands, on average, worked with 25 media partners, 22 media agencies and 23 ad tech platforms over the previous three months.
· 40% of brands cited having to execute individual buys across each RMN as one of the top three barriers to increasing their retail media spend; 44% of brands do not see it as worthwhile to work with any new RMNs in the next 24 months.
· 47% of brands would allocate their budget to midsize retailers if they had the capability to buy and execute across multiple channels/tactics in a single location, and 70% of brands expressed a willingness to invest more in retail media if in-store tactics could be seamlessly combined with digital offerings within a single retail media platform.

TECH

Elon Musk’s AI start-up, X.AI, has raised nearly $135 million from four investors, and has filed with the SEC to raise up to $1 billion in an equity offering. Musk announced the start-up in July. Last month, Musk said investors in X would own 25% of X.AI.

On Tuesday night, a holiday promotion for Target, produced in partnership with ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, used Proto hologram technology on a television ad for the first time. In the stunt, sidekick Guillermo beamed via hologram to a Target aisle in a Proto M unit disguised as a toy in a box and interacted in real time with shoppers.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Uplift Labs, whose AI-powered technology delivers mobile movement tracking and 3D analysis to improve human performance, will be powering the hitting, pitching and movement analysis of the LSU baseball program. Uplift’s technology was most recently adopted by the MLB to evaluate prospects at the 2023 MLB Draft Combine, Draft League and Appalachian League.

GOING GLOBAL

yes TV, the Israeli broadcaster and streamer, premiered “#NOVA,” a yes Original documentary available to broadcasters worldwide through sister company yes Studios. The film chronicles the tragic events of October 7, when Hamas terrorists executed and kidnapped hundreds of young people at the Supernova Psy-Trance Festival.

ITV Studios has appointed Jaye Entertainment as its new distribution agent in South Korea. The exclusive two year deal commences in 2024.

Exit365 has commissioned season nine of the “The Voice” to air in Thailand in 2024 on Channel One HD.

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Eddie Murphy holiday movie “Candy Cane Lane” premiered as the number one film globally on Prime Video in its first three days of release, as well as the most-watched Amazon MGM Studios-produced movie debut ever in the US. It also ranks among the top ten worldwide film debuts ever on the service.

Viewership of the Taylor Swift themed episode of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” rose to 7.8 million after seven days of viewing, the show’s most-watched multi-platform telecast since the show’s September 2021 premiere.

ABC’s “The Golden Bachelor” keeps drawing viewers. The reality show’s finale attracted 6.95 million linear viewers in Nielsen Live+3 numbers, the biggest audience for the series since March 2020.

Driven by the first three days of “25 Days of Christmas,” Freeform scored its most-watched week of the year in Primetime and Total Day, and ranked as the number one cable entertainment network in Primetime December to date among A18-49, A18-34 and W18-34. 1990 classic “Home Alone” got things started, opening on Friday night as the top cable movie of the week in the A18-49 demo.

Sean Hannity’s town hall with former President Donald Trump on December 5 delivered 3.2 million viewers and 375,000 with A25-54. That’s up 34% with viewers and 38% with A25-54 versus the 2023 average for the time slot. Combined with its 2a repeat, the town hall averaged 3.6 million viewers and 443,000 in the news demo.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Zaid Al-Asady will lead brand strategy for Peacock as EVP, Brand Creative and Marketing. Most recently, Al-Asady was VP of Creative at Noom.

Tastemade has promoted McCall Gridley to Head of Sales and Partner Experience. Gridley joined the company in 2015.

Marc Aldrich is joining ThinkAnalytics as Worldwide CEO in January. Aldrich arrives from Amazon Web Services, where he held the position of General Manager for the Media and Entertainment Industry Business Unit.

Banijay Asia and Endemol Shine India announced a team restructuring following Banijay’s acquisition of Endemol Shine India, consolidating both businesses under Deepak Dhar’s leadership. As part of the restructuring, five personnel have been moved to group leadership roles: Rishi Negi – Group Chief Operating Officer; Mrinalini Jain – Group Chief Development Officer; Shyam Rathi – Group Chief Financial Officer; Lalit Sharma, Head – Legal; and Fiona Machado, Head – HR.

Jason Brist has left his position as EVP of Advertising Sales, Outdoor Sportsman Group after more than 16 years with the company. “We sincerely thank Jason for his invaluable contributions to Outdoor Sportsman Group during his tenure,” said Matt Hutchings, President and CEO of Outdoor Sportsman Group. “As he embarks on his next chapter, we wish him nothing but the best.”

Newsweek has hired Bharat Krish as Chief Product Officer. Bharat was previously President, Digital, and Chief Technology Officer at TIME.

A trio of promotions at LiveRamp: Vihan Sharma to Chief Revenue Officer, Kimberly Bloomston to Chief Product Officer and Travis Clinger to Chief Connectivity & Partnerships Officer.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which contestants were involved in what was later dubbed “Bingate” on “The Great British Bake Off” (2010-)? In 2014, Iain Watters threw his melted Baked Alaska in the bin after fellow contestant Diana Beard had removed it from the freezer to make room for her own dessert. Kudos to: David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA; Justin Pierce-JP Consulting Group/LA; Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC

Today’s Trivia Question
What was the first spin-off of MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” (2009-14)? (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