Are you in good company?
You could be, with TEGNA.
Local relevance, national scale.
64 affiliates in 51 markets. 48M US TV HHs. 200M digital visitors and video views combined every month. One of the largest smart TV data sets in the industry.
Good people doing good work with good data. All to help you drive good outcomes.
TEGNA
Be in good company.
Click for good.

Thursday December 9, 2021

Today’s Finales
Oxygen: Homicide for the Holidays at 8p
Peacock: American Ninja Warrior Junior
AMC+ and Sundance Now: Hollington Drive

IN THE NEWS

Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will continue to share hosting duties on “Jeopardy!” through the end of the year and season 38, and Michael Davies will remain as exec producer of the show. Bialik and former “Jeopardy!” champion Jennings had been filling in as guest hosts of the syndicated program following the the abrupt exit of Mike Richards as host in August. New eps are slated to air until July 29, 2022.

Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch said the company should be able to spend more on content and boost programing as a result of parent company Lionsgate exploring strategic options, including a spinoff. The move will “allow us to look at various constructs, whether it’s a strategic [investment] or a spin,” Hirsch said during the UBS Technology, Media and Telecom conference.

The American Film Institute yesterday revealed its Top 10 TV shows of the year as it doled out its annual AFI Awards. HBO’s “Succession” and “Mare of Easttown,” Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” and “Schmigadoon!,” Disney+’s “WandaVision,” FX’s “Reservation Dogs,” and Prime Video’s “Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad,” HBO’’s “The White Lotus,” HBO Max’s “Hacks and Netflix’s “Maid” all made the list.

“The Wendy Williams Show” will be back with new eps in January, but without Williams, who’s continuing to recover from complications of Graves disease. Guest hosts for the month will include Fat Joe and Remy Ma, Michael Rapaport, comedic duo Kym Whitley and Finesse Mitchell, and Sherri Shepherd.

Back to the drawing board: Mattel’s “Pictionary” game show is officially headed to Fox Television Stations as a first run syndicated series in the fall of 2022. Hosted by Jerry O’Connell and based on the board game of sketches and guesses, the show had a successful run as a limited summer series on select Fox TV stations and now will see a broad engagement with two teams each captained by a celebrity competing for the win.

Entertainment Studios/Allen Media Group Televisionannounced national clearances in 99 percent of US television markets and has renewed four of its original weekly series from The Weather Channel: “Storm of Suspicion,” “Weather Gone Viral,” “S.O.S How To Survive” and “Top 10” for broadcast syndication for fall 2022 and fall 2023.

Earlier this year, Publicis Groupe launched Le Truc, a center of creative excellence for clients designed to fuel the organization’s creativity offering. Carla Serrano, Chief Strategy Officer of Publicis Groupe, explains how her company’s efforts to deliver more enriching and diverse experiences connects with SeeHer’s mission to portray women and girls so they see their true potential in marketing and media, in Cynsiders.

Facebook’s evolution to Meta Platforms Inc delivers a clear signal to the future of media, marketing, tech, and audiences – the metaverse. Listen in as metaverse experts from companies including Aftershock Media Group, Thunder, Virtual Brand Group and Super League Gaming discuss opportunities for success on Tuesday, December 14th from 1-3:30 PM ET.

FIND OUT MORE

Merrin Dungey (“Shining Vale”) will star in a drama series in development at NBC. “In Between,” about a successful NY therapist who’s forced to move to a small town after learning her estranged brother was involved in a mysterious accident, hails from Liz Vassey and Mayim Bialik. The series is produced by Bialik’s Sad Clown Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with Vassey writing and serving as exec producer with Bialik. Sad Clown’s Mackenzie Gabriel-Vaught will co-EP; Dungey is producer.

Podcast “A Slight Change of Plans”is being adapted as a TV documentary series. The Cinemart, the team behind docs including “Fyre Fraud” and “LuLaRich,” acquired rights to the audio series, which has 2.6 million downloads, from host and creator Dr. Maya Shankar and Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries. Shankar is a cognitive scientist who served as senior adviser in President Barack Obama’s White House. The TV adaptation will follow her around the world as she connects with people in the midst of impactful life changes.

“Walker” prequel “Independence” is in development at the CW. Exec-produced by Jared Padalecki, the project extends the Walker universe on the network with a premise adapted from the OG series’ star/exec producer Padalecki, creator, executive producer and showrunner Anna Fricke and exec producers Seamus Fahey, Dan Lin and Lindsey Liberatore. The spinoff is set in the late 1800s and follows the revenge quest of Abby Walker, an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes.

Regina Hicks pacted with Netflix for a multiyear overall deal through which she’ll create, write and produce series and other projects. First up is an untitled comedy series with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company. Hicks is currently co-creator and co-showrunner with Wanda Sykes for Netflix comedy series “The Upshaws,” which was renewed for a second season.

Starzplay, the international premium streaming service from Starz, renewed “Power Book II: Ghost” for a third season, with production set to begin in early 2022. Season 2 premiered Sunday November 21.

Hasan Minhaj is launching a production company, 186K Films, and announced it first project. He’ll produce and star in the film “For the Culture” for Amazon Studios, as well as write with collaborator Prashanth Venkataramanujam. The comedian, actor and host will serve as the new shingle’s CEO, with Venkataramanujam serving as chief content officer, and Tyler Babin as chief digital officer. “For the Culture” is tagged as a comedy set in the cut-throat world of collegiate Bollywood dance competitions.

Benicio Del Toro (“Sicario, “Traffic”) is supporting Exile Content Studio to develop scripted and unscripted TV projects from emerging talent from Latin America and the US Hispanic market. Del Toro is joining the creative advisory board of the company.

Apple TV+ renewed drama series “Invasion” for a second season ahead of its season 1 finale, which airs Friday, December 10. The aliens-immersed sci-fi series hails from Simon Kinberg and David Weil.

Documentary editor Lindsay Utz is seguing to directing with the signing of a first-look deal with This Machine to direct her own documentary films. Utz edited 2020 Academy Award winner “American Factory” and “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” among other projects.

ViacomCBS and Wattpad WebtoonStudios are teaming to create a slate of original series based on the Wattpad and Webtoon catalog. The two entities will produce shows to appeal to global audiences as ViacomCBS rolls out Paramount+ in markets around the world.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

DreamWorks Animation shared the trailer and announced new voice cast including Julia Stiles and Aimee Garcia for “Dragons: The Nine Realms,” debuting on Hulu and Peacock Thursday, December 23. Set 1,300 years after the events of “How To Train Your Dragon,” the series features the modern-world discovery of dragons by a group of kids who must keep their findings a secret.

For the less squeamish, new Discovery series “This Came Out of Me” takes viewers behind the scenes in ER centers where doctors work to remove things that end up in places they shouldn’t. Guided by fashion model turned ER physician Dr. Ruby Rose, the series debuting Sunday, January 2 at 9p puts the microscope on a monster bug getting stuck in a patient’s ear, a piece of concrete getting trapped in a patient’s leg and more.

“Undercover Boss” will return to CBS for its 11th season with nine new eps premiering Friday, January 7 at 8p. The first four companies to be featured are College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving, Fremont Street Experience, The Vitamin Shoppe and Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard.

“Reno My Rental,” starring designer and influencer Carmeon Hamilton, makes its premiere Friday, January 14 at 10p on HGTV. The six-ep series follows Hamilton as she helps renters make their place feel like home.

The Hamptons crew is heading back to Bravo when the network debuts a new season of “Summer House” on Monday, January 17 at 9p. After spending last summer quarantined together, the housemates return to their regular routine of hustling during the week in NYC and spending their weekends out East complete with parties, love triangles and wine.

AMC+ set Thursday, January 20 as the premiere date for thriller series “La Fortuna,” starring Stanley Tucci and Clarke Peters. From AMC and Movistar+, the first television series from film director Alejandro Amenabar (“The Others”) follows a young and inexperienced diplomat who unintentionally becomes the leader of a mission to recover sunken treasure.

Netflix dropped a trailer, premiere date and new title for its upcoming Kristen Bell project. “The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window” will debut Friday, January 28. Bell stars as a heartbroken single woman whose life of TV and wine life perks up when a handsome neighbor and his adorable daughter move in across the street. Just as she’s starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, she witnesses a gruesome murder…Or did she?

COMING UP

NBC’s “The Voice” will feature a star-filled night of performances for its season finale Tuesday, December 14 at 9p. On tap are Carrie Underwood and John Legend performing their holiday duet “Hallelujah,” Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Walker Hayes, Keke Palmer, and Tori Kelly.

“South Park: Post Covid: Covid Returns,” will break through on Paramount+ on Thursday, December 16. The second of 14 original TV movies from series co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone follows Thanksgiving movie “South Park: Post Covid.”

PBS will mark the holiday season with the premiere of “In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season” on Tuesday, December 21 at 8p. The event will be hosted by Jennifer Garner and feature remarks by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, and performances by Andrea Bocelli, Camila Cabello, Eric Church, Jonas Brothers, Norah Jones, Pentatonix, Billy Porter and others.

Antenna TV is in the seasonal spirit with plans to feature a lineup of holiday-themed eps on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, followed a week later by its New Year’s Eve Dance Party promo packed with stars and shows that stood the test of the time from “Maude” to “Alice” to “The Jack Benny Program.”

Jessica Lowndes and Jesse Metcalfe will topline “Harmony From The Heart,” a GAC Family film premiering Saturday, February 12. Lowndes also wrote the film, will exec-produce and performs several of the film’s original songs. The two stars are the latest veterans of Hallmark Channel that former Hallmark chief Bill Abbott, who now helms GAC, has brought over to the network.

DATA & MEASUREMENT

Nielsen’s Gracenote is expanding its content analytics capabilities with the launch of Audience Predict, a tool that forecasts potential future entertainment programming performance. Leveraging Gracenote content metadata, syndicated Nielsen audience measurement data and advanced machine learning technology, Audience Predict analyzes relationships between streaming service or network distribution outlets and anticipated potential program performance utilizing years of proprietary Nielsen viewership data. The solution forecasts potential audience size, composition, reach and viewing minutes under different distribution scenarios.

TECH TALK

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri received stern words and bipartisan complaints before a Senate Commerce subcommittee yesterday over what lawmakers view as the company’s inertia in protecting teens using its platform. Congress is considering legislation that would affect Instagram as well as platforms including TikTok and Snapchat in areas including consumer privacy and algorithm transparency. “I believe the time for self policing and self regulation is over,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (C-CT), who chaired the hearing. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said that “nothing changes. This is the fourth time in past two years that we have spoken with someone from Meta … and I feel like the conversation repeats itself ad nauseam.”

YouTube TV and Game Show Network inked a distribution agreement to bring Game Show Network and getTV to YouTube TV’s base package, with Sony Cine launching as part of their previously announced Spanish-language add-on package.

HBO Max is debuting the Finding Magic Mike AR Experience, a web-based augmented reality activation that enables fans to tap into the “Magic Mike Live” action. The activation is a complement to its premiere of “Finding Magic Mike” on Thursday, December 16.

CASTING

Brittany O’Grady (“The White Lotus”) and Nat Wolff (“The Fault In Our Stars”) are set to star opposite Christoph Waltz in Prime Video’s workplace thriller series “The Consultant”… Cheyenne Jackson has been tapped as the male lead opposite Mayim Bialik in Fox comedy “Call Me Kat.” Swoozie Kurtz, Leslie Jordan, Kyla Pratt and Julian Gant (“Superior Donuts”) are in as a series regulars…Steve Zahn joined limited series. “George & Tammy,” which will debut on Spectrum.

Our partners have the tools to support your business initiatives.

CYNOPSIS 2021 RESOURCE CENTER

Visit our website & gain access to dozens of white papers, case studies, press releases, research papers and more!

www.cynopsis.com/resource-center

Hallmark Channel is the most-watched cable network in Q4 to date, on the wings of its annual Countdown to Christmas and Miracles of Christmas franchises which so far have reached 45 million unduplicated Total Viewers. The network’s Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5 premieres of “Eight Gifts of Hanukkah” and “A Very Merry Bridesmaid” were the most-watched cable programs of the day on their respective air dates, and the Sunday, December 6 premiere of “Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday” elevated Hallmark Channel to the most-watched cable network of the day among households, W18+, W18-49, W25-54 and Total Viewers.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday fractured much of syndication in the session ended November 28, however access game show leader “Family Feud” (new season low 4.9 Live+SD national Nielsen, down 8 percent from the week before) and daytime ratings queen “Judge Judy” (4.8, steady) gobbled up most of the week’s ratings. “Jeopardy!” (new season low 4.4, down 23%) was third tied with “Wheel of Fortune” (new season low 4.4, down 15 percent). But not everything was a turkey. Two talk shows in the top eight were able to plow into the plus column: “Kelly Clarkson” (season high 0.9, up 13% in households and up 33 percent in the target W25-54 demo) and “Tamron Hall” (season high 0.7, up 17 percent).

Broadcast Nielsen Top 10 M-F Syndicated Strip Series for the week of November 22 ranked in order by HH Rtg
Family Feud (CMV) 4.9 AA
Judge Judy (CMV) 4.8 AA
Jeopardy! (CMV) 4.4 AA
Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 4.4 AA
Inside Edition (CMV) 2.1 AA
The Big Bang Theory (WB) 1.8 AA
Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 1.6 AA
Live With Kelly and Ryan (DAD) 1.6 AA
The Dr. Phil Show (CMV) 1.5 AA
Hot Bench (CMV) 1.5 AA
Last Man Standing (DAD) 1.3 AA

Broadcast Nielsen Ratings for Tuesday, December 7
Show, P2+ 000s, (A18-49)
ABC: “Live In Front of a Studio Audience” 4.36 (0.9), “Abbott Elementary” 2.79 (0.6), “Queens” 1.40 (0.3)
CBS: “FBI” 6.83 (0.6), “FBI: International” 5.63 (0.5), “FBI: Most Wanted” 5.33 (0.5)
CW: “The Flash” 0.73 (0.2), “Riverdale” 0.27 (0.1)
ION: “NCIS: LA” 0.79 (0.1), “NCIS: LA” 0.70 (0.1), “NCIS: LA ” 0.68 (0.1)
FOX: “The Resident” 2.93 (0.4), “Our Kind of People” 1.12 (0.2)
NBC: “The Voice” 6.67 (0.7), ”People’s Choice Awards” 3.23 (0.5)
Telemundo: “Por Amor o Por Dinero” 0.81 (0.1), “Hercal: Amor” 1.11 (0.2), “Malverde: Santo” 0.82 (0.2)
Univision: “Rosa de Guadelupe” 1.64 (0.5), “Vencer El Pasado” 1.73 (0.6), “Desalamada” 1.92 (0.6)
Source: Nielsen live + same day time period averages

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Estrella Media added three independent members to its Board of Directors: Jacqueline Hernandez, CEO and co?founder of New Majority Ready; Flavio Morales, EVP at Endemol Shine Latino; and Michael Rubenstein, the co-founder and president of OpenStore.

Tracy Clark, Hearst Television’s senior director of finance, has been promoted to VP.

International content services and processing company ODMedia named Chris Licher as CFO. Licher has worked at companies including Endemol Shine Group, Warner Bros. International and EMG (United).

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
What brand of water did “Monk” (2002-2009) usually request at a restaurant? Sierra Springs. Kudos to: John Carlo-UPtv/NY; Marc Goldstein-Media Solutions/NY; Louis Lewow-FITE/Atlanta; Linda Walker-Smith-Comcast Cable/Orlando; Sandy Spiegel-WTTW/Chicago; Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank; Monica Lenti-Casual Precision/Irvine, CA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA; David Westberg-SAG*AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank

Today’s Trivia Question
What show did Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline appear in together before “Outer Banks”? 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.)