PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
Bravo ordered Indian-ish, following several multi-generational families originally from India who now call Miami home. Featuring the first-ever all Indian cast in an American docuseries, the show is produced by Truly Original.
Raise a glass to inspiring leaders, colleagues and peers at an evening dedicated to the Top Women in Media! This will be the biggest gathering celebrating women and companies who are moving the industry forward - the best of the best in programming, marketing, sports, digital, ad-tech, sports, esports and more - from rising stars to corporate visionaries. Reserve your table today for the Top Women in Media Awards Gala Dinner September 9 at Tribeca Rooftop in NYC.
NEW & RETURNING SERIES
Robot-fighting series BattleBots returns for season two on Friday, June 7 on Discovery, and Wednesday, June 12 on corporate sib Science Channel. Eight two-hour episodes will air from 8-10p.
Comedy Central’s Drunk History is back with eight new episodes starting Tuesday, June 18 at 10p, leading into the series premiere of Alternatino with Arturo Castro at 10:30p.
The season 21 premiere of CBS’s Big Brother airs over two nights, Tuesday, June 25 and Wednesday, June 26 at 8p. Starting July 10, the summer reality show moves to Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9p, along with the 8p Sunday broadcast. Julie Chen returns as host.
Nickelodeon is launching its reimagined Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader on Monday, June 10 at 7p. John Cena hosts the family game show, which aired on Fox from 2007-2015.
Another reimagined version of a series, MTV’s The Real World, lands on Facebook Watch on Thursday, June 13. The launch includes three versions, in Atlanta, Mexico and Thailand.
COMING UP
MeTV is paying tribute to beloved comedian Tim Conway, who died May 14 at age 85, with “The Best of Tim Conway” this week, featuring some of his most memorable comedic moments from The Carol Burnett Show. Tributes will air through Friday, May 24 at 11p. Also on MeTV: The Three Stooges joins the lineup on Saturday, June 1 at 6p.
Slasher: Solstice, created by Aaron Martin, is set to premiere on Netflix on Thursday, May 23. Why an anthology format for the horror series, about to enter season three? “When I pitched the series, it was, ‘What would happen if you mixed an Agatha Christie novel with an 80s slasher film?’, meaning that as much as the kills are important, so is the mystery – and every mystery needs to be solved. That’s why we’re an anthology; each season is like one 8 hour slasher film. Also, willful suspension of disbelief can be suspended for only so long; at some point, if this was an ongoing series, you’d have to ask: Why the hell haven’t these people left this murderville???” For more from Martin on Slasher - and why horror is having a moment - go to Cynsiders.
Today, May 21, in honor of the birthday of The Notorious B.I.G., REVOLT celebrates his legacy with #WeMissYouBIG, featuring Biggie-themed content on the network and social platforms starting at 12p. Programming includes music video blocks, a special documenting the history of Bigge’s classic “Ready to Die” album, an interview with REVOLT founder Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, and short-form interstitials.
Cynopsis’ That Big TV Conference is the only conference connecting networks, OTT, brands, agencies, and tech to map out the future of the media industry. Don’t miss the chance to connect with executives at companies such as A+E Networks, CIMM, Coca-Cola, Discovery, GroupM, Hyundai, IBM, MediaMath, Meredith, NCC Media, Newsy, Publicis Media, Sinclair, Snap, Twitter, Univision, VAB, Viacom, WarnerMedia and hundreds more. Get connected now: http://www.thatbigtvconference.com
Sting, accompanied by Dave Audé & Andrew Kierszenbaum, Josh Groban, John Legend and Chrissy Metz have joined the lineup for NBC’s Red Nose Day Special, airing Thursday, May 23 at 8p. Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Terry Crews hosts.
DIGITAL DATA
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai gave a hearty thumbs up to a new plan submitted by T-Mobile and Sprint for their proposed $26 billion merger. The new plan includes 5G buildout commitments covering 99% of the U.S. population within six years, and an agreement to spin off T-Mobile’s Boost Mobile. “This is a unique opportunity to speed up the deployment of 5G throughout the United States and bring much faster mobile broadband to rural Americans,” said Pai. “We should seize this opportunity.” Despite a less optimistic Bloomberg report, shares in Sprint had jumped 19% by the closing bell yesterday, while T-Mobile shares were up nearly 6%.
YouTube ads are getting longer, according to a report from MediaRadar. Analyzing video ads from January 2018-February 2019, MediaRadar found the percentage of six-second ads dropped by 20%, to 16.5% of all ads, while the number of 30-second ads rose by 19%, to make up 24% of all ads. "It signifies that long-form digital video content still has a crucial role to play; possibly because longer video ads prove more effective, as they allow for more information to be conveyed,” said Todd Krizelman, CEO of MediaRadar.
The OTT monitoring and compliance technology market will get a considerable lift from streaming video service growth over the next five years, according to Frost & Sullivan, which predicts the market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 15.8% - from $62 million to $149.7 million by 2024. The increase will be driven by demand for broadcast-quality streaming video - which opens opportunities for vendors. “OTT/TV Everywhere (TVE) vendors tend to develop M&C solutions in-house during the R&D phase and then seek third-party vendors to scale up for operations,” noted Robert Cavin, industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “Companies will also highlight the value of providing high-quality OTT M&C solutions to reduce churn by increasing quality of service. These solutions can be offered both individually and as part of a total OTT solution.”
Chinese tech firm Huawei has been cut off from access to the latest versions of the Android mobile phone operating system, announced Google, amid Trump administration concerns that Huawei enabling the Chinese government to use its equipment to spy. “Huawei will only be able to use the public version of Android and will not be able to get access to proprietary apps and services from Google,” said Google. Huawei responded by saying it will “continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experiences for all users globally.”
Masie Williams’ (Game of Thrones) talent discovery app, Daisie, hit 100,000 members just 11 days after launching. On the app, co-founded by producer Dom Santry, creators establish a profile, find and follow users, and look for projects based on factors like activity or location. Williams is keeping busy – the actress will also serve as a celebrity judge on the UK version of RuPaul’s Drag Race, set to air on BBC Three later this year.
Hulu acquired US rights toUntouchable, Lightbox’s feature documentary about the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
TECH TALK
Nearly one in every 100 ads in 1Q19 was impacted by a malicious or disruptive ad, according to a report by ad security company Confiant, which said some supply-side platforms are 67 times as likely to deliver a malicious or disruptive ad, and more than 60% of in-banner video ads and 60% of security issues came from just three SSPs. Confiant also noted a higher rate of malverting attacks on weekends and holidays.
ADVERTISING
Branded content creator Dexton Deboree, collaborator with Nike, has launched Falkon. “We’ve established a unique process from insight to audience that is having a profound impact on the type of stories we tell and how we tell them in both advertising and entertainment,” said Deboree.
KIDS CORNER
Cartoon Network has two new original adventure comedies on the way: Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart, premiering Monday, July 1 at 6:10p, and Tig N’ Seek, expected in 2020.
Sesame Street introduced a muppet in foster care, part of its “Sesame Street in Communities” initiative offering free resources for community providers and caregivers on topics like homelessness. Karli, Elmo’s new friend, has “for now” parents who will “keep her safe until her mommy can take care of her again.”
CASTING
Joshua Jackson (The Affair) has joined the cast of Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller...Amy Madigan (Gone Baby Gone), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Lin Shaye (Dumb and Dumber) will recur in Showtime’s upcoming Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, reports Deadline.
PODCAST POSTS
According to the latest MRI Omnibus study, 23% of adults ages 18+ report that they’ve listened to a podcast in the last 30 days. In a given week, 85% of podcast enthusiasts are listening to at least one program and 40% are listening to three or more. MRI identified three characteristics of the podcast audience: They are younger and more affluent than the general population, with 45% holding at least a bachelor’s degree; 44% of listeners strongly agree podcasts are a good source of learning; and listeners are more likely to do a variety of things, include raise pets, cook for a hobby and visit news sites.
Thursday’s guest on podcast Brand Beats and Bytes, launched last month, is Mark Lazarus, Chairman NBCUniversal Broadcast, Cable, Sports and News.
GOING GLOBAL
ODMedia, the content services and processing company for on-demand media, has launched in the UK. The new London-based company, ODMediaUK, will be led by media entertainment management consultancy Media Minds, headed by Anita O’Donnell and Yives Reed.
TCB Media Rights landed global pre-sales for Egypt’s Unexplained Files to over a dozen networks, including Science Channel in the US, the UK’s Channel 5, Germany’s ProSieben, China’s Da Neng Culture Media, Australia’s Foxtel, Viasat World for the CEE Nordic and African territories, Italy’s Mediaset, Spain’s Odisea and Czech Republic’s TV Prima.
Viacom International Studios Americas presented its new slate of content at the 2019 LA Screenings, and unveiled a first look development and production deal with Latin American filmmaker Juan José Campanella. Among the projects were premium series, daily-scripted programming, films and short-form series, covering a range of genres including comedies, thrillers, horror, dramas, comedy dramas and teen series.
OTT service Viu announced a partnership securing adaption rights in India for Keshet International scripted formats The Beauty and The Baker and The Stylist, both of which were originally commissioned by Keshet Broadcasting for Keshet 12 in Israel.
Globo and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution inked a multi-year renewal deal to exclusively broadcast films on free-to-air TV in Brazil. Included in the deal are A Star Is Born, Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindewald and Rampage, among others.
RATINGS
Fox News’ town hall with Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg drew 1.1 million viewers and 172,000 among A25-54 on Sunday. That’s strong but less than FNC’s Bernie Sanders’ Monday event in April, which delivered 2.6 million viewers and 489,000 in the news demo.
The BBC’s Gentleman Jack, a co-production with HBO, averaged 5.1 million viewers on Sunday and a 27.2% share, to become the UK broadcaster/s biggest new drama launch of the year. The series launched on HBO on April 22.
Shareablee Top 10 TV Shows for the week of May 13
Program, Network, Total Actions, Total Content, Actions per Content, Fans & Followers
The Ellen DeGeneres Show (WB/syndicated) 15.3M, 130, 117,327, 181.6M
E! News (E!) 13.3M, 598, 22,258, 35.5M
Game of Thrones (HBO) 9.7M, 40, 243,739, 42.5M
Riverdale (CW) 8.2M, 74, 110,672, 14.1M
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) 4.5M, 218, 20,559, 3.7M
Good Morning America (ABC) 4.3M, 896, 4,837, 13.1M
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 3.4M, 83, 40,368, 33.5M
RuPaul's Drag Race (VH1) 2.5M, 94, 26,781, 5.8M
Entertainment Tonight (CBS/syndicated) 2.2M, 701, 3,158, 8.2M
Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists (Freeform) 2.1M, 109, 19,277, 26.8M
Top 13 Live+7 Playback Rankers by actual gain for the week of April 29 Live+SD/Live+7/+7 Actual Gain
The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 1.9/3.3/1.4
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 1.4/2.6/1.2
9-1-1 (Fox) 1.1/2.2/1.1
Modern Family (ABC) 1.0/2.0/1.0
Station 19 (ABC) 1.2/2.1/0.9
Law & Order: SVU (NBC) 0.8/1.7/0.9
New Amsterdam (NBC) 0.8/1.7/0.9
Young Sheldon (CBS) 11.5/2.3/0.8
Blue Bloods (CBS) 0.7/1.4/0.7
Bull (CBS) 0.6/1.3/0.7
NCIS (CBS) 1.1/1/8/0.7
S.W.A.T (CBS) 0.7/1.4/0.7
SEAL Team (CBS) 0.6/1.3/0.7
Based on the difference between Nielsen’s first-reported Live + Same Day and the final Live + 7 Day ratings (for regular/original programs only)
Tunity Analytics Top Weekly National Out-of-Home Viewer Rankings for Entertainment Programs for the week of May 13
Program, OOH Viewers (000)
Big Bang Theory (CBS) 394.8
Saturday Night Live (NBC) 347.8
American Idol (ABC) 290.0
The Bachelorette (ABC) 265.3
The Red Line (CBS( 263.9
Big Bang Theory (CBS) 251.5
Chicago Fire (NBC) 229.6
Young Sheldon (CBS) 227.7
Survivor: Edge of Extinction (CBS) 218.6
The Voice (NBC) 197.4
Source: Tunity Analytics. Viewing estimates are derived from the Tunity mobile app usage. OOH Impressions are calculated using Tunity Analytics proprietary estimation model.
TV Time’s Shows on the Rise Report for the week of May 13
Nailed It! (Netflix) - 96.3%
The Rain (Netflix) - 95.3%
Clem (TF1) - 87.3%
Manifest (NBC) - 82.3%
Kuroko's Basketball (MBS) - 71.9%
The Society (Netflix) - 65.1%
Chernobyl (HBO) - 55.4%
The Mechanism (Netflix) - 53.4%
Easy (Netflix) - 51.8%
DuckTales (Disney Channel) - 40.4%
*Methodology: Every week, millions of viewers around the world use TV Time to track their favorite series. “Shows on the Rise” is calculated by determining the week-over-week growth in episodes watched for a given program.
Live + Same Day Viewers AA (millions) Friday, May 10 time period averages
Source: NTI, Galaxy as dated Live+SD
CBS: 4.45 million
Meghan and Harry Plus One 5.00, No Exit! 3.36, Hawaii Five-0 4.98
NBC: 4.17 million
The Blacklist 4.45, Dateline NBC 4.03
ABC: 2.41 million
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 2.24, 20/20 2.49
FOX: 1.54 million
MasterChef 1.58, MasterChef Celebrity Family Showdown 150
UNIVISION: 1.12 million
La Reina Soy Yo 1.17, La Rosa de Guadalupe 1.12, Por Amar Sin Ley 1.07
TELE: 1.15 million
Un Poquito Tuyo 0.82, Betty en NY 1.07, La Reina del Sur 1.56
CW: 0.90 million
Dynasty 0.96, Who’s Line Is It Anyway? 0.84
Friday A18-49: NBC 0.6/3, CBS 0.5/3, ABC 0.4/2, FOX o.4/2, UNI 0.3/2, TELE o.3/2, CW 0.2/1
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Fox News named Jeff Collins as EVP of Advertising Sales. Previously, Collins was Chief Revenue Officer for Viant Technology. Collins’ new position was previously held by Marianne Gambelli, who transitioned to head of ad sales for the network’s parent company last fall.
Susanne McAvoy joins Food Network as SVP of Marketing based in New York, effective May 28. McAvoy was previously EVP of Marketing, Creative & Communications at Crown Media Family Networks.
Children’s content producer Driver Digital Studios appointed Melanie Summers as Chief Brand Officer. Most recently, Summers was Managing Director at Periscope Consulting.
This Day in History: 1998 – Seinfeld’s “The Finale” aired to 76.3 million viewers.
Answer to Our Last Trivia Question: Which current series takes place in Neighborhood 12358W? The Good Place. Kudos to: Becca Vesperino-Viacom/NYC, Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station, TX, Paul Blutter-Walk and Talk Production Rentals/Burbank, Kayla Ibe-High10 Media/NYC, Errol Da-Re-TLN Media Group/Toronto, Jamie Euster-Endeavor/NYC, Michael Seidel-CSI Sports/Jersey City, NJ, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA, Sara Willard-Facebook/NYC, Lorrie Shilling/El Segundo, CA, David Garber-Loyola Marymount University/Playa Vista, CA, Elizabeth Wendorf-TWO NIL, LA
Today’s Trivia Question: During his last appearance on Married With Children (1987-1997), what was Steve Rhoades’ job? (Email trivia@cynopsis.com with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four.)
