Good morning. It’s Tuesday October 24, 2017 and this is your first early morning briefing.

Tonight’s Premieres:

TBS: Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker’s Wild at 10p, Drop the Mic at 10:30p

truTV: At Home with Amy Sedaris at 10:30p

 

Tonight’s Finales:

Lifetime: Dance Moms at 8p

TLC: 7 Little Johnstons at 10p

 

IN THE NEWS

 

Showtime ordered a sixth season of Ray Donovan, and is moving the action from LA to NYC for the next run. “For our show, creatively, New York is exciting,” said showrunner David Hollander. “Fashion, media, finance, theatre, culture. It’s going to present new challenges for Ray Donovan which mean new opportunities for us as dramatists.” Season 5 finale airs Sunday, October 29 at 9p.

 

Ashley Judd, one of the actresses whose sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein led to the producer’s dizzying downfall, will be interviewed for the first time since going public. Judd’s talk with Diane Sawyer will air Thursday, October 26 across ABC News shows.

 

During her hour on NBC’s Today on Monday, Megyn Kelly took issue with former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s claim, following a damaging NY Times story on his behavior toward women, that no one had ever made a complaint to HR or legal about him. “O’Reilly’s suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior is false,” said Kelly. “I know because I complained.” Kelly also acknowledged that Fox News “absolutely has made some reforms.”

 

“She did not file a complaint. Not that I know of,” responded O’Reilly in a Monday interview on Glenn Beck’s radio show. O’Reilly also said the Times, which reported on a $35 sexual harassment settlement, “obviously hates me….The end game is ‘Let’s link Bill O’Reilly with Harvey Weinstein.’”

 

Chris Savino, axed on Thursday from the Nickelodeon show he created, The Loud House, took to social media to respond to allegations of sexual harassment. “At every stage of my career, I have sought to uplift my colleagues and cultivate a culture of respect. In this objective, I have failed,” said Savino. “I should have known better, I should have acted better, and this has been a difficult but valuable lesson.”

 

The announcement that Justin Timberlake will perform in Super Bowl LII’s halftime show on February 4 has some critics saying he didn’t do enough to defend Janet Jackson after her “wardrobe malfunction” during the show in 2004 (see #JusticeForJanet). Let us know what you think in the new Cynopsis poll.

 

Bebe Neuwirth is leaving CBS drama Madam Secretary, the actress announced via Twitter: “So grateful to @CBS for accepting my request to depart @MadamSecretary and writing a beautiful exit for me.” On Sunday’s show Neuwirth’s character, Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State, told her boss, “I love public service, but it’s gotten so vicious.” Ya think?

 

David Letterman received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Sunday night at the Kennedy Center, and viewers who tune in to the PBS broadcast at 9p November 20 are in for a comedic treat. The longest-running host of late-night television in U.S. history was feted by Sen. Al Franken, Jimmy Kimmel, Norm Macdonald, John Mulaney, Bill Murray, Amy Schumer, Paul Shaffer, Martin Short, Eddie Vedder and Jimmy Walker, in bits that ranged from the silly to the sentimental, with a healthy dash of political (read, anti-Trump) quips. Asked on the red carpet guest he’d most like to have back when his new Netflix show debuts? “The current President,” Letterman said. “Now what do you think the chances of that are?” Asked to recall a salient  “dumb” moment from the show, Letterman pointed to the famed monkey cam stunt. “We would put a miniature camera on the monkey and it would come out and run wild. One night, Sandra Bernhard was a guest on the show, a very acerbic, very opinionated commentator of society and all, and she reached down to pet the monkey and the damn monkey bit her,” he said. “There had to be shots and there had to be stitches, and now that I think about it, it wasn’t that much fun.”

 

Call for Submissions: Cynopsis is producing its annual Holiday Programming Guide, which comes out on November 15 and will be sent to all Cynopsis subscribers. If your network has holiday-themed programming airing from November 15 through January 1, please send your listing to Lynn@Cynopsis.com and JanetDiLauro@gmail.com no later than Monday, November 6 with the subject line: Holiday Guide. To be included programs must be listed by date, title of program, and the start and end times each program will air on that date. A confirmation email will be sent following each submission (if you don’t receive a confirmation email, please resubmit).

 

With Justice Department approval still pending, AT&T and Time Warner filed with the SEC to extend their $85 billion merger deal past the October 22 deadline. The companies still expect to close matters by the end of the year.

 

CNN has launched a branding campaign that hits back at “fake news” accusations by President Trump. Slogan: “Facts First.” The campaign started yesterday with a 30-second video of an apple. “This is an apple,” says the narrator. “Some people might try to tell you it’s a banana. They might scream banana, banana, banana, over and over and over again. They might put banana in all caps. You might even start to believe that this is a banana. But it's not. This is an apple." The aim of the campaign is “to take a clear stand for who we are and what we believe in,” said CNN CEO Jeff Zucker.

 

Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts will receive the NAB Distinguished Service Award during the 2018 NAB Show in Las Vegas on Monday, April 9. The award recognizes members of the broadcast community who have made significant and lasting contributions to the industry.

 

Music Choice, the multi-platform video and music network, is making a move into curating music content and co-producing segments for linear TV with a partnership with Unconventional Studio’s Celebrity Page. The daily half-hour celebrity-friendly TV, now in its fifths season, airs in syndication in more than 150 US TV markets and twice daily on the Reelz Channel. 

 

ESPN yanked Barstool Van Talk after just one episode. The decision came after ESPN host Sam Ponder posted screenshots from a post on the Barstool blog that contained misogynistic comments. “While we had approval of the content of the show, I erred in assuming we could distance our efforts from the Barstool site and its content,” said net president John Skipper. The show was based on Barstool Sports podcast Pardon My Take.

PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

 

The Big Bang Theory actor Simon Helberg will exec produce workplace comedy Need to Know, in development at CBS, via his Wildline Entertainment, with Wildline’s Jocelyn Towne, Scott Weinger (Fuller House), writer Zach Ayers (State of Affairs) and Big Bang producer Warner Bros. Television. Setting is the CIA.

 

Fox gave a script commitment to The Ever After Part, a comedy from Peter Tolan (Rescue Me) and John Ross Bowie & Kevin Sussman. Bowie and Sussman executive produce with Peter Principato (Princpato Young Entertainment) and Joel Zadak for Sony Pictures TV, and 20th Century Fox Television. Sound familiar? Fox first bought the story in 2011.

 

Get Shorty creator and showrunner Davey Holmes inked an multi-year overall deal with MGM Television to write and develop series, reports Deadline. The next project he’s developing for the studio is Fear & Loathing, based on the life of author and journalist behind the gonzo journalism movement, Hunter S. Thompson. Holmes will be the showrunner on the project, with Bob Nelson (The Confirmation) writing.  

 

A comedy from Kim Rosenstock (New Girl), Amy Poehler, 3 Arts Entertainment and Universal Television landed a put pilot commitment from NBC. Show focuses on a newly single mother forced to turn to her family for help.

 

NBC put in development a comedy from Late Night With Seth Meyers’ Amber Ruffin, Seth Meyers and Lorne Michaels, reports Deadline. Based on Ruffin’s life, the show focuses on  a woman who returns from abroad with a Dutch boyfriend.

 

CraveTV and LETTERKENNY producers New Metric Media are joining forces to build the Canadian hit comedy into a global entertainment brand. CraveTV and New Metric will partner on the production of more than 40 new episodes, as well as cross-promotional support for the 26-city LETTERKENNY Live! tour kicking off February 28.

 

Great American Country ordered 28 new episodes of fantasy lifestyle series Mountain Life, following families as they search for the ultimate mountain home.

 

Ali LeRoi (Everybody Hates Chris) inked a 2-year overall deal with CBS Television Studios. LeRoi is developing a comedy starring comedian Ms. Pat at Fox and 20^th Century Fox Television.

 

 

COMING UP

 

One-hour variety show Eric Idle’s The Entire Universe premieres Friday, December 22 at 9p on PBS (check local listings). Special about the origins of the cosmos, but funny, was written by the Monty Python star.

 

Acorn TV will air the final two TV movies in British detective series George Gently beginning Wednesday, November 1, less than two days after the series finale broadcasts on BBC One. 

 

Among the guests dropping into Conan the week of November 6, when the show airs from NYC’s Apollo Theater, are Stephen Colbert, Keegan-Michael Key and the cast of Daddy’s Home 2 ( Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow and Linda Cardellinni.

 

Kelly Clarkson is getting a head start on her duties as coach for the upcoming 14^th season of NBC’s The Voice. The first American Idol champ serves as key advisor for The Voice’s current season 13 starting Monday, October 30 at 8p. Clarkson’s new album, “Meaning of Life,” drops Friday, October 27.

 

getTV debuts its first original music variety special on Thursday, December 7 at 8p. A Nashville Christmas features country artists Wynonna, Emmylou Harris, Lorrie Morgan and more, and is part of getTV’s third annual “Most Wonderful Month of the Year” campgaign.

 

DIGITAL DATA

 

CBS All Access renewed Star Trek: Discovery for a second season. “In just six episodes, Star Trek: Discovery has driven subscriber growth, critical acclaim and huge global fan interest,” noted Marc CeBevoise, president and COO, CBS Interactive. The series launch broke the service’s record for subscriber sign-ups in a single day, week and month.

 

Amazon will debut 3 comedy pilots on Friday, November 10: Sea Oak, starring Glenn Close; Love You More, about a woman working as a counselor for young people with Down Syndrome, and The Climb, following an office assistant seeking internet fame. A series order will be based on viewer response.

 

Vancouver-based Big Bad Boo Studios is developing a new digital original series with CBC Kids. Judge Jodhi, aimed at kids 6-9, follows the adventures of a 12-year-old who set ups a mock court in her backyard and hears neighborhood cases.

 

The Interactive Advertising Bureau supports Congress’s desire for more transparency and disclosure in online political advertising, but believes self-regulation and “tougher, tighter controls for who is putting what on - and underneath - its sites” is the basis for real and durable reform. The position will come in a written statement from IAB president and CEO Randall Rothenberg for today’s hearing in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The statement points out it was not traditional political ads that disseminated fake news during the election, but falsehood-ridden social media posts on social conditions and political debates.

 

Showtime is giving viewers a chance to sample upcoming comedy SMILF, with the premiere free now on YouTube, Facebook and SHO.com. The comedy focused on a 20-something single mom has its linear debut on Sunday, November 5 at 10p.

 

Netflix is premiering a 48-minute Beat Bugs special on November 12. Animated Beat Bugs: All Together Now will feature a cover of “Here Comes the Sun” by Yusef/Cat Stevens.

 

Social Fabric, a series exploring streetwear as an artistic expression, debuts on Fuse Thursday, November 7 at midnight. “Not only is fashion one of the biggest driving factors for millennial culture, it’s directly influenced by musicians and artists that represent the Fuse Media brand,” said J-T Ladt, chief content officer for Fuse Media.

 

 

CASTING

 

Bradley Walsh (The Chase), Tosin Cole (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Mandip Gill (Hollyoaks) have been cast in season 13 of the BBC’s Doctor Who, starring Jodie Whittaker. Series returns in fall 2018.

 

 

ADVERTISING  & BRANDS

 

The top 10 most authentic brands for consumers are Amazon, PayPal, Burt’s Bees, Crayola, M&M’s, Lego, Hershey’s, Newman’s Own, AAA and UPS, according to the 2017 Cohn & Wolfe Authentic Brands Study. “Our research shows a link between brands that behave and communicate authentically and their ability to attract and keep customers - and, ultimately, build stronger businesses,” said Donna Imperato, CEO of Cohn & Wolfe. The study surveyed over 1400 brands globally.

 

NFL game ratings have dipped, but ad spend in September was up 2%, according to Standard Media Index, rising to $513 million. Across networks, the average cost for an NFL spot rose 7% versus a year ago, to $515,000.

 

Telemundo is collaborating with Hasbro and social media marketing company Being Latino for a three-month multi-platform campaign targeting Latina mothers. It’s Hasbro’s first such collaboration with a Spanish-language media company. “Hasbro sought out to engage with Hispanic consumers in the most relevant way possible,” said Maureen Smith, SVP US Marketing, Hasbro. “This collaboration is a great example of how we’re tailoring our message to resonate with Latina moms this Holiday season.”

 

 

  GOING GLOBAL

 

FremantleMedia International is teaming with Dubai TV for the first global commission of the Interactive Mixed Reality format, Lost in Time. Created and co-produced globally by FremantleMedia and The Future Group, the Dubai TV version of the primetime entertainment show will air across the channel’s pan-regional Middle East and North African reach.

 

Albert Haber Inc. secured the exclusive international distribution rights to GRAMMYs Greatest Stories: A 60th Anniversary Special. The two-hour primetime special will be broadcast in the U.S. on Friday, November 24 at 9p on CBS.

 

 

RATINGS

 

NBC’s Sunday Night Football game between the Patriots and the Falcons rose to a 5.6 rating among A18-49, up 12% versus the week prior.

 

Without a football lead-in, Fox’s annual “Treehouse of Terror” Halloween episode of The Simpsons (1.6/6 among A18-49) was down almost 48% from last year, but still up a healthy 23% versus last week.

 

Top 15 Live+7 Playback Rankers by actual gain for the week of October 2, 2017

Live+SD/Live+7/+7 Actual Gain

This Is Us (NBC) 3.1/5.5/2.4

The Good Doctor (ABC) 2.2/4.3/2.1

The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 3.1/4.9/1.8

Will & Grace (NBC) 2.0/3.7/1.7

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 2.1/3.7/1.7

Modern Family (ABC) 1.9/3.2/1.5

The Gifted (Fox) 1.5/2.8/1.3

Designated Survivor (ABC) .9/2.1/1.2

The Orville (Fox) .9/2.1/1.2

How to Get Away with Murder (ABC) .9/2.0/1.1

Scandal (ABC) 1.4/2.5/1.1

Criminal Minds (CBS) 1.1/2.2/1.1

Empire (Fox) 1.9/3.0/1.1

Chicago Fire (NBC) 1.2/2.3/1.1

Chicago P.D. (NBC) 1.2/2.3/1.1

Based on the difference between Nielsen’s first-reported Live + Same Day and the final Live + 7 Day ratings (for regular, original programs only)

 

NIELSEN SOCIAL CONTENT RATINGS: Top Series and Specials by Total Interactions for the week of October 16, 2017

Program, Total Interactions (000), Facebook (000), Twitter (000)

The Walking Dead (AMC) 2539, 1971, 569

Gucci Mane & Keyshia Ka’Oir: The Mane Event (BET) 1243, 615, 628

WWE TLC: Tables Ladders & Chairs (PPV) 781, 187, 594

WWE Monday Night RAW (USA) 399, 182, 217

Empire (Fox) 300, 226, 74

Debate Night: The GOP Tax Plan: Ted Cruz vs. Bernie Sanders (CNN) 297, 39, 258

Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood (VH1) 268, 103, 164

The Walking Dead (AMC) 266, 240, 27

Riverdale (CW) 241, 31, 210

This Is Us (NBC) 221, 158, 62

Source: Nielsen. Uniques and Interactions are a measure of total relevant U.S. social media activity grossed across Facebook and Twitter from three hours before through three hours after broadcast, local time. Includes primetime and late fringe programming with metrics available across social platforms on Broadcast and National Cable and excludes sports events.

 

SHAREABLEE SOCIAL TV RATINGS: Top 10 U.S. Shows Overall by Engagement for the week of October 16, 2017

Program, Total Actions (000), Total Content, Actions per Content (000), Fans/Followers (000)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Warner Bros.) 9728, 127, 77, 151617

Riverdale (CW) 4673, 87, 54, 4202

E! News (E!) 4230, 718, 6, 31051

The Walking Dead (AMC) 3771, 81, 47, 49631

America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC) 1289, 177, 7, 15274

Today Show (NBC) 1242, 600, 2, 12203

The Flash (CW) 1194, 37, 32, 11140

Dancing With the Stars (ABC) 1176, 88, 13, 9196

TMZ (Warner Bros.) 955, 1110, .86, 13766

Good Morning America (ABC) 912m 598, 2, 12167

 

Live + Same Day Household Viewers (millions): Friday, October 20, 2017 time period averages.

Source: NTI, Galaxy as dated. Live+SD

CBS: 8.07 million

MacGyver 6.81, Hawaii Five-0 8.53, Blue Bloods 8.85

NBC: 3.58 million

Law & Order True Crime 2.33, Dateline 4.21 million

ABC: 2.40 million

Once Upon a Time 2.52, Inhumans 1.98, 20/20 2.69

FOX: 2.05 million

Hell’s Kitchen 2.82, The Exorcist 1.28

TELEMUNDO: 1.1 million

Jenni Rivera: Mariposa de Barrio .96, Sin Senos si Hay Paraiso 1.09, El Senor de los Cielos 1.25

UNIVISION: 944,000

Enamorandome de Ramon .82, Mi Marido tie Familia 1.03, Caer en Tentacion .98

CW: 620,000

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend .64, Jane the Virgin .61

Friday A18-49:  CBS .9/4, NBC .6/3, TELE .6/3, FOX .6/3, ABC .5/2, UNI .4/2, CW .2/1

Source: Nielsen

EXECUTIVE MOVES

 

Gary Finnegan has been appointed Vice President of Programming Strategy at Canada’s DHX Television. Finnegan joins from Turner International, where his various roles spanned programming, scheduling, acquisitions and content development.

---

This Day in History: 1931 – The George Washington Bridge was dedicated.

 

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question: On the original Dynasty (1981-1989), who killed Krystle’s ex-husband, Mark Jennings? Neal McVane, who framed Alexis for the murder. Kudos to: Holly Hearn-H2 Concierge Marketing/Sarasota, FL, John Wood-E! News/LA, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/LA

Today’s Trivia Question: Which sketch comedy character had a boyfriend named Killer? (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 correct answers from each time zone will be selected.)

 

Answer to Monday’s Anagram: Moderately My Mother = My Lottery Dream Home. Kudos to: Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

 

1990s Comedy Anagram: Fit Eagle (Email trivia@cynopsis.com; first three respondents with the correct answer who aren’t in trivia will be posted in tomorrow's newsletter.)

WHAT'S ON TONIGHT - TUESDAY OCTOBER 24

ABC: The Middle, Fresh Off the Boat, black-ish, The Mayor, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World

CBS: NCIS, Bull, NCIS: New Orleans

CW: The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

FOX: 2017 World Series

NBC: The Voice, This Is Us, Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders

PBS: Finding Your Roots, The Vietnam War [r]

Telemundo: Jenni Rivera:Mariposa de Barrio, Sin Senos si Hay Paraiso, El Senor de los Cielos

Univision: La Rosa de Guadelupe, Mi Marido Tiene Familia, Caer en Tentacion