Jennifer Maas: Last News

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer A new trailer for the third and final season of Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Picard” launched out of New York Comic Con Saturday, revealing new additions to the Patrick Stewart-led show’s cast — including the return of some iconic villains from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Per Paramount+, Brent Spiner will be back on “Picard,” not as Data, but as a character the streamer describes as “named Lore” — evoking one of the most formidable villains in “Next Generation” history: Data’s evil twin brother, Lore, who was defeated and disassembled at the beginning of Season 7 of “Next Gen.” Additionally, Daniel Davis will return as Professor Moriarty from “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” the Holodeck personification of a fictional character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be an enemy for Sherlock Holmes. “Next Gen’s” Moriarty ended up becoming self aware.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer “Community” fans, sit tight: More of your favorite cast members may indeed appear in the upcoming Peacock film — including Donald Glover. That’s according to creator Dan Harmon, who addressed why two key “Community” stars, Glover and Yvette Nicole Brown, were missing from the greenlight news last week. Although Peacock and Sony Pictures TV announced production of the film with original stars Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong, Harmon confirms to Variety that others could still pop in as well. “I think that Donald is coming, based on word of mouth, but it’s just the deal isn’t official or wasn’t official. It would be difficult to really commit to doing this thing without Donald,” Harmon said. “So I believe he is coming back. I think if there’s names missing from a list, it’s because the names that are on the list, their deals are agreed upon enough that it’s OK to say they are on the list, and anybody that’s not on a list, it’s just not the case yet. So there is nothing official about anybody being out.”  

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer The premiere of “Interview with the Vampire,” AMC’s first Anne Rice TV adaptation, and the eagerly anticipated return of the final season of “The Walking Dead” on Oct. 2 took streamer AMC+ to its highest two days of viewership and subscriber growth since the platform’s October 2020 launch, Variety has learned exclusively. Per AMC+, “The premiere of ‘Interview’ and the return of The Walking Dead’ drove AMC+ to the most successful two days in its history on Sunday and Monday and highest levels of series viewership and new subscriber acquisition ever.” According to the company, which currently has 10.8 million streaming subscribers across AMC+ and its other platforms, the series premiere of “Interview” now ranks as the No. 1 new series launch ever for AMC+, in both viewership and acquisition, “tripling the early activity of the previous record holder in these categories,” AMC’s freshman drama “Dark Winds.”

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer With peak nerd TV upon us, there’s never been a better time to be a fan of genre programming – or David S. Goyer, a devotee and prolific writer-producer of genre fare. Goyer and his Phantom Four Films partner Keith Levine produced Hulu’s new David Bruckner-directed “Hellraiser” movie, which launched Friday, and are in the middle of filming their latest take on classic IP, “The Omen” prequel movie “The First Omen,” in Rome. Beyond that, the pair are in post-production on the second season of Apple’s “Foundation” adaptation, breaking the writers’ room for more episodes of the “Batman Unburied” podcast for DC and Spotify. They’re also working on two spinoff podcasts, including “Riddler,” featuring Hasan Minhaj, and a Batgirl/Barbara Gordon project. And they’re in the early stages of developing a dramatic series revolving around Michael Moorcock’s “The Eternal Champion” books for Skydance and Apple TV+ with “Foundation” writer Dana Jackson. If that’s not enough, they’re also holding their breath for a renewal of the Warner Bros.-produced “The Sandman” at Netflix.   

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Mike Flanagan has faced his worst fear: The jump scare. The “Midnight Mass” and “Haunting of Hill House” mastermind packed 21 separate instances of the classic horror trope into the premiere of his latest Netflix series, “The Midnight Club,” a tally so high it actually breaks the Guinness World Record for “most scripted jump scares in a single television episode.” A Guinness World Record official presented Flanagan and Co. their certificate for the achievement during the “Midnight Club’s” New York Comic Con panel Thursday night, which included a preview of the premiere episode ahead of the show’s Friday launch.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Rob Wade has been promoted to CEO of Fox Entertainment following the exit of former chief Charlie Collier. “Since the formation of Fox Entertainment, Rob has been an integral part of the leadership team responsible for delivering on its long-term strategy of creating an independent media company built on broadcast, developing an owned content portfolio and maintaining a disciplined in-house infrastructure,” Fox Corp. executive chief and CEO Lachlan Murdoch said in a statement Thursday. “Given Rob’s sharp creative instincts and proven operational acumen, he is well-suited to lead Fox Entertainment in what promises to be an exciting next chapter in its rich history.”

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Longtime Paramount Global exec David Nevins is exiting the company, Variety has learned. Sources say Nevins, who currently serves as the chairman and CEO of Paramount Premium Group and chief creative officer of Paramount+ scripted series and was previously the chief at Showtime, is stepping down from his post just over a year after being named to the expanded role. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news that Nevins was exiting Paramount Global. See Nevins’ Thursday note to staff regarding his exit, which was obtained by Variety, below.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Epix has canceled its Edward Burns-produced dramedy “Bridge and Tunnel” after two seasons, Variety has learned exclusively. Set in the early 1980s, the half-hour show revolves around a group of recent college grads setting out to pursue their dreams in Manhattan while still clinging to the familiarity of their working-class Long Island home town. Written, directed and produced by “Saving Private Ryan” and “Public Morals” star Burns, “Bridge and Tunnel” stars the actor alongside Sam Vartholomeos (“Star Trek: Discovery”), Caitlin Stasey (“Reign,” “Please Like Me”), Gigi Zumbado (“9-1-1,” “Criminal Minds,” “Scream”), JanLuis Castellanos (“13 Reasons Why,” “Marvel’s Runways”), Brian Muller (“The Deuce,” “Madame Secretary,” “The Good Wife”) and Isabella Farrell (“The Good Fight”).

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer 42West’s BHI has promoted two employees to new leadership roles and hired Red Bull’s head of U.S. communications for gaming, Variety has learned exclusively. At the Dolphin Entertainment-owned brand, Jonah Keel has been elevated from vice president to senior vice president, while account director Briana Richard has been upped to VP in her division. In addition to these promotions, 42West/BHI co-presidents Dean Bender and Shawna Lynch have brought on Red Blake Shuster as a new VP. “Since BHI was acquired by Dolphin Entertainment and subsequently merged with 42West in January 2021, the division has experienced high double-digit growth,” Lynch said “We owe a great deal of that success to the leadership skills of Jonah and Briana. They are both client and staff relationship builders that drive the efforts of our best-in-class clients, while simultaneously bringing on new and exciting partners.”

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Coming off a lot of Emmys love, ABC comedy “Abbott Elementary” went back in session Wednesday with a Season 2 premiere that kept pace with its freshman finale last spring. According to Nielsen’s Live + Same Day data, Episode 1 of Season 2 averaged a 0.5 rating among adults ages 18-49 and 2.8 million total viewers, tying it with “The Conners” Season premiere for ABC’s highest-rated show during Wednesday primetime. That marks a solid start to the new school year for “Abbott Elementary,” which put up a 0.6 rating and 2.8 million total viewers in the comparable Nielsen metrics for its Season 1 finale in April.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Disney has upped PR exec April Carretta to head of communications for its direct-to-consumer business. In her new role, Carretta will lead communications globally for Disney’s portfolio of direct-to-consumer video streaming businesses under its Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division (DMED), including consumer, content publicity, international, crisis communications and incident management, as well as internal employee communications. DMED, which is led by chairman Kareem Daniel, manages operations for streamers Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+ Hotstar, as well as broadcast and cable television networks. The direct-to-consumer arm handles P&L management and all distribution, network and engineering operations, sales, advertising, data and technology functions worldwide for these platforms.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer “Alex vs America” has been renewed for a third season at Food Network, Variety has learned exclusively. Production is set to begin this month on Season 3 of the primetime cable series, with new episodes to debut next year.  “Alex vs America” Season 2, which aired July 31-Sept. 11, averaged more than 9.1 million total viewers, up 44% from Season 1, and a 0.6 rating with adults ages 18 and up, an increase of 17%, according to Nielsen’s Live + 3 Day ratings. Per Food Network’s description for “Alex v. America”:

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Marc Graboff has decided to exit as president of global business and legal affairs and content supply chain at the legacy Discovery side of Warner Bros. Discovery, Variety has learned exclusively. The NBCUniversal alum will step down from his position at the end of the year. “Marc approached every challenging business negotiation with affability, professionalism and attention to detail, and his expertise will be sorely missed,” Kathleen Finch, chairman and chief content officer of the US Networks Group at Warner Bros Discovery, said Tuesday. “We are grateful for his invaluable support and the terrific partnership he’s brought throughout his years of service.” 

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Let the Games Begin,” the “9-1-1” Season 6 premiere. “9-1-1” returned in all its zany glory Monday on Fox with the premiere of its sixth season. During the episode, Oliver Stark’s Evan “Buck” Buckley tackled a blimp emergency with his team at the 118 — and yet that somehow wasn’t the biggest hurdle he had to overcome in the Season 6 premiere. Here, Variety breaks down the episode, titled “Let the Games Begin,” with Stark and how it lays the groundwork for Buck’s journey throughout the rest of “9-1-1” Season 6.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer TLC’s “Sister Wives” returned Sunday, drawing the show’s highest-rated season premiere in six years with the first episode of Season 11. Per Nielsen data, the reality show’s 11th season premiere averaged 2.2 million total viewers and a 1.42 rating among women ages 18-49, the advertiser-coveted demographic for the cable channel. That demo rating was the highest for a “Sister Wives” premiere in six years. Additionally, Episode 1 of Season 11 drew a 1.91 rating among women ages 25-54, another key market for the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned TLC. According to TLC, on the “Sister Wives” Season 11 premiere night Sunday, “tweet volume saw triple digit growth compared to the previous premiere,” growing 192%). It was also the top primetime cable reality program on Facebook, No. 3 on Instagram and No. 4 on Twitter for social interactions.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer NBCUniversal’s longtime executive vice president of unscripted current production, Shari Levine, is stepping down from her role and shifting to a non-exclusive consulting position, Variety has learned exclusively. Following her exit, Noah Samton will expand his purview as the new head of East Coast for unscripted lifestyle current production across all platforms, while Kathleen French and Ryan Flynn will divide up overseeing the West Coast current production team, with all three reporting directly to NBCU television and streaming’s head of unscripted content, Rod Aissa. With a focus on Bravo programming during her more than two decades at the Comcast-owned company, Levine has overseen franchises like “The Real Housewives,” “Below Deck and “Million Dollar Listing,” as well as the original run of “Project Runway.”

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer As a Sunday night series, the first episode of “House of the Dragon” was only available for streaming during the final three hours of Nielsen’s window for calculating its weekly SVOD ratings for Aug. 15-21. But in that brief period of time, the “Game of Thrones” prequel managed to be watched for 327 million minutes via HBO Max, according to the ratings currency company’s new rankings. “House of the Dragon” premiered Sunday, Aug. 21 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and was immediately available for streaming on HBO Max at that time. The Nielsen-provided figure here only counts streaming viewership, meaning anyone who watched “House of the Dragon” via HBO’s linear channel or any other platform is not included in the count.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Blumhouse Television has promoted Chris Dickie to executive vice president of development and programming, Variety has learned exclusively. A five-year veteran of the Jason Blum-founded company, Dickie oversees a team of eight working on current and development across ongoing and limited series, domestic and international, television movies and streaming features, animation and podcasts. “Chris Dickie has consistently proven to be a creative and strategic executive possessing great instincts for material and the EQ essential for being a leader at Blumhouse,” Chris McCumber, president of Blumhouse Television, said. “I have full confidence in his ability to lead the team as we steer towards an exciting television slate in 2023 and beyond.”

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Ina Garten is bringing four new companions over to chat and eat on “Be My Guest With Ina Garten” Season 2, including Faith Hill, Nathan Lane, Emily Blunt and chef Marcus Samuelsson, Variety has learned exclusively. The second season of the Barefoot Contessa’s Food Network and Discovery+ series will debut Oct. 9 at 12 p.m. ET. Per the “Be My Guest” second season description, “In the season premiere, Ina greets Faith Hill with frozen palomas and fresh guacamole and they become fast friends while talking about family, love and music. Faith’s daughter Gracie joins the party to help bake her family’s cola cake recipe and they then take a drive to Topping Rose House to celebrate their new friendship.  In the following episode, Ina serves Nathan Lane a taste of nostalgia with her Rum Raisin Rice Pudding recipe, and they discuss his childhood, personal life and show business career from the early years to his prolific roles on stage and screen.  She also gives cooking-novice Nathan a lesson in making Mussels with Saffron Cream. 

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Funko is hard at work on its first-ever console game, which the CEO of the fan-collectibles company says will feature the “mixing” of characters from multiple popular IPs transformed into the brand’s iconic Pop! format. “You will know them. And we are excited because we think the interaction between these IPs will speak to who Funko is by mixing the IPs in the game,” Andrew Pearlmutter told Variety at Funko’s investor day press preview Tuesday. “And they’re not young IPs, so that’s the fun part. That’s all I can say.” For reference, Funko has long worked with “not young” brands like Marvel, DC, Disney, Star Wars and Harry Potter — just to name a few.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery enacted 100 layoffs Tuesday as part of a planned downsizing of the company’s ad sales departments that had been in the works since Discovery closed its merger with WarnerMedia in April, Variety has confirmed. These cuts are part of a previously reported and expected 30% reduction overall across the ad sales division, a sector of the merged company with many redundancies, in the coming weeks. However, not all of the exits will be layoffs, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation. An undisclosed number of those departures will be negotiated deals, while others will be retirements. The layoffs set in motion Tuesday are the latest in a string of moves made by Warner Bros. Discovery in an attempt to fulfill the promise made by CEO David Zaslav and his exec team to find $3 billion in cost-saving synergies in the first two years after the merger. The most high profile so far, aside from other layoffs within Warner Bros. Discovery, was the decision that “Batgirl,” the $90 million Warner Bros./DC movie starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, would not be released theatrically, on HBO Max, or anywhere else.