Jennifer Maas: Last News

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer NBC is considering handing over its 10 p.m. primetime programming hour to local stations, Variety has confirmed. Insiders say that this conversation has happened multiple times over the past 10 years, and emphasize this is not the first time the option of ceding time to affiliates has been discussed at the broadcaster. Instead, this is just the most recent in ongoing explorations and it could lead to no changes at all. Additionally, sources say NBCU is not mulling this as a cost-cutting move that would lead to less programming, but one that might be made to best utilize the broadcast brand and relationship with affiliates vs. its streaming and cable options.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Soldier Boy’s daddy is joining “The Boys” for its fourth season — kind of. In a move that is sure to bring joy to the “Supernatural” fandom, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been added to the cast of the Amazon superhero series for Season 4, marking yet another reunion between an alum of the long-running CW series and its creator Eric Kripke, who is now showrunner of “The Boys.” “Walking Dead” star Morgan will be a recurring guest star on the fourth season of “The Boys,” with details about his character being kept under wraps for now. On The CW’s now-ended “Supernatural,” Morgan played John Winchester, the demon-hunting father of Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki), whom he taught the “family business” from a very early age following the death of their mother Mary (Samantha Smith) at the hands of a yellow-eyed demon in the series opening moments.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer A “Gladiators” revival is heading to BBC One next year. The competition series is returning with an eleven episode series produced by MGM Television UK and Hungry Bear Media, and will focus on “a brand new generation of superhumans who will compete against contestants in the ultimate test of speed and strength.” Per BBC One, this new iteration of “Gladiators” will incorporate fresh games alongside classic challenges, culminating at the end of each installment with the iconic “The Eliminator” event. Filming will take place at the Utilita Arena Sheffield in 2023. Additional information about the series, including broadcast details, will be announced at a later date.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Fox Corp. unveiled its third annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report Wednesday, revealing the company’s approach to corporate giving, environmental, social and governance, employee benefits and resources, diversity and inclusion, and data security during its fiscal year 2022, which Variety has obtained exclusively. Covering corporate activities from June 2021-2022, the new Fox CSR report showcases the Rupert Murdoch-founded company’s philanthropic “Fox Forward” initiatives that focus on “serving veterans, active-duty military members and first responders; enhancing educational opportunities and providing support for underserved students and teachers; providing global disaster relief assistance; and investing in local communities through partnerships, financial donations, volunteer efforts and magnification across Fox’s media assets,” per the media giant.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Amazon’s Prime Video is going big with fall TV, launching the most expensive TV series in history, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” and taking full control of NFL’s “Thursday Night Football.” But on the film side, things are a little less groundbreaking and more in flux as the industry waits to see what the e-commerce giant plans to do with MGM and which top movie-studio exec Amazon will select to run its film business. Among those whom Variety hears Amazon has spoken with in recent weeks are Netflix film chief Scott Stuber, Paramount Pictures alum Emma Watts and Warner Bros. vet Toby Emmerich. But according to multiple sources familiar with the matter, though Amazon “loved” Watts and doesn’t see Stuber as being interested in this type of role, deliberations are far from over and Amazon still has distance to go before the top film exec is chosen.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer“Better Call Saul” said goodbye last Monday and brought a big crowd to AMC Networks’ streamer AMC+ as its farewell gift.Per AMC, first-day viewing on AMC+ of the final episode of the Bob Odenkirk-led series was more than four times as big as the Season 6 premiere, which aired April 18. The final season of “Better Call Saul” is the No.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterSPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “A Dream of a Thousand Cats”/”Calliope,” the surprise 11th episode of “The Sandman” Season 1.Netflix’s “The Sandman” was always meant to have 11 episodes in its first season — you just didn’t know it until the special final installment, a two-part animated and live-action story titled “A Dream of a Thousand Cats”/”Calliope,” dropped Friday.Or, if you’re a diehard fan who has been following every piece of “Sandman” news since the TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s beloved graphic novels was first ordered to series in July 2019, you might have been slightly gaslit into not remembering that there were 11 episodes when the 10-episode season launched two weeks ago. “There may have been hints earlier.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterWhile Netflix has yet to renew Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman” for Season 2, it’s just given fans of the new hit TV series the next best thing by dropping a surprise “bonus” episode featuring guest stars Sandra Oh, James McAvoy, David Tennant and Michael Sheen.Dropping Friday at 12 a.m. PT, exactly two weeks after the first 10 episodes launched, the new installment of “The Sandman” Season 1 is a live-action/animated hybrid episode adapting two fan-favorite stories from Gaiman’s “Sandman” graphic novels from DC Comics: “A Dream of a Thousand Cats” and “Calliope.”“A Dream of a Thousand Cats” is the animated portion and stars Tom Sturridge in his leading “Sandman” role as Dream, as well as a guest voice cast members including Oh as The Prophet, Rosie Day as The Tabby Kitten, David Gyasi as The Grey Cat, Joe Lycett as The Black Cat, Gaiman himself as Crow/Skull Bird, McAvoy as Golden-Haired Man, David Tennant as Don, Georgia Tennant as Laura Lynn, Sheen as Paul, Anna Lundberg as Marion, Nonso Anozie as Wyvern, Diane Morgan as Gryphon, and Tom Wu as Hippogriff.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterNBC’s “Password” reboot from executive producer Jimmy Fallon and host Keke Palmer has picked up its key demo ratings by 43% and its viewership by 27% with delayed and digital viewing following the show’s Aug. 9 premiere, Variety has learned exclusively.Over its first two episodes (the second airing Aug. 16), “Password” is averaging an 0.63 rating among adults in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic and 5.2 million total viewers, when combining both linear and digital viewing through Wednesday.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterHow do producers figure out what episode best represents their series when submitting the overall show for an award? For “Rick and Morty,” the process is “not scientific,” according to Dan Harmon.The Harmon and Justin Roiland-created Adult Swim series, which has twice won the Emmy for outstanding animated series — first for the Season 3 episode “Pickle Rick” and then for Season 4’s “The Vat of Acid Episode” — has offered up “Mort Dinner Rick Andre” as its Season 5 contender at next month’s Emmys.“We just looked at it as a really nice overall success from every department on the show,” Harmon told Variety ahead of the “Rick and Morty” Season 6 premiere on Sept. 4.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterByron Allen’s free streaming service HBCU Go has struck a nationwide licensing agreement with CBS stations that will run through the 2022-2023 college football season.Under the distribution pact between the Allen Media Group-owned digital platform, which focuses on coverage of the U.S.’s 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), HBCU Go’s sports programming will be carried on CBS owned-and-operated duopoly stations in these key TV markets: New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Tampa, Detroit, Miami and Pittsburgh.As a result of the new CBS stations deal, HBCU Go — which recently got the rights to air premier NCAA Division 2 HBCU conference sporting events in a pact with Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) — will be available in 60% of U.S. television households and 70% African-American households.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterFollowing last year’s premiere of “Candy Coated Christmas,” featuring Food Network star Ree Drummond, Discovery+ is getting even more into the scripted holiday spirit with two new Christmas movies from Food Network — and the first two ever from HGTV, Variety has learned exclusively.The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned cable channels have just wrapped production on the four features, which include cameos from HGTV’s “Home Town” hosts Ben and Erin Napier and “Love It or List It’s” Hilary Farr, as well as Food Network stars Bobby Flay and Duff Goldman.Titled “One Delicious Christmas,” “A Gingerbread Christmas,” “A Christmas Open House” and “Designing Christmas,” the four movies will all launch Friday, Nov.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterAmazon’s Prime Video will debut the first two episodes of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” on the show’s Sept. 2 premiere date, switching to a one-episode-per-week release for the remaining six episodes, the streamer confirmed Tuesday.In making the choice to not have a 100% weekly release plan, “The Rings of Power” will avoid a major finale showdown with HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” which will premiere its 10-episode first season Sunday.If “Rings of Power” had dropped one episode per week, rather than doubling up its first week, both shows would have aired their Season 1 finales during the same week (Oct. 21 for “Rings of Power” and Oct.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterThe viral TikTok sensation that is “Bama Rush,” a.k.a. sorority recruitment week at the University of Alabama, is getting the documentary treatment from Vice Studios and HBO, Variety has confirmed.Directed by “Introducing, Selma Blair” director Rachel Fleit, the documentary is currently in production in Tuscaloosa, where “rush week” at the University of Alabama has recently concluded with more than 2,500 students rushing 19 sororities.“This film is a thoughtful and compassionate portrayal of young women in 2022 as they rush the sorority system at the University of Alabama,” Fleit said in a statement via Vice, which was first provided to The New York Times for an Aug.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterChip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network lineup, including all five seasons of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper,” will begin streaming on HBO Max in September, Variety has learned exclusively.According to a WarnerMedia source, “select” titles from Magnolia Network will come to the streamer Friday, Sept. 30, as part of a page featuring “curated” content from the Gaineses, which includes “Fixer Upper: Welcome Home,” “Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines” and “The Lost Kitchen,” among other series.The former HGTV superstars launched their Magnolia linear and streaming channel in partnership with Discovery last year, before Discovery’s merger with WarnerMedia.Industry sources say that a new series “Fixer Upper: The Castle,” which centers on the Gaines’ overhauling their 100-year old castle in Waco, Texas, will premiere on HBO Max, along with the linear Magnolia Network and Discovery+, on Oct.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterEntertainment One is expanding its partnership with unscripted production company Creature Films by signing the “Siesta Key” producer to a multiyear overall deal, Variety has learned exclusively.The pact, which is the latest extension of a first-look deal originally signed between eOne and Mark Ford’s Creature Films in 2015, evolves the relationship into exclusive development territory and is good through 2024.Throughout their six-year partnership, Creature Films, which Variety has confirmed recently appointed Pat Lambert as head of development, and eOne have produced MTV’s “Siesta Key,” which was recently renewed for a fifth season, “Behind the Music” for Paramount+, the upcoming Paramount+ doc “The Lady and the Legend” about Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Amazon’s “Mary J. Blige’s My Life,” Lifetime’s “Wendy Williams: What a Mess,” BET’s “Chronicles,” A&E’s “Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.” and “Biography: Bobby Brown.” Lambert joins Creature Films as head of development from 44 Blue Productions, where he had worked since 2015.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterFor “The Americans” masterminds Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg’s latest series at FX, the duo decided to make one of the main characters Jewish — but have him played by Steve Carell, who is not Jewish.Amid an increase in scrutiny of casting choices like this made for film and TV projects, the producers explained their personal reasoning for the move to reporters during a virtual panel for “The Patient” at the Television Critics Association summer press tour Tuesday.“When we came up with the original idea, the character wasn’t originally Jewish,” Weisberg said. “And then you start, as you always do, looking for ways to add specificity and depth. And we came up with that idea pretty quickly.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterEndeavor Content has named Kasee Calabrese, AMC Networks’ executive vice president of global finance, its new CFO.In her newly created role as executive vice president and chief financial officer for Endeavor Content, Calabrese will oversee the TV and film production company’s financial affairs and planning in support of its studio and distribution, documentary, music and live experiences divisions as the studio continues to expand.Calabrese’s new position is effective immediately. She will be a member of the senior leadership team, reporting to Endeavor Content co-CEOs Chris Rice and Graham Taylor.The AMC Networks vet joins Endeavor Content on the heels of South Korean media company CJ ENM acquiring an 80% stake in Endeavor Content.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterNexstar CEO Perry Sook has extended his contract with the company through March 31, 2026.Sook, who founded Nexstar Media Group in 1996, has served as CEO since that time.“Given his long-term record of accomplishments, we are delighted to extend Perry’s employment agreement,” Dennis Miller, chairman of Nexstar’s board of directors compensation committee, said. “He is rightfully recognized as the industry’s most effective leader and innovator, and his vision, commitment and team-building have driven Nexstar’s exceptional record of operating execution, consistent financial growth and the enhancement of shareholder value, while positioning the Company to aggressively compete in the ever-changing media environment.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterChip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network has renewed “Art in Bloom with Helen Dealtry” and “Restored,” and it has ordered three new cooking and renovation series while also revealing its August slate of premiere dates.Premiering this fall are new shows “Big Sky Kitchen with Eduardo Garcia” (working title), “La Pitchoune: Cooking in France” and “Weekend Makeover” with DIY expert Jenni Yolo. “Art in Bloom” has been picked up for a third season and “Restored” for a seventh season, both set to premiere in the coming months.“Big Sky Kitchen with Eduardo Garcia” centers on the Montana-based chef as he invites viewers into his kitchen, where he prepares meals drawn from his Latin and Jewish heritage, using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterPeacock ended the second quarter of the year with 13 million paid subscribers, Comcast revealed along with its Q1 earnings results Thursday.That total is flat with the 13 milion paid subscribers Comcast reported for the streamer in Q1, which has both free, ad-supported and paid, ad-free tiers. When Comcast chairman-CEO Brian Roberts revealed that data back on April 28, also saying Peacock had 28 million monthly active accounts, he warned the company did not anticipate this dramatic level of growth quarter-to-quarter for Peacock becoming the norm, as the four million paid subscriber additions it boasted in Q1 were largely attributed to Peacock streaming both Super Bowl LVI and the Beijing Winter Olympics during the quarter.