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... and SAG-AFTRA Are Ready to Join WGA
Deals and Markets as the WGA Strike Moves Into Month 2
From Variety

The Directors Guild's national board voted unanimously tonight to approve a tentative agreement for a new film and TV contract. The deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which was reached late Saturday night, goes this week to the guild's membership for ratification with the board's recommendation to vote "yes."

Prominent members of the guild's board include Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, 2nd Vice President Ron Howard and 5th Vice President Ava DuVernay.

The deal, which came on the 33rd day of the Writers Guild's strike – and just four days before tomorrow's start of SAG-AFTRA's contract talks – includes significant pay hikes, a 76% increase in foreign residuals for the largest streaming platforms, and assurances that artificial intelligence cannot replace directors or their teams.

"We set out to negotiate a contract that would build for the future. This is a significant deal with gains for every director, assistant director, unit production manager, associate director and stage manager," said DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter. "Our industry is rapidly changing and expanding, and this agreement is what we need to adapt to those changes, break new ground and protect the DGA's 19,000 directors and directorial team members today, and in the years to come. Along with the rest of the DGA National Board, I am proud to enthusiastically recommend this tentative agreement to our members for ratification. Together, we will secure the future we deserve."

The membership of SAG-AFTRA has voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike authorization, maximizing the guild's leverage ahead of negotiations that begin on Wednesday.

If SAG-AFTRA goes on strike, any remaining film and TV production would halt immediately.

The union represents 160,000 performers. SAG-AFTRA is pursuing an agenda that includes restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence, higher streaming residuals and limitations on self-taped auditions.

Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement that the vote sends a message of "strength and solidarity." Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the guild's executive director, said it signals that "it's time for an evolution in this contract."

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, issued a terse response: "We are approaching these negotiations with the goal of achieving a new agreement that is beneficial to SAG-AFTRA members and the industry overall."

The vote comes two days after the Directors Guild of America announced a tentative agreement on its new three-year contract. The agreement includes wage hikes and a 76% increase in international residuals on the largest platforms, according to a DGA summary.

Other developments...
- According to the DGA summary, the guild also obtained language on artificial intelligence, making clear that "AI is not a person and that generative AI cannot replace the duties performed by members." The summary makes no mention of a prohibition on AI training, which has been a proposal offered by the other two guilds. The provision stating that "AI is not a person" appears to mirror language that was offered to the WGA. The WGA contract already specifies that a writer cannot be an "impersonal purveyor" of literary material, and the AMPTP offered an AI side letter that would have underscored that. The WGA has also sought language requiring that if a screenwriter uses AI, that will not reduce the writer's credit and compensation.
at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, this also would have been the first Peabody Awards to be held in Southern California.
- As Hollywood braces for a potentially long writers strike, Canadians can expect even more reality TV fare beyond popular series like The Voice and Survivor dominating screens in the fall. That's because private Canadian broadcasters astride a giant U.S. TV market have primetime grids that, where possible, mirror those of the U.S. networks to boost audience and advertising revenue. So, unsurprisingly, that has upcoming fall-winter TV schedules north of the border upended by the Writers Guild of America strike and a production industry hiatus for scripted series.
- Mark Gaberman has posted updated from the pickets with his fellow "Jeopardy!" writers. "Ladies and gentlemen... your #WGAstrong #Jeopardy writing staff," he captioned the post, which showed the group holding banners outside the entrance of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Since the dawn of the strike, Gaberman has taken to sharing posts supporting his fellow strikers, as well as explaining to a number of Twitter users that Jeopardy! does, indeed, have a team of WGA writers putting its clues together.
- #PayUpHollywood, the organization founded in 2019 to promote pay equity for Hollywood's assistants, said Wednesday that it has relaunched its Hollywood Support Staff Relief Fund as a permanent emergency fund to aid film and TV support staff impacted by the ongoing Writers Guild strike and any other industry work stoppages in the future.

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posted 6/7/2023


New York Times
PAT COOPER: 1929-2023
Angry Comedian Played Games During the 70s
From the Hollywood Reporter

Pat Cooper, the brash Italian-American stand-up from Brooklyn whose anger real and imagined provided fuel for a long career in comedy, has died. He was 93.

Cooper died Tuesday night at his home in Las Vegas, his wife, Emily Conner, announced.

A mainstay in nightclubs from Atlantic City to Las Vegas, Cooper opened for Ginger Rogers at the Desert Inn and Frank Sinatra at the Sands. He said he once refused to take out a joke about an upside-down St. Anthony statue that Sinatra wanted excised and never worked with the singer again.

Also known for his nonstop, rapid-fire delivery, Cooper appeared as himself on the 1996 Seinfeld episode "The Friars Club" — he participated in many a roast at that famed comedic establishment in midtown Manhattan — and made regular appearances on late-night talk shows, for Ed Sullivan and, starting in the 1980s, on Howard Stern's radio program.

The bespectacled comic played consigliere Salvatore Masiello in Analyze This (1999) and its 2002 follow-up, Analyze That (2002) but said he refused Martin Scorsese's invitation to appear in Casino (1995), saying he was "a name performer" who deserved more than three lines of dialogue.

In his 2011 memoir, How Dare You Say How Dare Me!: An Autobiography of a Life in Comedy, Cooper wrote that he never appeared again on The Tonight Show after a drunken Johnny Carson accidentally urinated on him in the bathroom of a New York nightclub in the early 1970s. That tale was related in the chapter called "I'd Rather Be Pissed Off Than Pissed On."

Cooper appeared on the panels of "Celebrity Sweepstakes" and "Rhyme and Reason",

Cooper is survived by two children, Michael and Louise Caputo, with his first wife Patti Jo Cooper.

The Hollywood Reporter
Deadline

posted 6/7/2023

Lies, Lies, Lies, Yeaaah
BBC One Renews "Bridge of Lies" for Two Seasons
From the BBC

Hit BBC One Daytime quiz show Bridge of Lies will return for a third series, and the primetime celebrity series will also be back for series two.

The new celebrity episodes (8x45) will air in primetime, while regular episodes (25x45) of the STV Studios-produced show will follow on BBC One Daytime, both coming in 2024.

Host Ross Kemp says: "I'm overwhelmed at the response we've had from audiences for this show. It's great for all the family to get involved in, both in the day and on Saturday evenings. Hosting Bridge of Lies, with all its jeopardy, tension and hilarious moments, is one of the most enjoyable parts of my year, so I'm delighted it's been recommissioned by the BBC and can't wait to get back filming in Glasgow."

Rob Unsworth, Head of BBC Daytime comments: "Bridge of Lies has been a real hit with Daytime audiences, so I'm delighted to be bringing it back for a third series. It's a unique and winning format, and Ross does a brilliant job making contestants feel at ease when they're under pressure. I know viewers will be as excited as I am to see it return."

Bridge of Lies sees teams of contestants competing for cash by crossing a bridge made up of stepping stones across the studio floor. Each stepping stone has a different option, and the players must try to get from A to B by stepping on the truths and avoiding the lies, or risk falling off the bridge and out of the game. Series three is currently looking for contestants to take part*.

BBC
Telly Mix

posted 6/7/2023

TUESDAY: Time for Talent
NBC Owns the Night
From TV Line

In the latest TV show ratings, NBC's America's Got Talent easily led Tuesday both in the demo and in total viewers.

AGT (with 6 million total viewers and a 0.6 demo rating) was down a tick from last week's season opener. Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge (2 mil/0.3) held steady vs. its debut.

Fox's Beat Shazam (1.1 mil/0.3) ticked up in the demo, while Don't Forget the Lyrics (1.2 mil/0.2) was steady.

The CW's Superman & Lois (666K/0.1) inched up to its best audience since April 4 (and third-largest of the season), with just two episodes left to go. Gotham Knights (360K/0.0) dropped some eyeballs.

ABC's Soul of a Nation: The Freedom to Exist drew 1.3 mil and a 0.2.

Tuesday cable numbers...
(totals/A18-49)
- Supermarket Stakeout (Food): 628k/0.12
- Chopped (Food): 619k/0.11
- Celebrity Family Feud - 9p (R/BET): 507k/0.14
- Split Second (GSN): 437k/0.05
- Celebrity Family Feud - 10p (R/BET): 383k/0.11
- The Ultimate Fighter (ESPN): 274k/0.11

TV Line
Showbuzz Daily

posted 6/7/2023

Challenge Accepted!
CBC Renews "Canada's Ultimate Challenge"
From CBC

t's Game time! As announced on Thursday by CBC as part of its programming slate announcement, CANADA'S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE, the reality competition series that transforms the country into an epic obstacle course, will return for a second season. The national public broadcaster has kicked off a nationwide search for energetic Canadians seeking the adventure of a lifetime. Aspiring competitors who love adventure and testing their limits are encouraged to apply online now at cbc.ca/canadasultimatechallenge for the chance to participate in the upcoming season. Casting will be open until July 23, 2023. Produced by Insight Productions and The Gurin Company, season two will shoot on location across Canada this fall.

The inaugural season of CANADA'S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE saw teams, coached by legendary Canadian athletes, compete in incredible challenges at awe-inspiring locations including: Whistler, BC; Squamish, BC; Hinton, AB; Whitehorse, YT; Kelowna, BC; Sudbury, ON; Thousand Islands, ON; Québec City, QC; and the Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. In the end, Team Black won the entire competition and claimed the ultimate prize – a trip to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to cheer on Team Canada. Audiences can catch up on all the action from the first season on CBC Gem.

CANADA'S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE is a competition reality format that turns the entire country into a giant obstacle course. Superstar coaches guide and mentor teams of everyday Canadians at site-specific challenges in a unique competition structure. Each episode takes place at an iconic Canadian location where teams compete in spectacular Solo, Tandem or Team challenges that test them physically and mentally. Throughout the series, the coaches make strategic decisions and motivate their players to victory.

CBC

posted 6/7/2023

Stefan Raab Moves from ProSieben to RTL
Pair of Quiz Formats Greenlit
From C21 Media

German broadcaster RTL has commissioned new seasons of two formats originally created by producer Stefan Raab for rival network ProSieben.

Quizshow Blamieren oder Kassieren will move to RTL from this autumn while Schlag den Besten will begin airing on its new channel in 2024.

In Blamieren oder Kassieren, two celebrities compete against a studio contestant in witty quiz rounds.

Revamped primetime show Schlag den Besten sees celebrities compete against each other in various duels over four episodes. In the finale, the best two play for the jackpot. T

he shows join Raab's series Turmspringen on RTL. Both are produced locally by Banijay-owned prodco Brainpool.

Inga Leschek, MD of programming at RTL and RTL+, said: "With Turmspringen we have already brought a great Raab TV format to RTL, which we will continue next year. As a big fan of Stefan Raab and his creative output, I'm delighted that we'll soon have two more strong shows from his forge in our line-up."

C21 Media

posted 6/7/2023

IGT, Wheel Spin for 10 More Years
Gaming Firm Re-Ups with Sony
From Casino.org

International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) announced Monday that it inked a 10-year agreement with Sony Pictures Television that secures licensing of the famed "Wheel of Fortune" brand across a variety of wagering platforms.

Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. The new contract kicks in on Jan. 1, 2025, and runs through Dec. 31, 2034.

The new accord allows IGT to license "Wheel of Fortune" across the casino gaming, lottery, iGaming, and iLottery mediums and features nonexclusive rights that allow the gaming device manufacturer to license the brand on free-to-play social casinos.

IGT is the manufacturer behind the "Wheel of Fortune" slot machines found in scores of land-based casinos across the US. The various iterations of that game are among the most popular slot titles in the country and cement IGT's status as one of the top three slot makers in North America.

"Wheel of Fortune" slot machines are beloved by bettors because some versions of the game include the potential for massive payouts. Over the past year, the game has delivered multiple six- and seven-figure awards to bettors in Las Vegas, and at regional and tribal casinos.

Casino.org
Indian Gaming
European Gaming

posted 6/7/2023

Wednesday Lightning Round
... or "Respect the Legend"

  • Michael Grimm taken to ICU with mystery illness (Deadline)

  • Julianne Hough, Skylar Astin to host Tony Awards pre-show (The Wrap)

  • A FEW GOOD MINUTES with the EPs of "The Traitors" (The Wrap)

posted 6/7/2023

ABC Claims Victory (In the Demo)
Fueling the Rise: Unscripted
From Deadline

ABC is claiming a victory of its own for the 2022-23 TV season.

The network is currently averaging a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 entertainment demo for primetime programming, excluding sports, per Nielsen most current data through May 24.

That puts it at No. 1 among the broadcasters in terms of entertainment programming, beating the 0.5 rating scored by Fox, NBC and CBS.

This is the fourth consecutive year that ABC has ranked or tied as the highest-rated broadcaster in entertainment, which is a first for the network since the inception of the Nielsen electronic database 31 years ago.

ABC has been particularly successful with unscripted, touting six of the TV season's highest-rated primetime programs — American Idol Sunday (0.9 rating), The Bachelor (0.8 rating), Bachelor in Paradise Tuesday (0.8 rating), American Idol Monday (0.7 rating), Jeopardy! Masters Monday (0.7 rating) and Bachelor in Paradise Monday (0.7 rating).

DEadline

posted 6/6/2023

MONDAY: Ninja Feud!
ABC Reruns, NBC Not-Reruns Win Night
From TV Line

In the latest TV show ratings, NBC's American Ninja Warrior tied ABC's Celebrity Family Feud rerun for the Monday demo win, while the latter also delivered the night's biggest audience.

Ninja Warrior opened Season 15 with just shy of 3 million total viewers and a 0.4 demo rating, right on par with last summer's averages. Weakest Link led out of that with 1.9 mil and a 0.2.

The night's first Celebrity Family Feud repeat of two delivered Monday's largest audience: 3.5 million.

Fox's Stars on Mars was parked on the launchpad with just 1.3 mil and a 0.2, after which Crime Scene Kitchen easily hit series lows (1.1 mil/0.2) with its long-delayed Season 2 opener.

The CW's The Rising (384K/0.1) shed viewers versus its premiere, whereas Barons (201K/0.0) added some.

CBS's airing of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation averaged 2.8 mil and a 0.2.

On cable (totals/A18-45)...
- Summer Baking Championship - 9p (Food): 995k/0.13
- Race to Survive Alaska (SF/USA): 556k/0.16
- Split Second (GSN): 407k/0.04

TV Line

Showbuzz Daily

posted 6/6/2023

... and BBC Likes It.
Beeb Announces "I Kissed a Girl" Spin-Off of "I Kissed a Boy"
From the BBC

That's right, if you were heartbroken about the end of groundbreaking I Kissed A Boy, then look no further as BBC Three has just announced I Kissed A Girl.

The new 10-part BBC Three series I Kissed A Girl will see 10 single girls matched up and meet for the first time to share a kiss.

Will their first kiss lead to love? Or will they choose to explore other options during the ultimate summer of love…

Host Dannii Minogue is excited to watch it all unfold, saying: "After showing love truly is for everyone with I Kissed A Boy, I am thrilled to have the chance to be Cupid again for girls in this second series.

"I'm so excited to see if we can find more connections, chemistry and hopefully love sealed with a kiss - here come the girls."

BBC
Digital Spy

Planet Radio

posted 6/6/2023

ITV Not Feeling Summer "Love"
Season 10 Premiere Drops Nearly Half
From Variety

Ratings for the British edition of "Love Island" have plummeted for a second consecutive season.

The ITV dating reality show's Season 10 premiere on Monday night drew 1.3 million and an 11% audience share — that's slightly more than half the viewers from the 2.4 million (15.4% share) who tuned in for the 2022 summer season opener.

It also continues a downward linear ratings trend for "Love Island," which had a quiet winter season a few months back despite featuring a new host in Maya Jama. The winter premiere episode attracted just 1.4 million viewers and an 8.7% audience share on its terrestrial broadcast. (It was, however, a different story on streamer ITVX, with the launch drawing 3.4 million viewers, according to ITV.)

Figures for catch-up viewing on the fledgling streaming platform hadn't been released at press time, but it's clear that this summer season will be a crucial test case for ITVX as it continues to explore where audiences are watching its juggernaut programs.

"Love Island's" peak years were from 2017 to 2019, when each episode would pull some 3.5 million viewers. Producers are evidently trying to freshen up the format, with a couple of major twists already thrown in to the Season 10 premiere.

Variety
DEadline

posted 6/6/2023

Telemundo Buys 50
New Series from Banijay
From Banijay

Content powerhouse, Banijay, today announces The Fifty (Les Cinquante) will be adapted for the US Hispanic market.

Produced by EndemolShine Boomdog, part of Banijay Americas, for Telemundo, Los 50 is the first international version of the reality competition created by Banijay Productions France.

In the US Hispanic version, known as Los 50, stars will come together in a competition like no other. They will live together in an exotic mansion while competing against each other in a relentless and unpredictable game. As they face challenges posed by the masked game master, they will have to make alliances and develop strategies to avoid elimination. With each game, they play in the hopes of adding money to the grand prize which can total up to $400,000. In the end, only one player will walk away with the cash and, in a first for Telemundo, one fan of the show will also win a part of the prize pot.

Alejandro Rincón, CEO at EndemolShine Boomdog says: "It's the perfect time to produce The Fifty for the US Hispanic market as it entertains and taps into the desire for psychological gameshows, as well as connecting celebrities and their fans. We are excited to be the first country to add our local twist to this innovative IP."

Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations at Banijay adds: "It is fantastic to mark the very first international version of The Fifty with EndemolShine Boomdog. Producing an adaptation which is sure to have audiences of all ages on the edge of their seats, it is interactive, full of twists and a testament to the creativity within Banijay. We firmly believe this is just the start for the reality competition format, which was initially supported off-the-ground by our global Creative Fund."

Banijay
C21 Media

posted 6/6/2023

Tuesday Lightning Round
... or "Hotter Wheels"

  • "Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge" rises to 4.8 million & a 0.81 ratings in the demo... thanks to PEacock (Deadline)

  • Danny Bonnaduce recovering after brain surgery (The Wrap)

  • Violet Chachki honored by Tom of Finland Foundation (Variety)

  • Is Brad Rutter coming back to "Jeopardy!"? (TV Insider)

  • Jay Leno plays Hershey November (Broadway World)

  • VIDEO WALL: from track star to game show royalty, Rachel Reynolds celebrates her 20th Price-a-versary (Screenrant)

  • A FEW GOOD MINUTES with Alex Wagner (The Wrap)

posted 6/6/2023

"Person, Place or Thing" Goes to Series
Fox Orders Tested Game to Fall
From NextTV

Person, Place or Thing — Fox First Run's new game show hosted by Melissa Peterman — has been sold in nearly 90% of the U.S. for a fall 2023 launch. The show will premiere on Fox-owned stations as well as on stations in the Sinclair, Nexstar Media Group, Gray Television, E.W. Scripps and Tegna groups in 161 markets.

"I've been trying to get Melissa to host one of our game shows for years," Stephen Brown, executive VP of programming and development for Fox First Run and Fox Television Stations, said in a statement. "Her upbeat energy and comic timing work perfectly on Person, Place or Thing."

The game is played like the old standby "20 Questions," in which players ask yes or no questions to try to get their partner to identify a person, place or thing.

"I'm excited to return to working with Stephen Brown and the team at Fox on a game show that is truly for everyone," Peterman — who has starred in such shows as The CW's Reba, Freeform's Baby Daddy and CBS's Young Sheldon — said in a statement. "This is 20 Questions for the 21st century, with twists and turns that will keep people guessing. I promise that viewers will be shouting answers at the TV from home, but I can't promise we'll hear them. I can't wait to get started."

The show was created by Jeff Proctor and Paul Franklin. Proctor, who previously served as VP of sports at CBS's Los Angeles duopoly KCBS-KCAL, is the founder and president of ProAngle Media. Franklin was formerly executive VP and general sales manager at Twentieth Television and president of CBS Television Distribution. Proctor, Franklin and Peterman serve as executive producers. Fox first tested the show last summer on select Fox-owned stations.

"We came together to create something fun, familiar, and lighthearted that the entire family can enjoy," Proctor and Franklin said in a joint statement. "Partnering with former colleagues at Fox First Run and adding Melissa as the ideal host to make viewers laugh and want to play along will make this show a hit."

NextTV
DEadline

posted 6/5/2023

Netflix Offers $456 Million... MrBeast Says "Challenge Accepted"
YouTuber Pitching "Biggest Prize Ever"
From Indy100

Mr Beast is known for his huge giveaways on YouTube and he's looking to step things up a notch with his next project.

The content creator, real name Jimmy Donaldson, has been sharing his ideas for a brand new game show on social media.

It's not just any old game show, either. The 25-year-old wants to give away the "largest prize" ever and make TV history.

He might be the biggest name on YouTube, but it looks like he's trying to involve other streaming platforms in his next big idea too.

Writing on Twitter, Donaldson said: "I want to test what I do on YouTube on a streaming service for fun to see how it performs."

He added: "Imagine a 10 episode series with 10,000 people competing for the largest prize in game show history", tagging Netflix, Max, Peacock and Disney+ with the question "Who wants to make history?".

Indy100
DExerto

posted 6/5/2023


People
ANNA SHAY: 1961-2023
"Bling Empire" Matriarch Played "Celebrity Family Feud"
From People

Bling Empire matriarch Anna Shay has died unexpectedly. She was 62.

"It saddens our hearts to announce that Anna Shay, a loving mother, grandmother, charismatic star, and our brightest ray of sunshine, has passed away at the early age of 62 from a stroke," her family said in a statement. "Anna taught us many life lessons on how not to take life too seriously and to enjoy the finer things. Her impact on our lives will be forever missed but never forgotten."

Shay appeared on Bling Empire starting in its inaugural season on Netflix in 2021, quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Shay appeared with several members of the cast of Bling Empire on a 2021 episode of "Celebrity Family Feud".

The reality star leaves behind son Kenny Kemp. Though the statement refers to Shay's grandchildren, their identities are not publicly known.

People
TV Insider
The Hollywood Reporter
Variety
The Wrap
TV Line

Deadline

posted 6/5/2023


GEtty Images
BARRY NEWMAN: 1930-2023
"Vanishing Point" Actor Played the Hollywood Squares
From The Wrap

Barry Newman, who somehow made souped-up muscle cars look even cooler in the 1971 film "Vanishing Point" and starred in the titular role on NBC's legal drama "Petrocelli," has died. He was 92 years old.

Newman died at Columbia University Irving Medical Center on May 11, according to media reports.

Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, he took a college course with renowned acting instructor Lee Strasberg, who inspired him to become an actor.

After graduating from Brandeis University and serving time in the Army, Newman moved to New York City to study with Strasberg. Newman went on to perform in various Broadway and New York theater shows before moving into feature films like 1971's "The Lawyer" and, of course, "Vanishing Point," in which he played Kowalski, a car delivery driver known for transporting hot rods in record time — but with a knack for running into trouble with highway cops.

He went on to star on NBC's "Petrocelli," which followed the Harvard-educated lawyer from Boston as he sets up shop in a small Arizona town. The series ran for two seasons through 1976. It garnered Newman nominations for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award.

In the years since "Petrocelli" ended, Newman has appeared in several TV series, including "The O.C.," "Nightingales," "Ghost Whisperer," "NYPD Blue," "L.A. Law" and "Murder, She Wrote." He also went on to appear in notable films, including Sylvester Stallone's "Daylight," Steve Martin's "Bowfinger," and Stephen Soderbergh's "The Limey" with Peter Fonda.

In game shows, Newman participated in "The New Hollywood Squares",

Newman is survived by his wife, Angela..

The Wrap
TV Insider

Deadline

posted 6/5/2023

Monday Lightning Round
... or "Daytime Slaytime"

  • YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS $#*! UP!: While ad impressions are down on primetime, they're up on daytime (NextTV)

  • Phillip Schofield says a lot of things, but not one apology (The Hollywood REporter)

  • Andi Dorfman gets married (Reality TV World)

  • Arthur Smith has a book coming out. Gordon Ramsay is in it giving him what for (REality Blurred)

  • Jay Leno ... yeah, he went there. (The Wrap)

  • Sherri Shepherd tells Lizzo to not post things you should be telling a therapist (The Wrap)

  • A FEW GOOD MINUTES with Joel McHale (TV Line) and Yolanda Gampp (Variety)

posted 6/5/2023

Padma Lakshmi to Exit "Top Chef"
Host to Depart After 20th Season
From Deadline

Bravo will need to cook up a new host of Top Chef now that Padma Lakshmi has revealed she is leaving.

Lakshmi, who also exec produces the show, said that she is leaving the cooking show after its 20th season, which is known as Top Chef: World All-Stars. The show, which has its season finale on June 8, has already been renewed for season 21.

"After much soul searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave Top Chef. Having completed a glorious 20th season as host and exec producer, I am extremely proud to have been a part of building such a successful show and of the impact it has had in the worlds of television and food," she wrote on social media.

"After 17 years, many of the cast and crew are like family to me and I will miss working alongside them dearly. I feel it's time to move and need to make space for Taste The Nation, my books and other creative pursuits," she added. "I am deeply thankful to all of you for so many years of love and support."

Top Chef's 20th season was set in London and featured 16 of the greatest competitors from the format's iterations around the globe. Lakshmi hosted alongside head judge Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. It is produced by Magical Elves.

Elsewhere, Lakshmi also hosts Hulu's Taste The Nation, which just aired its second season.

"Padma Lakshmi leaves behind an incredible legacy on Bravo's Top Chef," and NBCUniversal spokesperson said. "Her impact on the Emmy, James Beard and Critics' Choice Award-winning series is undeniable. We are grateful to Padma for being a consummate host, judge and executive producer, and for bringing her ingenuity and exceptional palate to each episode where she ate every bite of food on the series for over 17 years and 19 seasons. She will always be part of the Top Chef and the NBCUniversal family and has a seat at the judges' table anytime."

Deadline
Reality TV World
The Hollywood Reporter

Variety
The Wrap
TV Line

posted 6/2/2023

HAPPY NATIONAL GAME SHOW DAY!
Xumo, Pluto, Buzzr to Celebrate New "Holiday"
From Cord Cutters News

June 1 is National Game Show Day on the National Day Calendar and we are celebrating all timeless vintage game shows. National Game Show day honors one of the oldest TV and old radio genres and formats in the U.S.

Game Shows are watched by millions of Americans every sing day and are a staple in most American homes. Viewers have fun by engaging when people are playing games. National Game Show Day honors vintage game shows, their hosts, and the fans of yesterday and today.

Xumo Play announced its third annual Game Show Week would kick off on May 29th and run through June 4th.

Xumo Play's Game Show Week will have 13 channels airing the best-of many popular shows. These shows include Family Feud; BUZZR; The Price is Right; Wipeout Xtra and Fear Factor (owned by Banijay Rights); The Celebrity Name Game channel (new this year); and many more.

"Game Show Week is among our top programming in terms of total hours consumed, and it remains a fan-favorite where viewers delight in playing-along-at-home, or just leaning back to enjoy the very best of classic game show content," said Fern Feistel, VP of Marketing and Content Operations at Xumo. "It offers hundreds of hours of beloved entertainment across 13 dedicated channels, all thoughtfully curated to showcase some of the most celebrated episodes and epic moments in game show history."

Over on PlutoTV, the Paramount-owned FAST service is launching two new channels: The Price Is Right: Drew Carey and Family Feud Classics.
- The Price Is Right: Drew Carey: They came, they bid, they won! The Price is Right with Drew Carey now has its own channel. Join us 24/7 for America's longest running game show.
- Family Feud Classics: Two families face-off in a feud to the finish as they compete to see who can guess the most popular answers to provocative surveys.
The channels join
Jeopardy! hosted by Alex Trebek, Wheel of Fortune, Let's Make A Deal, The Price Is Right: The Barker Era, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader, Buzzr, PlutoTV Game Shows, and more on the Game Shows Tier.

Speaking of Buzzr, the classic game show network will celebrate the biggest wins of the genre from Thursday June 1 to Sunday June 4 from 12 noon ET to 12 midnight ET each day.

Cord Cutters News
NextTV
National Day Calendar

Cord Cutters News
Digital Trends

posted 6/1/2023

WEDNESDAY: The Finish Line
Last Night of the Season Goes to... CBS. And ABC. And NBC.
From TV Line

In the latest TV show ratings, Fox's MasterChef led the first Wednesday of the off-season in the demo, while CBS' FBI: Most Wanted rerun copped the quiet night's largest audience.

With #OneChicago and Survivor now out of the way, MasterChef drew 2.2 million total viewers and a 0.4 demo rating, up sharply from last week's season opener. Week 2 of Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars (1.6 mil/0.3) similarly enjoyed gains.

Facing minimal competition, the CW's Nancy Drew returned to 420,000 total viewers and a 0.1 demo rating, improving on both its 16-months-ago finale and its average Season 3 audience (360K, which aired on Fridays opposite Magnum P.I., 20/20 and such). Riverdale (283K/0.1) in turn hit a season high in audience and ticked up in the demo.

That aforementioned Most Wanted repeat delivered 3.6 million viewers.

Wednesday cable numbers...
(totals/A18-49) are forthcoming.

TV Line
Showbuzz Daily

posted 6/1/2023

One Lady, One Question
Claudia Winkleman Returns to Quiz
From Channel 4

Channel 4 has recommissioned Chalkboard TV with Motion Content Group to make a six-episode second series of the entertainment quiz show One Question. Claudia Winkleman returns to host the show, with just One Question for game pairs hoping to win £100,000.

One Question is a seemingly simple yet deceptively difficult general knowledge quiz in which pairs of contestants must answer just one question correctly. But that one question comes with 20 possible answers and only one is correct. All the players must do to win £100k ($120,000), is choose which is the correct answer. Eliminate the incorrect answers and they'll be on the path to victory, but if they eliminate the one correct answer it's game over.

On returning to the One Question hot seat, Claudia Winkleman said: "I'm completely obsessed with this show and am so happy we get to do it again. No buzzers, no fancy lighting, no hoo haa. Just one question and I can give our brilliant players 100k. Plus there's sitting down. I'm a big fan of sitting down."

Tom Beck, Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, said: "We had a lot of fun making One Question and it was a joy to see our viewers respond so positively to it. It's brilliant to have the incomparable Claudia Winkleman back to be asking that all important one question."

Channel 4

posted 6/1/2023

More on "Is It Cake, Too?"
Catch It On Netflix June 30
From Netflix Life

One of Netflix's sillier baking shows is returning to us very soon! Is It Cake, Too? will premiere this June, so get ready to watch a brand new group of bakers compete to befuddle and confuse a panel of celebrity judges as they try to guess which objects are real and which are cake.

Is It Cake? premiered in March 2022, and its concept is unique in that it's based on a viral internet trend most commonly seen on TikTok. You might have seen the posts and threads online asking people to figure out if a seemingly ordinary household object is real or cake. It became a running joke that literally anything could be cake.

The show takes that concept and runs wild with it as contestants in season 1 were forced to concoct cake versions of everything from purses to fast food and more. Here's everything we know about the new season of the game show so far.

The new season steps it up with the cash prize as contestants are competing for $100,000 rather than $50,000!

Netflix Life
The Futon Critic

posted 6/1/2023

Meet Charity Lawson's Suitors
More on "The Bachelorette" Season 20
From Variety

Charity Lawson is about to have her pick among 25 men as her journey to find love begins on "The Bachelorette."

Lawson — a fan-favorite from Zack Shallcross' season of "The Bachelor" — will star as ABC's leading lady for the next season of "The Bachelorette," as the show hits its milestone 20th season on June 26.

Among Lawson's suitors are two men named Aaron, three named Caleb (one with a "K"), plus a Joe and a Joey. The contestants range from age 24 to 33 and include a firefighter, a pro wrestler, a "world record jumper," a tennis pro, a yacht captain, a Harvard grad student, an attorney and a scientist.

Lawson was the fourth runner-up on "The Bachelor" Season 27, being sent home after Shallcross met her family during hometown dates.

Lawson, 27, is a child and family therapist from Columbus, Georgia. She earned her master's degree in clinical mental health counseling from Auburn University. ABC's bio describes her as "searching for a life partner who loves dogs, thrifting and a good tailgate; but, above all else, is honest, empathetic and values her for who she is." The network says she is "eager to find lasting love" to match her parents, who have been married over 47 years.

Variety
The Futon Critic
Reality TV World
TV Insider

TV Line

posted 6/1/2023

More on "Taskmaster" Season 16
Meet the Contestants
From Channel 4

As another victorious Taskmaster champion is crowned, a brand-new bunch of the nation's best and brightest comic minds have been selected by the Taskmaster Greg Davies to compete in a series of his most tricksy tasks yet, while a watchful Little Alex Horne calmly observes and takes notes with admirable efficiency in the 16th series of the BAFTA winning and Emmy nominated global comedy juggernaut.

Simultaneously bringing their A-Game and bracing themselves for the most bizarre show on television are; comedian, performer, and author Julian Clary (Friday Night Live, Channel 4), comedy actor, writer and stand-up Lucy Beaumont (Meet The Richardsons, Dave), multi-award winning stand-up Sam Campbell (Bloods, Sky), presenter, writer and comedian Sue Perkins (Perfectly Legal, Netflix), and actor, writer and director Susan Wokoma (Cheaters, BBC One). All five are vying to win points, prizes, and eternal glory in hope of winning the coveted golden trophy along with bragging rights as the Taskmaster Series 16 Champion.

Elsewhere, it has recently been announced that BAFTA nominated comedian, writer, and actor Rose Matafeo, and critically-acclaimed writer and performer Mike Wozniak have been confirmed to host and star in Channel 4's brand new children-focused entertainment show Junior Taskmaster, with Matafeo assuming the role of the mighty Junior Taskmaster and Wozniak as her loyal Assistant, the show has recently been commissioned following the continuing success of ratings and critical hit Taskmaster.

Taskmaster is produced by Avalon and Executive Producers for the series are Alex Horne, Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, James Taylor, Jon Thoday and Andy Devonshire who also acts as Series Director, while Andy Cartwright will also continue as Series Producer. Taskmaster is commissioned for Channel 4 by Tom Beck, Head of Live Events and Commissioning Editor, Entertainment, with Phil Harris, Head of Entertainment and Events.

Channel 4
Radio Times

posted 6/1/2023


Pinterest
JACKY OH: 1991-2023
Rapper/Comedian from "Wild'n Out" Partner of DC Young Fly
From Dedline

Jacky Oh, who appeared as part of the "Wild 'N Out" sketch comedy and battle rap improv game show television series, has died. No details were given on the cause of her death, which was reportedly in Miami and confirmed by a post on the show's Instagram page. She was 32.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jacklyn Smith, known to the world as Jacky Oh, a talented Wild 'N Out family member whose impact will be forever treasured and missed," a BET Media Group spokesperson wrote. "Jacky Oh was a loving friend and beloved colleague of the Wild 'N Out cast throughout five seasons. More importantly, she was a tremendous mother to three beautiful children."

"The BET Media Group extends our sincere condolences to the Smith family, DC Young Fly, B Simone, Nick Cannon, and all friends who loved and cared for Jacky Oh during this difficult time."

Jacky Oh was romantically linked with fellow "Wild 'N Out' cast member DC Young Fly. She was no longer on the long-running series, and was reportedly working as a realtor.

The couple shares three children: Nova, Nala, and Prince.

Deadline
The Sun
NEwsOne
People
TV Line

The Daily Beast

posted 6/1/2023

All3Media All for Sale?
Co-Owners WBD, Liberty Global Eye $1.2 Billion Sale
From Deadline

All3Media, the British super-producer behind hits including The Traitors and 1917, is up for sale.

Owners Warner Bros. Discovery and Liberty Global have engaged bankers at JP Morgan to conduct an auction for the production asset, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Plans are said to be at an early stage and could yet be derailed by rocky market conditions, but there is hope that All3Media can fetch more than £1B ($1.2B).

All3Media and Liberty Global had no comment. Warner Bros. Discovery did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Deadline

Variety

posted 6/1/2023

So... American Gladiators Then...
Ben Berman, Producer of Documentary, Speaks
From Variety

The two-part "30 for 30" documentary on the seminal 1990s competition show "American Gladiators" has now concluded, wrapping up an epic saga that cut right to the core of the American Dream.

The documentary dove deep into the largely unknown history of the show, which dominated the TV landscape in its initial run in syndication on US television and around the world. It revealed stories of love, lust, betrayal, friendship, injury, agony, and everything in between from the creators of the show and the Gladiators themselves.

So how did a nearly three-hour doc about a show famous for events like jousting with things that looked like huge cotton swabs and rolling around in giant steel balls called Atlaspheres come together? According to the doc's director Ben Berman, he was skeptical when initially approached by Vice about the project but changed his mind once he learned more about the story.

"A little bit into my research, I thought 'I think we can make a documentary about the history of "American Gladiators" as a microcosm to the history of America and the way history is written,'" Berman told Variety. "I thought there was something actually smart we could do with this documentary about what one might perceive as a pretty unintelligent subject matter."

The central figure in the doc is Johnny Ferraro, the co-creator of "American Gladiators." Ferraro's relationship with his fellow co-creator Dan Carr takes up a major portion of the screentime, with Ferraro's version of events not always lining up with the real story. Berman said that he respects Ferraro, and that he is "to some degree the godfather of reality TV." But that doesn't mean Berman didn't recognize when Ferraro was looking to obscure the truth.

Variety

List23

posted 6/1/2023

Thursday Lightning Round
... or "Big Deal"

  • Wayne Brady to receive NABLF Service to America Leadership Award (AP/TV NEwscheck)

  • Daymond John seeks restraining order against "Shark Tank" contestant (TV Inside)

  • LIST ABUSE: The Challenge turns 25 (TV Insider)

  • "Idol" contestant defends Katy Perry against "bully" reputation. (TV Insider)

  • Laura Gibson not too hot to handle for Universal's Monkey label (Deadline)

  • ITV Studios pitching "I'm A Celebrity" to the US... again... (Deadline)

  • Gervase Peterson sues "King of Collectibles" (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

  • Vicki Lawrence to visit Pensacon (FAcebook)

  • Bellamie Blackstone mourns her husband (Instagram)

  • A FEW GOOD MINUTES with Derek Hough (TV Insider)

posted 6/1/2023

100% French
Italian Game Show Heads to France
From TBI

French broadcaster France 2 has ordered the first adaptation of Banijay game show format 100% from Banijay Production Media.

Originally created by Banijay Italia, the format sees contestants take turns to guess the tastes, habits, and perceptions of a panel of 100 people. It debuted on TV8 in September 2022, with a primetime Christmas episode and four weekly specials in March also broadcast.

Hosted in France by Bruno Guillon, this new local version of 100% will see three celebrity duos try to guess the most popular answers given by a wall of 100 people, present in the studio, representative of the French population Only the team that gives the most correct answers will have the chance to play the final round and win up to €150,000 ($160,000) for their preferred charity.

Banijay Production Media is known for its game and entertainment programming and is behind long-running live music shows Tarata and Don't Forget the Lyrics.

Lucas Green, CCO operations at Banijay, commented: "Globally we are seeing a renewed interest in game shows which have proven successful and it's great to see 100% begin its international journey. This show delivered audiences in Italy, and with its highly adaptable format points, we are expecting the French version to be equally popular."

TBI

posted 5/31/2023

Meet the Final Six Gladiators
BBC Announces Three New "Gladiators"
From the BBC

Completing the line-up of superhuman Gladiators is Athena, Comet, Bionic, Electro, Phantom and the silent but deadly Viper. They are ready to battle contenders at the arena in Sheffield and compete in the most iconic and exciting sports entertainment gameshow, coming to BBC One and iPlayer.

A combination of brain, brawn and beauty, Karenjeet Kaur Bains, is just like the Ancient Greek Goddess of War and Wisdom, Athena. Representing Team GB, she is a winner of 3 Gold and 2 Silver Commonwealth Powerlifting medals, the five time All England Powerlifting Champion and five time British Powerlifting Champion. She's represented Great Britain at the World and European Championships, and holds the Guinness World Record for the "Most Bodyweight Squats in a minute"…. As well as being an Chartered Accountant! Very proud of her South Asian heritage, as the first Sikh Gladiator she wants to inspire people of all backgrounds to achieve their full potential. She may be small but she's mighty. Contenders, be afraid if you come up against the full force of Athena. Athena (aka AKA Karanjeet Kaur Bains) says: "I represent all those from diverse and minority backgrounds, especially women, that have ever been denied the opportunity to pursue their dreams in sport. I hope I can be a role model and show the levels a female can achieve, if she is given the opportunity to follow her passion and given the wings to fly!"

Like a Comet, Ella-Mae Rayner is a sight to behold! A former elite gymnast, she made the move into semi-professional in Diving before starting her degree in Sport Science. At university she successfully coached and competed in University Cheerleading Championships. But it wasn't until she suffered a career changing ankle injury, that she found her love for the gym. She now trains 6 times a week, alongside being a Fitness Model & Coach. Comet is a force of nature, flashing past you. Collide with her and you'll be dust! Comet (aka Ella-Mae Rayner) says: – "I'm absolutely thrilled to be Comet. I loved watching Gladiators growing up. I specifically remember Jet, she was an icon for me as a child and one of the reasons I become a gymnast. I can't believe I will be following in her footsteps. It really is a dream come true".

At a towering 6ft 6in Bodybuilder Matty Campbell is so massive and strong, he's a machine, leading to his name Bionic. As a child he used to sprint and play football, reaching Academy Level. He had hoped to become a Pro until he was involved in a car crash, it was his rehabilitation that led him to finding the gym. Despite having never previously been a gym-goer, he found that he had a ability and he started gaining muscle. He soon fell in love with the gym and subsequently started Bodybuilding. Contenders stay out of the path of Bionic, he will crush anyone who gets in his way. Bionic (aka Matty Campbell) says: – "Never in a million years did I expect to get the call to be a Gladiator, it's a feeling that'll never sink in. I'm just a normal lad from Teesside! All the training and hard work has finally paid off for me, I can't wait to get started!"

Jade Packer is a quick, electrifying, unstoppable force, earning her the name Electro. She's the perfect mix of strength, speed and skill. Now a sports model, fitness coach and hybrid athlete she started her journey as a sprinter. Her speed and abilities led to her being ranked amongst the Top 10 Fastest Runners in the UK aged 12 for 150m and she went onto to race for titles at various championships over the 100m and 200 m. She got into Bodybuilding at the age of 18 after discovering the sport on Instagram. Her dedication to training won her 4 x Top 3 UKBFF Placings in the Wellness Category, an invite to compete at the Arnold Classic and an IFBB Elite Pro Card by taking Gold at the English Grand Prix. After training for only a year before her first show, she became an instant sensation and went on to represent the UK in both Barcelona and Madrid throughout her 2 seasons. Now training in CrossFit, with a unique hybrid-style that incorporates her athletic background, she describes running as 'still her forte' alongside her strength and power. She is on a mission to fulfil her true 'athletic potential' - and has no fears or limits. Her strong work ethic means she'll do everything she can to succeed. Electro will make sparks fly, so don't be shocked when she unleashes her full force onto the contenders. Electro (aka Jade Packer) says: – I hope Electro can spark an unstoppable pursuit for a new generation of athletes. I'm ready to light up the arena with a different kind of energy.

Toby Olubi is so terrifyingly fast, unbelievably strong and frighteningly unstoppable, he lives up to his name Phantom. Toby was part of the Team GB Bobsleigh team and competed in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. In the same season, he and his team broke the world record for the fastest ever bobsleigh at 97 mph. They also made history by bringing home Great Britain's first-ever gold medal in the 2018 Whistler World Cup. Aside from bobsleigh, he has also been a sprinter a domestic level and has won the county championship for the UK men's 60m sprints and has frequently competed in the British men's 100m sprint Olympic qualifying championships. Phantom has also won the title of fastest Bobsledder in the UK push championships for four consecutive year (2015-2019). Contenders be very afraid, Phantom is bringing all his force and will leave you shivering in his wake. Phantom (aka Toby Olubi) says: This is a dream come true for me. I'm a 90's kid so the Gladiators of past were my version of real life superheroes. Now I've got the chance to don the big "G" and be an inspirational figure myself. Gladiators is all about stepping up against the odds and bringing the best version of yourself. We will be given the biggest entertainment platform to represent that ethos and I couldn't be more proud and grateful to be a Gladiator…. Let the show begin!!

For the past 15 years, Quang Luong has dedicated his life to fitness, spending each day perfecting the art of bodybuilding. But it's his precision and silent but fast reactions, that led to the name Viper. As well as bodybuilding, he boxes daily and prides himself on his speed. A fitness model, he's often been cast in films in powerful roles, even appearing in a James Bond film as a gangster. Alongside his power and precision he's looking to devour his competitors. Viper is a man of few words, but beware Viper vows to smash any contender that stands in his way Viper (aka Quang Lunog) says: "I was born to be a Gladiator. I am strong, powerful and just like a Viper I can attack with speed."

Gladiators originally aired between 1992 and 2000 before being axed, but fans of the show won't have to wait long as the BBC revival of the show is set to premiere later this year. The Chase presenter Bradley Walsh and his son Barney have been announced as the new hosts for the sports entertainment show. The final six have become the latest contenders revealed as part of the new Gladiators line-up alongside Nitro, Diamond, Giant, Fire, Legend, Fury, Steel, Sabre, Apollo, and Dynamite.

Gladiators will be filming in Sheffield. Further information about Gladiators including broadcast details will be announced in due course.

BBC
DGWgo
The Daily Record
Metro
The Sun
Gamers Grade

BBC
BBC
BBC

posted 5/31/2023

TUESDAY: Got Talent ... yeah.
NBC Wins First Tuesday of Off-Season
From TV Line

In the latest TV show ratings, NBC's America's Got Talent season opener dominated the first Tuesday of the off-season.

AGT (with 5.9 million total viewers and a 0.6 demo rating) was down from last May's season premiere (6.3 mil/0.8). In turn, Hot Wheels Ultimate Challenge (2.3 mil/0.3) fell shy of what Dancing With Myself debuted to out of AGT a year ago (2.7 mil/0.4).

With a much quieter playing field, The CW's Superman & Lois (672K/0.1) rose to its best audience in six episodes and third-best of the season, while Gotham Knights (390K/0.1) drew its largest audience in four.

Fox's Beat Shazam (1.1 mil/0.2) and Don't Forget the Lyrics (1.1 mil/0.2) were steady.

ABC's The Game Show Show's finale did 1.8 mil and a 0.2.

Tuesday cable numbers...
(totals/A18-49) are forthcoming.

TV Line
Showbuzz Daily

posted 5/31/2023

MONDAY: Ninja... Vanished?
Fox Wins on Reruns
From TV Line

In the latest TV show ratings, Fox's MasterChef rerun led a super-sleepy Monday in both measures, while The CW began rolling out its acquired off-season fare.

The aforementioned MasterChef rerun drew 3.3 million total viewers and a 0.5 demo rating. Fun fact: Its original airing last Wednesday (opposite Jeopardy! Masters, Chicago Med, Survivor and The Flash finales) drew just 1.6 mil and a 0.3.

NBC's American Ninja Warrior Women's Championship averaged 2.2 mil and a 0.3.

The CW's UK supernatural thriller The Rising made its Stateside debut to 430,000 total viewers and a 0.1 demo rating. The U.S. premiere of the Australian surfer drama Barons led out of that with 190K and a 0.0.

On cable (totals/A18-45)...
- Summer Baking Championship - 9p (Food): 867k/0.11
- Race to Survive Alaska (USA): 394k/0.12
- Split Second (GSN): 380k/0.04

TV Line

Showbuzz Daily

posted 5/31/2023

BBQ Brawl Returns
Sunny Anderson to Join Bobby, Anne July 10
From The Futon Critic

Food Network brings the heat this summer with back-to-back premieres of primetime hits BBQ Brawl and BBQ USA on Monday, July 10th at 9pm ET and 10:30pm ET/PT, respectively. In the ten-episode competition series BBQ Brawl, superstar chefs Bobby Flay, Anne Burrell and series newcomer Sunny Anderson coach twelve of the best pitmasters from across the country in high-stakes challenges to determine who will be named "Master of 'Cue." For the first time the competition takes place on-location in California, with the home of Santa Maria-style BBQ and bountiful fresh ingredients as the background for battles testing the competitors' culinary skills and ability to work together as teams. Immediately following at 10:30pm ET/PT, Michael Symon is back with more sizzling heat, tantalizing smoke, and mouthwatering action at the country's biggest and toughest BBQ competitions in the return of BBQ USA. In each of the eight one-hour episodes, Michael immerses viewers in the heart of American barbecue culture, celebrating its unique flavors, traditions and the talented pitmasters competing for cash prizes and the ultimate recognition as masters of their craft.

"BBQ Brawl is back and Anne Burrell, last year's winning team captain returns to defend her title against me and new team captain, the fabulous and unpredictable Sunny Anderson," said Flay. "We have twelve BBQ chefs from all over the country who will take residence in our new location in Northern California and fire up some smoky grills."

The Futon Critic

posted 5/31/2023

Wednesday Lightning Round
... or "First Show, First Repeater"

  • #ICYMI: You weren't hearing things... someone did their "Tonight Show" bit on AGT last night. (NBC)

  • Nick Cannon makes a joke and breaks Twitter (The Root)

  • Xavier Prather engaged (Entertainment Tongiht)

  • Family Feud contestant found guilty of ... (CourtTV)

  • Corinne Foxx wants her dad to recover in peace (Monsters & Critics)

  • LIST ABUSE: Last Comic Standing turns 20... where the winners are... (TV Insider)

  • A FEW GOOD MINUTES with Gordon Ramsay (Variety)

posted 5/31/2023


BBC

Jeremy Paxman Says Farewell
Legendary Anchor Departs "University Challenge"
From the Independent

Jeremy Paxman has hosted his last ever episode of University Challenge after 29 years on the show, saying he is looking "forward to watching it" along with fans at home.

The 73-year-old veteran broadcaster and former Newsnight presenter has hosted the series since the BBC revived it in 1994, with his final episode airing on Monday, May 29.

Paxman announced he was stepping down from the student quiz show after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2021.

He received his diagnosis after suffering a bad fall while walking his dog, Derek. Paxman's doctor had also spotted the slower and lowered facial reactions of what is known in neurology as a "Parkinsonian mask", while observing Paxman on University Challenge.

He will be replaced by broadcaster and former editor of The Independent Amol Rajan, who is the third host of the program in its 61-year history. The show was first launched by Bamber Gascoigne in 1962.

In Monday night's episode, Paxman swapped his signature merciless put-downs – he was known for delivering barbs such as "I'm afraid that is a completely useless answer" over his decades-long tenure – for a more warm and gentle approach. "It's amazing what they know!" he said at one point, marvelling at the contestants.

Signing off for the last time, Paxman said: "It remains for me to thank Jung Chang for presenting the trophy, all the teams who have entertained us over the past months, and you for watching.

"University Challenge returns later in the year and I look forward to watching it with you. So it's good night for me. Good night."

In Paxman's final episode, Durham University became the 2022-2023 University Challenge champions and received rapturous applause as Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China author Jung Chang handed over a stainless steel book award to the winners.

Independent
Yahoo!
NNN
iNews
The Central Recorder

posted 5/31/2023


The Magic Castle
MILT LARSEN: 1931-2023
Co-Founder of The Magic Castle Wrote for "Truth or Consequences"
From Variety

Milt Larsen, who wrote for the game show Truth or Consequences for nearly two decades and co-founded The Magic Castle in Hollywood, died Sunday of natural causes in Los Angeles, his family announced. He was 92.

Larsen produced TV specials for ABC, CBS and NBC and wrote songs with Richard Sherman, the Oscar winner who partnered with his late brother, Robert, to create tunes for such Disney classics as Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Jungle Book.

He also was the creator and consultant for the $50 million Caesars Magic Empire at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

In 1963, Larsen and his late brother, Bill, founded The Magic Castle in a 1909 French Chateau mansion on Franklin Avenue. With its many stages, labyrinthine corridors and old-fashioned decor, the place would become a renowned private club for magicians.

Larsen wrote five joke books and three books involving The Magic Castle, penned a weekly column for members of the club and edited a monthly newsletter. He was still president of the club's parent company at the time of his death.

In 2000, Magic magazine polled its readership and voted Larsen as one of the 100 most influential individuals in the history of the craft. Six years later, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his annual stage show, It's Magic!

Survivors include his wife, Arlene; nephew Dante; niece Erika; and great-nieces Jessica and Liberty.

The Hollywood Reporter
KTTV Los Angeles
Variety
Deadline

KTLA Los Angeles

posted 5/30/2023

WBD, Fremantle Weigh In on Channel 4 In-House
Network Poised to Own Its Own Series for First Time Ever
From Deadline

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Britain's Got Talent maker Fremantle have weighed in on the debate about the controversial creation of Channel 4 in-house.

In responses to the UK's draft Media Bill, which, when passed, will see Channel 4 given the rights to own its shows for the first time in its 40-year history, the powerhouses urged protections for the dozens of UK producers that use Channel 4 commissions as the bedrock for the growth of their businesses.

Channel 4 in-house was unveiled when privatization plans were reversed earlier this year and is arguably the most controversial element of the new Media Bill, which will also see the streamers regulated for the first time and the introduction of broadcaster prominence rules, amongst other changes.

If Channel 4 in-house is given the go-ahead WBD, which owns several UK indies, called on the government and regulator Ofcom to forge a "creative window of competition that can be retained to ensure the benefits of the current regime."

"We need to ensure the benefits are not put at risk to the detriment of Channel 4, its viewers and the wider UK audiovisual ecosystem," added the WBD response.

WBD flagged the success of its own UK indies such as Who Do You Think You Are? producer Wall to Wall and First Dates indie Twenty Twenty, which grew "as a direct result of the unique publisher-broadcaster model operated by Channel 4." The U.S. media conglomerate said Channel 4 should be given time to be measured against a new "duty of sustainability" before in-house changes are considered.

Fremantle, which produces the likes of Britain's Got Talent, The X Factor and The Apprentice via its wealth of UK indies, said "any changes to Channel 4's remit and quotas should be carefully assessed with broad industry consultation to ensure appropriate safeguards for the independent production sector."

Deadline

posted 5/31/2023

Tuesday Lightning Round
... or "The Next Stage"

  • Tayshia Adams reportedly "serious" about future with Luke Gulbranson (Us)

  • Patrick Kielty tapped to host "The Late Late Show" for RTE (Extra.ie)

  • New "Love Island" UK contestants have been announced, and here come the skeletons out of the closet (We Got This Covered)

  • Michael Davies decides that the Daily Double reveal ain't it. (The Sun)

  • Kelly Clarkson says moving her show to New York was "100 percent" her decision (The Hollywood Reporter)

  • Megan Danielle is over the debate on whether Iam Tongi deserved to win "Idol". By the way... he did (Deadline)

  • SPOILER ALERT: Yes, Rachel Brosnahan & Alex Borstein were watching the Ultimate Tournament finale on the final "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (TV Insider)

  • Niecy Nash wants to see her "Feds" renewed (TV Line)

  • The Barbara Lowe tapes... an oral history (NPR)

  • Larry Emdur celebrates a ratings win (News.com.au)

posted 5/30/2023


People
GEORGE MAHARIS: 1928-2023
"Route 66" Actor MAde the Rounds
From the Hollywood Reporter

George Maharis, the star of "Route 66" who went on to appear on "Fantasy Island" and other shows, died Wednesday in Beverly Hills. He was 94.

His friend and caretaker Marc Bahan announced his death on Facebook, writing that he was "above all a great guy who would do anything for anyone. My dear friend, you will be terribly missed."

Maharis co-starred with Martin Milner in the early 1960s series "Route 66," and received an Emmy nomination for his role as Buz, a handsome beatnik-adjacent working class man. Shot on location across the U.S., the adventure series portrayed two young men who travel around in a Corvette, looking for work and adventure as they struggle to find themselves. Part way through the third season, Maharis left the show after being hospitalized for hepatitis. He asserted later in an interview that his departure wasn't because he wanted a higher salary or wanted to get into movies, but strictly for his health.

He went on to appear in a number of films, including "Sylvia," "The Satan Bug" and "The Happening," before landing another series role on the 1970 series "The Most Deadly Game," which ran for 12 episodes. Maharis was one of the first celebrities to model nude for Playgirl.

Maharis continued working in television throughout the 1970s and '80s, playing several different roles in six episodes of "Fantasy Island" and making guest appearances on shows including "Murder She Wrote," "Police Story," "Kojak," "The Bionic Woman," "Cannon" and "Barnaby Jones." Game shows he appeared on include the "Pyramid" franchise, "The Hollywood Squares", "Shoot for the Stars", "Showoffs", "Celebrity Bowling", "Everybody's Talking", "I've Got a Secret", "To Tell the Truth", "Talent Scouts", "Password", and "You're Putting Me On".

Born in Queens to Greek parents, Maharis served in the Marine Corps, then studied at the Actors Studio and worked on off-Broadway productions and early television shows such as "Naked City," which was co-created by Herbert B. Leonard and Stirling Silliphant, who went on to create "Route 66."

Maharis was also a singer and released seven albums, with the single "Teach Me Tonight" charting in 1962. In the 1980s, he performed in Las Vegas and later took up painting.

The Hollywood Reporter
TV Insider
TV Line
Variety
Deadline

posted 5/29/2023


CBS/Fremantle

Let's Make a Deal... in Greece
Marcus/Glass Sells Show to Alpha TV
From Deadline

Marcus / Glass Productions format Let's Make a Deal is headed to Greece. Commercial network Alpha TV has ordered a local version of the gameshow through a deal with international distributor Can't Stop Media.

Titled locally as To Pio Megalo Pazari (The Big Bazaar), the show will come from Alpha and be exec produced by Foss Productions, the indie producer behind Series Mania International Competition entry Milky Way. The series will run daily in an access prime slot.

In the U.S., the show has run on CBS, hosted by Wayne Brady, since 2009 and is nearing 3,000 episodes. This marks the latest since Marcus / Glass, a joint production venture between Marcus Entertainment Chairman Marcus Lemonis and Glass Entertainment Group CEO and former CBS Entertainment boss Nancy Glass, acquired the IP and appointed Europe-based distributor Can't Stop to sell it internationally.

Deadline
C21 Media
Yahoo!

posted 5/26/2023

THURSDAY: And Now... the Summer.
CBS Wins First Off-Season Night
From TV Series Finale

Here's how you know we're in the summer... There's only one new episode on the entire primetime schedule, and it loses to a rerun of "So Help Me Todd".

CBS (2.63m total/0.23 A18-49) took the lead with an all-rerun lineup of "Young Sheldon" (3.8m/0.3), "Ghosts" (3.21m/0.2), "So Help Me Todd" (2.40m/0.2), and "CSI: Vegas" (2m/0.2).

NBC (1.98m/0.23) took the silver with an all-rerun lineup of "The Wall" (2.23m/0.2), "Law & Order: SVU" (2.19m/0.2), and "Magnum, PI" (1.52m/0.2).

ABC (1.88m/0.30) gave its night over to "The Wonderful World of Disney" presentation of Marvel's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings".

Fox (0.82m/0.18) reran the previous night's premiere of "Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars" (0.92m/0.2), followed by an hour of "Animal Control" (0.67m/0.2 for the first, 0.77m/0.1 for the nightcap).

Rounding out the night is the CW (0.23m/0.05) with a rerun of "Walker" (0.23m/0.0) & the aforementioned new episode "100 Days to Indy" (0.23m/0.1).


Thursday cable numbers...
(totals/A18-49)
- Top Chef World All-Stars (Bravo): 734k/0.18
- Battlebots (Discovery): 690k/0.12
- Beat Bobby Flay (Food): 674k/0.09
- Split Second (GSN): 430k/0.04
- Nick Cannon Presents Wild'n Out - 9p (VH1): 105k/0.05
- Nick Cannon Presents Wild'n Out - 9:30p (VH1): 100k/0.05


TV Series Finale
Showbuzz Daily

posted 5/26/2023

I Literally Just Renewed You
C4's Memory Game Gets A Third Season
From Yahoo!

Jimmy Carr's gameshow 'I Literally Just Told You' is to return for a third season.

The 50-year-old comedian will be back to front the Channel 4 program, which was created by former 'Blue Peter' presenter Richard Bacon, for another run.

Richard said: "I'm really excited it's back and for even more episodes than ever before.

"We're going to make it louder and weirder. How do I know that? I Literally Just etc etc"

Each episode sees contestants given the opportunity to compete for a cash prize of up to £25,000 (US$30,796.52).

They are tasked with answering questions which have been written live as the show is filmed. The questions can be about anything that happens during the show, including a celebrity cameo, an off-the-cuff joke, or even something a contestant has said about themselves.

Steven Handley who commissioned the series for Channel 4, believes the program is one of the "most creative" quiz shows around.

He said: "'I Literally Just Told You' is one of the most creative quizzes on TV, so we are delighted Jimmy will return to throw more mind-bending memory questions at the audience for the show's biggest run so far."

Yahoo!
Channel 4
British Comedy Guide
Chortle

posted 5/26/2023


Warner Bros. Discovery

Introducing Max
HBO's New Streamer Has Day-One Growing Pains
From the Hollywood Reporter

According to Max, the newly rebranded platform formerly known as HBO Max, Patty Jenkins and Allan Heinberg were the creators of 2017's Wonder Woman. At least that's how the new Max "details" section refers to Jenkins, who directed the Gal Gadot starrer, and Heinberg, who wrote the screenplay for the DC Comics movie.

The lack of specific details — and the grouping of writers and directors under merely just "Creators" — has already irked many creatives amid the ongoing Writers Strike and threats of labor unrest among the actors and directors unions as all three guilds are in the midst of separate negotiations with the studios and streamers who comprise the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers

Max has responded to the controversy with the following statement: "We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized. We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake."

The decision to fix the credits comes as the writers and directors guild took a hard line against the Max grouping: "For almost 90 years, the Directors Guild has fought fiercely to protect the credit and recognition deserved by Directors for the work they create. Warner Bros. Discovery's unilateral move, without notice or consultation, to collapse directors, writers, producers and others into a generic category of 'creators' in their new Max rollout while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union," said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter.

Said WGAW President Meredith Stiehm: "Warner Bros. has lumped writers, directors and producers into an invented, diminishing category they call Creators. This is a credits violation for starters. But worse, it is disrespectful and insulting to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions. This attempt to diminish writers' contributions and importance echoes the message we heard in our negotiations with AMPTP — that writers are marginal, inessential, and should simply accept being paid less and less, while our employers' profits go higher and higher. This tone-deaf disregard for writers' importance is what brought us to where we are today — Day 22 of our strike.".

Max combines programming from HBO Max and Discovery. It is the streaming destination for Max and HBO originals, Warner Bros. films, the DC universe, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and kids content, along with programming across food, home, reality, lifestyle and documentaries from leading brands including HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, ID and more. You can find it at Max.com.

Deadline

Variety
VAriety

The FUton Critic
The Hollywood Reporter
The Wrap

TV Newscheck
TV Line
Deadline

Variety
Deadline

posted 5/26/2023


CBS

CBS Wins 2022-2023
Survivor, Race Extended to 90 Minutes; Game Shows on Standby
From Deadline

CBS has finished the 2022-23 broadcast season on a high note.

The network is currently averaging nearly 5.96M primetime viewers per weeknight, setting it up to be the most-watched of the broadcasters, per Nielsen's most current data through May 24. This will mark CBS' 15th consecutive season at No. 1, tying its own previous winning streak from 1955-1970.

CBS also holds several of the top broadcast programs for the TV season, including new drama (Fire Country) and comedy (Young Sheldon). In all, the network has 14 series that consistently win their time periods.

The viewing measurement uses Nielsen's "most current" data for all content, which includes 35-day windows where possible. The data for the broadcast networks doesn't include multi-platform viewing because CBS doesn't have access to its competitors internal data. The CBS number does include any live streaming on Paramount+.

While it's not a perfect unit of measurement, reporting viewership in total minutes does allow for a comparison between the broadcast networks and streaming services, since this is the metric in which Nielsen measures streaming viewership. The streamers have notoriously kept audience data close to the chest because they are able to report viewership numbers at their own discretion. Many of them, including Paramount+, do not reveal any viewing metrics on their own. So far, Netflix is the only streaming service to consistently release any audience data with its weekly Top 10 lists (and reporting in hours or minutes viewed heavily favors streaming models).

Out of the game shows that aired in primetime this season... (total/A18-49) (bolded shows have been renewed)
- The Voice 22 (Tuesday) (NBC): 6.197m/0.63
- The Voice 22 (Monday) (NBC): 6.192m/0.67
- The Voice 23 (Monday) (NBC): 5.803m/0.55

- Jeopardy! Masters (ABC): 5.720m/0.55
- American Idol (Sunday) (ABC): 5.353m/0.69
- The Voice 23 (Tuesday) (NBC): 5.192m/0.48
- Survivor 44 (CBS): 5.002m/0.71
-
Survivor 43 (CBS): 4.992m/0.71
- America's Got Talent All-Stars (NBC): 4.978m/0.53
- American Idol (Monday) (ABC): 4.375m/0.52
- America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC): 4.314m/0.48
- The Masked Singer 8 (Fox): 3.947m/0.72
- Celebrity Jeopardy! (ABC): 3.857m/0.47
- The Masked Singer 9 (Fox): 3.703m/0.56
- Shark Tank (ABC): 3.622m/0.45
- Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (ABC): 3.580m/0.43
- The Bachelor (ABC): 2.987m/0.58
- The Amazing Race (CBS): 2.836m/0.37
- Next Level Chef (Fox): 2.796m/0.69

- The Great Christmas Light Fight (ABC): 2.647m/0.42
- Lingo (CBS): 2.600m/0.28
- That's My Jam (NBC): 2.572m/0.36
- Bachelor in Paradise (Tuesday) (ABC): 2.372m/0.56
- Bachelor in Paradise (Monday) (ABC): 2.265m/0.52
- Farmer Wants a Wife (Fox): 2.137m/0.28

- The Game Show Show (ABC): 2.090m/0.26
- Hell's Kitchen (Fox): 2.066m/0.40
- The Chase (ABC): 2.006m/0.26
- The Wall (NBC): 1.937m/0.27
- Weakest Link (NBC): 1.915m/0.27
- The Real Love Boat (CBS): 1.894m/0.24
- Special Forces: World's Toughest Test (Fox): 1.820m/0.35
- Name That Tune (Fox): 1.762m/0.35
- The Wheel (NBC): 1.762m/0.28
- Capital One College Bowl (NBC): 1.687m/0.23
- LEGO Masters (Fox): 1.525m/0.36
- Penn & Teller: Fool Us (CW): 667k/0.07
- Whose Line Is It Anyway? 19 (CW): 522k/0.08
- Whose Line Is It Anyway? 20 (CW): 461k/0.07

- Criss Angel's Magic with the Stars (CW): 372k/0.05
- The Great American Joke Off (CW): 325k/0.05

Deadline

The Futon Critic
TV Insider

TV Series Finale
TV Series Finale
TV Series Finale

TV Series Finale
TV Series Finale

posted 5/1250/2023

WEDNESDAY: The Finish Line
Last Night of the Season Goes to... CBS. And ABC. And NBC.
From TV Line

In the latest TV ratings, CBS' Survivor finale led Wednesday in the demo, while ABC's Jeopardy! Masters finale beat out NBC's Chicago Fire finale for the night's biggest audience.

Survivor (with 4.3 million total viewers and a 0.7 demo rating) was pretty steady week-to-week, yet down from last fall's finale (5 mil/0.8).

Chicago Med (5.4 mil/0.4) and P.D. (4.7 mil/0.4) both dipped with their finales, but Fire (6 mil/0.5) was steady.

Jeopardy! Masters wrapped with a season high of 6.3 million viewers, and a 0.6 demo rating. The Prank Panel led out of that with 1.8 mil/0.3, followed by The Game Show Show's 1.4 mil/0.2.

The CW's The Flash (464K/0.1) added a handful of eyeballs with its series finale. Riverdale (200K/0.0) dipped in both measures.

Fox's MasterChef returned to 1.5 mil and a 0.3, followed by the debut of Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars (1.2 mil/0.3).

Wednesday cable numbers...
(totals/A18-49)
- Guy's Grocery Games (Food): 525k/0.11
- Split Second (GSN): 360k/0.05


TV Line
Showbuzz Daily

posted 5/25/2023

Thursday Lightning Round
... or "The Beginning of Everything Else"

  • Whoopi Goldberg charts the "downfall of society" with American Idol (People)

  • Rachel Reynolds celebrates 20 years on "The Price Is Right" (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

  • Chloe Burrows plays tribute to a lost friend (The Sun)

  • A FEW GOOD MINUTES with the James Holzhauer (What to Watch)

posted 5/25/2023

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