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ABC/Warner Horizon TV

They're On a Break...
ABC Pauses "Bachelorette" for 2025
From the Hollywood Reporter

The Bachelorette has decided to take a break this summer. ABC‘s long-running reality dating series won’t be returning for season 22 in Summer 2025, following Grant Ellis’ current season of The Bachelor.

It wasn’t immediately clear ABC’s reason for the pause or when the series would return.

The last three seasons of The Bachelorette have premiered in July. Jenn Tran led the latest iteration, season 21, of the female-led spinoff of The Bachelor last year. It ended in September with a shocking twist after Tran had to decide between two final men, Marcus Shoberg and Devin Strader. (Spoiler!) Though Tran ultimately chose Strader, it was later revealed during the live finale that Strader broke off the engagement through a phone call.

Typically, an eliminated contestant from The Bachelor will go on to lead the next cycle of The Bachelorette. However, the veteran series has switched things up before, especially in recent years, either airing two cycles in a year or with season 19, which featured two female leads with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia.

The Bachelorette first premiered in 2003 with lead Trista Rehn, after she came in second during Alex Michel’s season of The Bachelor, which was also the first season of the ABC reality dating franchise. The female-led spinoff previously paused production in 2006 and 2007 before returning with season four in 2008.

Spinoff series Bachelor in Paradise also returns this summer after last airing in 2023 with season 10, and the Golden Bachelor and Golden Bachelorette have also been added to the franchise’s slate.

The Hollywood Reporter
TV Series Finale
The Wrap
TV Line
Deadline

posted 2/10/2025

Chante'.... Law Stays
Law Roach Added to "Drag Race" Panel
From Deadline

Shantay, Law Roach is here to stay (on a semi-regular basis) on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Following his debut as a guest judge on last year’s 16th season, the celebrity ‘image architect’ revealed his new gig as a “rotating” judge on the MTV reality competition series, alongside host RuPaul Charles.

“I am not the special guest judge. I am sitting next to Ru, and Hunter Schafer is the special guest judge this episode,” he told Parade of Friday’s Season 17 episode ‘Let’s Get Sickening Ball’.

Roach joins the likes of fellow rotating judges Ross Matthews, Carson Kressley and Ts Madison, alongside Ru, permanent fixture Michelle Visage and a celebrity guest judge each week.

When asked how many more episodes he’ll appear in this season, Roach said, “I don’t know what I can say. But I mean, we all know what that third seat represents.”

Deadline
Parade

posted 2/10/2025


Sony Pictures TV Studios

Judge to Sony: NOT SO FAST...
Court Grants Temporary Injunction to CBS
From Deadline

“To turne thy whele and be my frende again, and sende me joy where I am nowe in pain,” says the famed 15th century Findern manuscript of Fortune’s whims.

That verse may be hitting a little harder than usual at Sony on Thursday morning after the media giant saw the courts put the brakes put on its attempted full-scale takeover of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! from CBS.

The companies have been in a breach of contract dispute since October 31 over CBS’ more than 40-year-old distribution contract, and claims by Sony Pictures TV of “self-dealing” by the soon-to-be David Ellison-owned conglomerate.

In the midst of all that, SPT’s head of game shows Suzanne Prete on Monday sent CBS’ Wendy McMahon a letter informing her that Sony had taken back all control of Wheel and Jeopardy! including their global distribution.

“To facilitate an orderly transition of the distribution functions for the Shows, on January 27, 2025, Sony Pictures delivered to CBS the episodes of the Shows to air the week of February 3 through February 9,” the correspondence asserted. “We expect CBS to take all necessary steps to ensure that the episodes are properly delivered to broadcasters. Sony Pictures will begin delivery of episodes of the Shows to broadcasters starting with the episodes scheduled to air the week of February 10.”

Throwing down terms like “false, inappropriate, and ineffective,” CBS Media Ventures replied: “Any contention by Sony that it has reclaimed the distribution rights is subject to ongoing judicial proceedings, and CBS will be seeking immediate relief from the appropriate courts. All business should continue in the usual course.”

At the time, the company said it would be seeking a temporary restraining order. Today it got it, with Los Angeles Superior Court judge Kevin C. Brazile issuing an order hitting the pause button on the move by the Tokyo-run Sony.

Maintaining the contracts that has been in place since 1982 and under the respective umbrellas of CBS and Sony since the late 1990s, the TRO is in effect until at least February 18, when a further status conference hearing is scheduled. Among others agenda items, that February 18 hearing is intended to set dates for a session on a possible permanent restraining order. The judge is clearly hoping Sony and CBS can work something out in the next few weeks to settle this dust-up before a long court case.

The Hollywood Reporter
REuters
Daytime Confidential
The Express
Variety
Deadline
The Wrap
TV Fanatic
Daytime Confidential
TV Fanatic
Deadline
The Wrap
Variety
Daytime Confidential
FormatBiz
AV Club
Broadcast
ScreenRAnt

posted 2/10/2025

The Invites Have Been Sent...
Meet the 2025 J!IT Players
From TV Insider

Jeopardy! fans get ready for 27 familiar faces as the second annual Invitational Tournament takes place this month.

The lineup was just announced, after fans speculated, and it includes favorites from past seasons and Tournament of Champions runner-ups.

JIT will begin immediately after the Tournament of Champions ends, which will be no later than Monday, February 17, due to the “best of seven” finals series.

The players will compete in nine quarterfinal games, three semifinals, and a multiple-game finals series. The first Jeopardy! alum to win two games wins JIT. The JIT winner takes home $150,000, which is $50,000 more than last year. They will also compete in the upcoming 2025 Jeopardy! Masters.

The full list of this year’s JIT competitors can be seen below.
- Matt Amodio, a Season 37-38 38-game champion, 2024 Jeopardy! Masters sixth place finisher, 2023 Jeopardy! Masters third place finisher, and 2022 Tournament of Champions semifinalist from New York, N.Y.
- Robin Carroll, a Season 16 five-game champion, 2001 International Championship winner, 2000 Tournament of Champions winner, and participant in the 2002 Million Dollar Masters and 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions events from Atlanta, Ga.
- Ben Chan, a Season 39 nine-game champion and 2024 Tournament of Champions first runner-up from Green Bay, Wis.
- Roger Craig, a Season 27 six-game champion, 2011 Tournament of Champions winner, 2014 Battle of the Decades second runner-up and 2019 All-Star Games participant from Arlington, Va.
- Luigi de Guzman, a Season 38-39 five-game champion and 2024 Tournament of Champions semifinalist from Arlington, Va.
- Jonathan Fisher, a Season 38 11-game champion and 2022 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist originally from Coral Gables, Fla.
- John Focht, a Season 37 four-game champion and 2022 Tournament of Champions semifinalist originally from El Paso, Texas.
- Raymond Goslow, the 2022 Jeopardy! National College Championship first runner-up from Marietta, Ga.
- Avi Gupta, the 2019 Teen Tournament winner and 2023 High School Reunion semifinalist from Portland, Ore.
- Skyler Hornback, a 2013 Kids Week winner who set a Kids Week single-day winnings record of $66,600 originally from Sonora, Ky.
- Jackson Jones, a 2023 High School Reunion semifinalist and 2019 Teen Tournament semifinalist from Louisville, Ky.
- Jackie Kelly, a Season 38 four-game winner and 2022 Tournament of Champions semifinalist originally from Philadelphia, Pa.
- Ray Lalonde, a Season 39 13-game champion and 2024 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Ryan Long, a Season 38 16-game champion and 2022 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist from Philadelphia, Pa.
- Troy Meyer, a Season 39 six-game champion and 2024 Tournament of Champions second runner-up originally from Cleveland, Ohio.
- Doug Molitor, a Season 3 four-game champion, 1993 10th Anniversary Tournament semifinalist and 1987 Tournament of Champions semifinalist originally from Altadena, Calif.
- Emily Sands, a Season 37 three-game champion, 2023 Champions Wildcard winner and 2024 Tournament of Champions semifinalist from Chanhassen, Minn.
- Claire Sattler, the 2018 Teen Tournament winner and 2023 High School Reunion Tournament semifinalist from New York, N.Y.
- Amy Schneider, a Season 38 40-game champion, 2022 Tournament of Champions winner, 2024 Jeopardy! Masters fourth place finisher and 2023 Jeopardy! Masters fifth place finisher from Oakland, Calif.
- Rachael Schwartz, a Season 10 four-game champion, 1994 Tournament of Champions winner, 2014 Battle of the Decades quarterfinalist, 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions participant, and 2022 Million Dollar Masters quarterfinalist from Berkeley, Calif.
- Margaret Shelton, a Season 38 four-game champion and 2022 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist from Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Jaskaran Singh, the 2022 Jeopardy! National College Championship winner and 2022 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist from Plano, Texas.
- Shane Whitlock, the 1996 College Championship winner, 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions Elite Eighteen finisher and 1996 Tournament of Champions semifinalist originally from Benton, Ark.
- Hannah Wilson, a Season 39 eight-game champion and 2024 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist from Chicago, Ill.
- Seth Wilson, a Season 33 12-game champion, 2019 All-Star Games participant and 2017 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist from Oak Park, Ill.
- Maya Wright, the second runner-up in the 2023 High School Reunion Tournament and the second runner-up in the 2018 Teen Tournament from Atlanta, Ga.
- Juveria Zaheer, a 2023 Second Chance competition winner, 2024 Champions Wildcard winner, and 2024 Tournament of Champions quarterfinalist from Whitby, Ontario, Canada.


TV Insider
Wyoming Tribune Eagle

posted 2/10/2025

Graham Norton Moves Into "The Neighbourhood"
ITV Picks Up "Street-Sized" Game Show
From DEadline

BAFTA winner Graham Norton is fronting a “street-sized” 12-part reality gameshow for ITV in which families and households compete for a cash prize. The show will see real-life households move in side-by-side to compete in challenges. Living together 24/7, they will need to stay popular with their neighbors or risk being voted out. The series, from the development teams at ITV Studios (ITVS)’s indies Lifted Entertainment and The Garden, will run on ITV1 and streamer ITVX next year. Lifted and The Garden are co-producing, with ITVS on international distribution duties. “Like everyone, I’m always intrigued by what goes on behind closed doors,” said presenter Norton. “Add to that some dastardly challenges and a life changing prize and I’m hooked.” Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment & Daytime at ITV, and Louise Major, Entertainment Commissioning Editor, commissioned the show. “In a TV landscape full of successful formats set in jungles, islands and luxurious villas, The Neighbourhood offers a fresh and different flavour: it’s a show all about the drama on our doorsteps,” said Richard Cowles, Managing Director at Lifted Entertainment and John Hay, CEO of The Garden in a joint statement. Casting is currently open.

Deadline
ITV Press Centre
Radio Times

posted 2/10/2025

One Question for French Canada
ICI Picks Up British Format
From C21 Media

ICI Radio-Canada Télé has commissioned a local version of UK quiz show format One Question for French-language audiences.

The 12×60’ series, also to be streamed on ICI Tou.TV, will be co-produced by Sphère Média and Radio-Canada in association with NBCUniversal Formats, which licenses the format globally.

To be titled La Question (One Question) locally, it will be hosted by French-Canadian presenter François Morency (Discussions avec mes Parents).

The quiz show invites a pair of contestants to answer just a single question to win a cash prize. The duo will be faced with 16 possible answers, but only one answer is correct. Under mounting tension, the contestants must eliminate the 15 incorrect answers.

La Question is based on the UK format created by Chalkboard for Channel 4 in 2022 and presented by Claudia Winkleman (The Traitors).

Suzanne Kendrick, VP, format sales, NBCUniversal Formats, said: “One Question is a quizshow unlike any other and is perfectly primed for international adaptation.

“We can’t wait to bring audiences a uniquely French-Canadian version with our partners at Sphère Média and Radio-Canada and the one and only François.”

C21 Media

posted 2/10/2025

99 Beats Italy
Rai 2 Picks Up Belgian Format
From FormatBiz

On Monday, February 10, 2025, at 9:20pm on Rai 2 debuts 99 da Battere, the new game show hosted by Max Giusti. The format, produced with Endemol Shine Italy, is the Italian adaptation of the Belgian format 99 To Beat, created by VRT and De Chinezen and distributed by Primitives. The format has already been a hit internationally, with adaptations in ten countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway.

In 99 da Battere, one hundred contestants, aged between 18 and 98, will compete in a series of 99 fun and original challenges, with the sole goal of never finishing last. In each round, the last-placed contestant will be eliminated until only one winner remains, taking home the grand prize of €99,000.

The challenges range from physical skill tests to games of wit and luck. Some of the tasks include whipping cream until it’s firm enough to hold upside down over one's head, finding the exit door while blindfolded, melting an ice cube to retrieve a whistle and blow it, or leaving one's phone on a table and hoping not to be the first to receive a call—which would mean elimination. Some challenges are individual, while others require teamwork.

FormatBiz

posted 2/10/2025


CBS Studios

It's Hip to Be Square
"Hollywood Squares" Sets Records in Daytime, Primetime
From the Futon Critic

CBS Original HOLLYWOOD SQUARES is television's #1 new unscripted series and has reached nearly 24m unique viewers this season. The reimagined classic game show starring Drew Barrymore and hosted by Nate Burleson has found its audience throughout the week, across daytime and primetime.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES is television's #1 new unscripted series this season averaging 5.40m viewers in primetime alone.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES premiered to 5.05m viewers on Thurs. Jan. 16 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).

The series delivered 8.36m viewers Sun. Jan. 19(10:00-11:00 PM, ET/ 7:00-8:00 PM, PT), following the AFC Divisional Playoff Game.

During its special daytime run of "encore episodes" Monday, Jan. 27-Friday. Jan. 31 (2:00-3:00 PM, ET; 1:00-2:00 PM, CT/PT), HOLLYWOOD SQUARES averaged 1.44m viewers, improving the time period by +14%, compared to this season's episodes of THE TALK.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES episodes that aired in primetime and as part of the special daytime run averaged 6.84m total viewers across both runs.

The daytime audience added +27% more viewers to the primetime average alone (5.4m).

The Futon Critic
The Wrap
Soap Opera Network

Daytime Confidential

posted 2/10/2025


Galella Collection
TONY ROBERTS: 1939-2025
Star of Stage & Screen Played Games
From the AP

Tony Roberts, a versatile, Tony Award-nominated theater performer at home in both plays and musicals and who appeared in several Woody Allen movies — often as Allen’s best friend — has died. He was 85.

Roberts’ death was announced to The New York Times by his daughter, Nicole Burley.

Roberts had a genial stage personality perfect for musical comedy and he originated roles in such diverse Broadway musicals as “How Now, Dow Jones” (1967); “Sugar” (1972), an adaptation of the movie “Some Like It Hot,” and “Victor/Victoria” (1995), in which he co-starred with Julie Andrews when she returned to Broadway in the stage version of her popular film. He also was in the campy, roller-disco “Xanadu” in 2007 and “The Royal Family” in 2009.

“I’ve never been particularly lucky at card games. I’ve never hit a jackpot. But I have been extremely lucky in life,” he write in his memoir, “Do You Know Me?”

“Unlike many of my pals, who didn’t know what they wanted to become when they grew up, I knew I wanted to be an actor before I got to high school.” Roberts also appeared on Broadway in the 1966 Woody Allen comedy “Don’t Drink the Water,” repeating his role in the film version, and in Allen’s “Play It Again, Sam” (1969), for which he also made the movie.

Roberts’ television credits include the short-lived series “The Four Seasons” (1984) and “The Lucie Arnaz Show” (1985) as well as guest spots on such well-known shows as “Murder, She Wrote” and “Law & Order.”

In game shows, Roberts played on episodes of "What's My Line?", "Hollywood Squares", "The $10,000 Pyramid", and "The $25,000 Pyramid".


AP
Playbill
Deadline
NBC News
PArade

posted 1/30/2025

Monday Lightning Round
... or "Fight Like Joey"


posted 2/7/2025


Fox/Talpa

The Big Game After the Big Game
"The Floor" Season 3 Premieres Sunday Night After SBLIX
From Entertainment Weekly

Rob Lowe had already shot a great The Floor season 3 premiere — but then he got the call that his Fox game show was being slotted into the most coveted time slot in television: post Super Bowl.

"I was over the moon, super excited," the 9-1-1: Lone Star alum tells Entertainment Weekly of the surprise, as the action drama Rescue: Hi-Surf had originally been announced in that position. "I couldn't believe it because you're right, it is the most coveted piece of real estate in all of media, period. And that Fox chose our show is just...I mean, to put it mildly, a great pat on the back. But it's also representative of what this show is, and how people are embracing it."

Based on a Dutch game show of the same name, The Floor is described by Fox as such: "100 contestants face-off in duels on a giant grid of squares representing their personal field of trivia expertise. The winner of each timed head-to-head trivia battle takes control of their opponent’s square, while the loser goes home. Only one player will dominate the Floor and walk away with [$250,000 at the end of the season]."

Entertainment Weekly
Soap Central
Awful Announcing

posted 2/7/2025

Drag Race Scores Another High
Ratings Go Up on Third Year on MTV
From Deadline

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 is already taking a victory lap, after the premiere episode scored the series’ best ratings in years.

According to live + three-day Nielsen data, the episode scored a 0.908 rating among adults 18-34, up 17% from the year prior and, actually, marking the competition’s highest-rated season premiere in seven years.

Among adults 18-49, RuPaul’s Drag Race scored a 0.993 rating, which is the best season premiere performance in 12 years, up 9% from the year before.

Nielsen says that the Season 17 premiere managed a 10.77 share among adults 18-34 and a 7.55 share among adults 18-49, up 38% and 27% respectively year-over-year.

Deadline

posted 2/7/2025

Gino D'Acampo Accused of Being Inappropriate
ITV Cuts Ties with "Family Fortunes" Host
From Deadline

Re-runs of old Gino D’Acampo shows have been pulled from the ITV schedule following allegations of inappropriate behavior made against the TV chef.

The 48-year-old Italian presenter has been accused of “dozens” of allegations of misconduct over more than a decades, with his behaviour described as “unacceptable” and “distressing” by those making accusations, an ITV News investigation has claimed.

D’Acampo has “firmly denied” the allegations in a statement to the broadcaster, saying they were “simply not in my nature” and describing them as “deeply upsetting”.

Following the accusations, the PA news agency understands that repeats of game show Family Fortunes fronted by D’Acampo will not be re-broadcast – including an episode of the show at 7pm on ITV2 and another episode on Monday at the same time.

An ITV news investigation, which broadcast earlier tonight, spoke with multiple people who have worked with him in the past and described D’Acampo making sexualized remarks that made them feel highly uncomfortable, as they detailed incidents that go back many years.

Many more allegations of this ilk were made and aired on ITV News tonight. D’Acampo has done most of his work for ITV over the years. He cuts a jovial figure on screen and was a regular on ITV’s This Morning with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, the latter of whom left that show in 2023 following an inappropriate relationship with a much younger colleague. D’Acampo has appeared in multiple seasons and spin-off versions of the Gordon, Gino & Fred franchise with Ramsay and Sirieix, and recently hosted ITV gameshow Family Fortunes. He won I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2009.

D’Acampo “firmly denied” the allegations to ITV News and said they were “deeply upsetting.”

“I have been told by ITN news that allegations have been made about me acting inappropriately, some dating back over ten years ago,” he added. “I have never been made aware of these matters previously and the allegations are firmly denied. I do not recognise the version of events being put to me.”

Deadline understands neither ITV nor Objective have plans to work with D’Acampo in future and ITV hasn’t commissioned a show featuring him since 2023. An ITV statement said it is “completely committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with respect and feels able to give of their best.” “Our promise to those we work with is that where a complaint is made, or serious concern raised, we will always investigate and if we find that something inappropriate has happened, we will take action. The same standards are expected of all production companies who make programmes on ITV’s behalf.” Objective said it “takes the welfare and wellbeing of all its production staff and teams incredibly seriously.”

“We have robust protocols and procedures in place for all cast and crew, including on-screen talent, that we review regularly whilst also ensuring that we take into account developments regarding industry wide ‘Duty of Care’ guidelines,” it added. “We have robust protocols and procedures in place for all cast and crew, including on-screen talent, that we review regularly whilst also ensuring that we take into account developments regarding industry wide ‘Duty of Care’ guidelines.”

Deadline
BreakingNews.ie
TV Zone
The Mirror

posted 2/7/2025

Happy Friday Lightning Round
... or "Playing It Forward"

  • Dr. Will Kirby hires person he kicked off "Deal or No Deal Island" (Reality Blurred)

  • FIRST LOOK: Love Is Blind Sweden: After the Altar (Netflix, March 6) (The Futon Critic)

  • Alison Holker says "tWitch" Boss "visited" her since his death (Entertainment Weekly) as his family accuses her of cherrypicking journal items (The Wrap)

  • Kelsea Ballerini cancels concert because she's sick. Where pregnancy comes in, I have no idea (TV Insider)

  • MOMENT OF AWESOME: 13-year-old Canadian superfan's Make-a-Wish: cohost "Family Feud" (CBC.ca)

  • A FEW GOOD MINUTES with Drew Basile (Entertainment Weekly)

posted 2/7/2025

Gaña a 2-a Aldea
Spain's Televisión de Galicia Renews Gameshow
From C21 Media

Spanish free-to-air network Televisión de Galicia has renewed gameshow Gaña a túa aldea for a second season.

The network ordered 40 new episodes of the series, which is based on a Romanian format that tests contestants’ knowledge of their own province, country or state by having them compete with representatives from other parts of their country. The name of the format roughly translates as Win Your Country.

The original iteration of the format was created by Bucharest-based Zucchero Media and has aired on local broadcaster TVR2 for more than 200 episodes.

The Spanish version, produced by A Coruña-based Miraveo, reached a key milestone at C21’s Content Americas in January 2024 as US format distributor Small World IFT inked a deal with Miraveo for the Spanish rights to the show.

Mmegi Online

posted 2/6/2025

Family Feud Comes to Botswana
Steve Harvey to Host
From Mmegi Online

Starting 9th February 2025 at 19:30, DStv viewers are in for a real treat when Steve Harvey and his popular game show franchise, Family Feud, grace screens in Botswana on Btv (DStv Channel 289)! The glitzy show which first launched in 1976, pits two families against each other in a guessing game of hilarious proportions in front of a live studio audience.

For the first time in history, DStv Botswana viewers will be able to see local families, friends and a few celebrities as they partake in this international television sensation. “The launch of Family Feud Botswana on Btv is a huge milestone for local content and a welcome development for us as a platform that proudly carries Btv in Botswana,” says Stephanie Pillay, MultiChoice Botswana Managing Director. “Having Btv on DStv in Botswana enables us to bring Batswana local content that is relevant, informative and now even more entertaining. DStv Botswana subscribers will have access to this phenomenal game show for as low as P130 as Btv News and Btv 1 are both available on our DStv Access package.”

Mmegi Online

posted 2/6/2025

ABC Footing "Lucky 13" Bill
Bankrupting Game Show to Pay Off Prizes
From Deadline

In a highly unusual situation, ABC is preparing to foot a bill worth more than $460,000 to ensure that contestants on game show Lucky 13 receive the winnings they are owed. Even though it is under no legal obligation to do so, the Disney-owned network is close to finalizing an agreement under which Lucky 13 winners will receive their prize pots after the messy demise of the series hosted by Shaquille O’Neal and Gina Rodriguez.

Lucky 13 was lucky by name, but not lucky by nature for those involved in the making of the show, which aired on ABC last year under a novel greenlight model. UK producer Studio 1 pre-funded Lucky 13 in return for a share of ABC’s advertising and product placement sales, but revenue fell well short of projections and the show was not renewed for a second season.

Lucky 13 Holdings and Studio 13 Entertainment, the special purpose companies Studio 1 set up to house Lucky 13, effectively declared bankruptcy, leaving contractors — including hosts O’Neal and Rodriguez — out of pocket by at least $500,000.

Studio 1 was also responsible for paying winnings to contestants, but Deadline understands that participants have not received their cash prizes amid the financial strife.

Thirteen people walked away from Lucky 13 with prizes totaling $461,500. The biggest prize won on the show was $125,000, while the smallest was $3,750. Sources said contestants should have been paid within 120 days of their appearance. The final episode of the series aired on September 19, which was 138 days ago.

Disney is now stepping in to right this wrong, even though it was only the domestic licensee for the show. The company has been in talks over payment and is confident a deal will be agreed soon.

Deadline
PopCulture.com
People
Newsbreak

posted 2/5/2025


CBS/Jerry Bruckheimer TV

Bigger Cast! More Twists! New Locations!
CBS Releases Names of Season 37 Amazing Racers
From the Futon Critic

Meet the 14 new teams that will embark on the journey of a lifetime when the 37th season of the CBS Original series THE AMAZING RACE, hosted by Phil Keoghan, kicks off Wednesday, March 5 (9:30-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*.

The "season of surprises" features the largest cast ever in the history of the Race. The new teams will encounter game-changing twists in every episode, including the classic game pieces the Fast Forward and U-Turn - and the additions of new ones, such as a Fork in the Road, which Racers will confront on the first leg in Hong Kong. When teams arrive at the Fork in the Road, they will have to choose which direction and route they want to take to the Pit Stop, creating two parallel races where two teams will be eliminated.

"This season 14 teams will embark on an unforgettable adventure," said Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri, co-creators and executive producers of THE AMAZING RACE. "Traveling around the globe for a stop in Osaka, Japan, where they will experience a modern-day bullet train in a thriving city and then immerse themselves in a 12,000-year-old tradition, performing with a taiko drum group. They will feel the adrenaline rush of skydiving over Dubai's breathtaking cityscape contrasted with another stop, for the first time on THE AMAZING RACE, in the countryside of Bulgaria, where they will participate in a traditional folk dance. Adding a new city this season, teams will visit the medieval village of Strasbourg, France, which will feel like stepping into a fairytale. For our season of surprises, there is no end to the drama, twists and turns until we see who the winners are!"

Following are the teams competing on the upcoming season of THE AMAZING RACE:
- Alyssa Borden (31, nurse anesthetist) and Josiah Borden (32, nurse anesthetist) Married nurse anesthetists Philadelphia
- Bernie Gutierrez (31, personal trainer) and Carrigain Scadden (33, spa educator) Friends Dallas and Denver.
- Brett Hamby (36, acrobat) and Mark Romain (37, dancer/model) Married Vegas performers Las Vegas
- Carson McCalley (28, game streamer) and Jack Dodge (27, game streamer) Best friends and gamers Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Courtney Ramsey (33, registered nurse) and Jasmin Carey (34, nurse practitioner) Dating nurses Leland, N.C.
- Ernest Cato (59, retired chief, Chicago Police Department) and Bridget Cato (28, account supervisor) Father and daughter Chicago and Sommerville, Mass.
- Han Nguyen (26, former energy consultant) and Holden Nguyen (22, Stanford student) Siblings Los Gatos, Calif.
- Jackye Clayton (51, talent acquisition architect) and Lauren McKinney (61, corporate event strategist) Sisters Waco, Texas
- Jonathan Towns (42, software developer) and Ana Towns (35, stay-at-home mom) Married parents Pomona, Calif.
- Mark Crawford (63, retired firefighter) and Larry Graham (59, retired firefighter) Best friends Watertown, Tenn., and Bartlett, Tenn.
- Melinda Papadeas (66, administration) and Erika Papadeas (32, client engagement specialist) Mother and daughter Chandler, Ariz., and Englewood, Colo.
- Nick Fio (32, entrepreneur and podcaster) and Mike Fio (28, entrepreneur and podcaster) Brothers Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Jeff "Pops" Bailey (65, lumberjack) and Jeff Bailey (36, lumberjack) Father and son St. Louis, Mo.
- Scott Thompson (47, physician assistant) and Lori Thompson (49, stay-at-home mom) Married parents of eight sons Salt Lake City, Utah


The Futon Critic
TV Line
TV Line
The Wrap
Variety
TV Insider

posted 2/5/2025

East Meets West in "KPOPPED"
PSY, Megan Thee Stallion to Host Global Music Mashup Competition
From the Futon Critic

Apple TV+ announces new K-pop song battle series "KPOPPED," starring PSY and Megan Thee Stallion East meets West as stars face off in collaborative song battles in this new series from legendary executive producer Lionel Richie and Miky Lee, produced by CJ ENM and Eureka Productions.

Today, Apple TV+ announced "KPOPPED," an all-new eight-episode song battle series from executive producer Lionel Richie, starring PSY, the international chart-topper who helped bring K-pop to the world with his global sensation "Gangnam Style," and three-time Grammy award-winning superstar and executive producer Megan Thee Stallion, who also performs her hit song "Savage."

In each episode, western icons reimagine one of their biggest hits, collaborating with top-tier K-pop idols to deliver spectacular battle performances, with a live Seoul-based audience picking the winner of the best new K-popped song.

The series is executive produced by Moira Ross, Richie, Miky Lee, Megan Thee Stallion and Greg Foster, alongside Harry H.K. Shin and Jake Hong, with producer Ki-woong Kim for CJ ENM Co., Ltd., with its unparalleled expertise in music variety shows and content production. Chris Culvenor, Paul Franklin, Wes Dening and David Tibballs executive produce for Eureka Productions (a Fremantle company), alongside Bruce Eskowitz.

The Futon Critic
DEadline
The Wrap
Variety
The Hollywood Reporter

posted 2/5/2025

No Actual Bears Were Harmed in the Making of This Show
Catch Celebrity Bear Hunt" on NEtflix
From The Wrap

Netflix UK has assembled twelve top-tier British celebrities, who have subjected themselves as prey for a Bear hunt.

While it may not be a grizzly bear sniffing around for them, it may be worse. Edward Michael “Bear” Grylls, a British adventurer, TV personality and former British Special Forces soldier, will be on the hunt for the celebrity talent attached to the reality competition series.

Holly Willoughby hosts the Netflix show set in the Costa Rican jungle, where 12 celebrities, including Spice Girls alum Mel B and tennis legend Boris Becker, become prey for the legendary survival expert. Each of the stars must prove how strong their sense of survival truly is as they navigate a brutal game of cat and mouse and are hunted down by Bear himself.

The Wrap

Yahoo!

posted 2/5/2025

Coming Back Home to "Deb's House"
WeTV, ALLBLK Renew Talent Competition
From the Futon Critic

Today, We TV announced the renewal of the wildly popular competition series, Deb's House. Heading into its sophomore season, music industry icon Deb Antney shifts her focus from rap to R&B as she embarks upon a nationwide search for the next chart-topping, female R&B superstar. The eight episode, hour-long reality series, is currently filming in New York and New Jersey and slated to premiere this summer, airing exclusively on We TV and streaming exclusively on ALLBLK.

In Deb's House Season 2, produced by TeamSheed Productions, Deb Antney continues her mission to shape the future of music, this time seeking soulful, powerful voices in the world of R&B. With the help a new arsenal of celebrity guests, judges and industry pros, Ms. Deb will identify ten up-and-coming female vocalists to move into Deb's House. The aspiring artists will compete to become Ms. Deb's next R&B protégé - and this will require hard work. Deb's House will not only test the vocal abilities of these up-and-coming stars, but challenge their resilience, work ethic and ability to navigate the pressures of the music industry. As Ms. Deb mentors and evaluates their growth, the artists will face intense eliminations and personal revelations, ultimately leading to the crowning of a new R&B sensation.

"R&B has always held a special place in my heart," stated Deb Antney. "This season is all about capturing the nostalgia of the golden era of R&B, while forging a new path for future stars. The real competition Is You Vs. You, but those who stand out will have the chance to work with me and make their dreams come true."

"We are delighted to welcome Deb Antney, a true music industry pioneer, back for another incredible season of Deb's House," said Brett Dismuke, Head of Content, ALLBLK & We TV. "R&B is a classic genre defining generations with its captivating and authentic sound. As Ms. Deb begins her journey to find the next R&B superstar, with the help of some of the most influential voices in the industry, we are confident this will be a must-see season."

Deb's House is Executive Produced and Created by Deb Antney for Tag Multimedia and Rasheed J. Daniel for TeamSheed Productions, with Vanessa Phillips serving as Co-executive Producer. Angela Molloy, SVP, Development & Original Production, Unscripted, LeAnn Scrimmager, Manager Development & Original Production, Unscripted and Sean Charles, Manager Development & Original Production, Scripted & Unscripted Executive Produce for We TV and ALLBLK.

The Futon Critic

posted 2/5/2025

Way to Extend That Franchise, Bravo
"Real Housewives" Coming to "Love Hotel"
From Deadline

Bravo is getting ready to have a group of The Real Housewives stars check in to the Love Hotel.

The dating series will feature Real Housewives of New York City‘s Luann de Lesseps, The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Shannon Beador, and The Real Housewives of Potomac’s Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby.

“The Housewives have checked in,” reads the teaser with music in the background that sounds similar to Darby’s single “Coffee & Love.”

RHOP‘s Bryant teased Love Hotel last year, telling Deadline that co-star Beador was an “acquired taste.”

“I love her. I’ve talked to Shannon a couple times since we left, and Shannon’s a lot of fun. Shannon was the one that was a bit more emotional than the rest of the ladies, and that was, uh… different for me,” Bryant added. “I’m not that emotional. Neither is Ashley. She was our emotional girl. We had to protect her to make sure she was okay.”

Love Hotel finished filming and made headlines last year when host Joel Kim Booster called out Beador for allegedly mistreating production throughout the show’s filming.

Booster would later apologized to Beador, saying, “I’ve had a lot of time to think and process about this, and I wish I could say that I was not the guy who posted those statements on Instagram, but the fact is that I am. I let an onset conflict cloud my judgment and accessed the darkest, ugliest part of myself and said things I don’t stand by or even believe, and I am deeply sorry that allowed my worst self to cloud my judgment.”

Deadline

posted 2/5/2025

Wednesday Lightning Round
... or "Whose Idea Was This Anyway?"

  • Channel 4 distances itself from social posts by contestants from a show that they should probably distance themselves from as well. (Deadline)

  • Travis Kelce jokes about doing cartwheels on set (Us) while being honored to play in front of the most powerful person in the world... no, not her, sadly (Deadline)

  • Howie Mandel apologizes to Bill Burr about interview drama (Variety)

  • Drew Carey talks about mental health five years after his girlfriend was taken from us (Us Weekly)

  • Richard McKerrow leaves "Great British Baking Show" producer (Deadline)

  • A FEW GOOD MINUTES with Rob Lowe (TV Insider)

posted 2/5/2025


Rolling Stone

Idol Introduced Artist in Residence
Jelly Roll Set for Season 23
From the Wrap

Jelly Roll has joined “American Idol” Season 23 as the competition series’ first-ever Artist in Residence.

The four-time Grammy nominee, who previously appeared as a guest mentor in Season 22, will provide contestants with first-hand advice during their journey on the “American Idol” stage.

The rapper and singer-songwriter celebrated his new role in a video message. “I’m ‘American Idol’s’ Artist in Residence’!” Jelly Roll exclaimed. “I feel like I’m giving them the energy they need. I’m uplifting and trying to get ’em going!”

This marks Jelly Roll’s official return to the singing competition series after he served as a guest mentor and performer during Season 22. He appeared on the show when it visited Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawaii. His debut as the first-ever Artist in Residence will kick off during “American Idol’s” Hollywood Week.

“American Idol” Season 23 will start on Sunday, March 9 on ABC. A special preview of the season will air following “The Oscars” on Sunday, March 2 on ABC. The season will stream the next day on Hulu.

The Wrap
Variety
The Hollywood Reporter
Entertainment Weekly

posted 2/4/2025

"Physical: 100" Evolves
MAnny Pacquiao Joins "Physical Asia"
From The Futon Critic

The hit survival reality competition show Physical: 100, which dominated Netflix's Global Top 10 TV Series (Non-English) rankings for two years in a row, is back with a monumental twist. Now titled Physical: Asia and premiering in the fourth quarter of this year, the series scales up its quest for the ultimate physique beyond individual matchups - unleashing a full-blown national showdown where pride, survival, and teamwork collide.

From "100" to "Asia" In previous seasons, 100 elite competitors fought to outlast each other in a grueling individual tournament. This time, Physical: Asia transforms the battleground into a high-stakes team competition featuring top-tier athletes representing their respective countries. If a single teammate falls, the entire squad is eliminated - raising the stakes and drama to unprecedented heights.

A legendary contender enters the ring In a first for the franchise, living boxing legend Manny Pacquiao joins Physical: Asia as the Philippine representative. Pacquiao, revered worldwide as the only boxer in history to acquire titles in eight weight divisions, brings his formidable talent and indomitable spirit to this team-based clash of champions. His participation signals the show's expanded ambition: a fierce face-off among Asia's finest, with national pride on the line.

Bigger stage, higher stakes Season after season, Physical: 100 has captivated viewers around the globe, blazing a trail as Netflix's first Korean unscripted series to clinch the top spot on the Global Top 10 (Non-English) list. With the newly minted Physical: Asia, the spectacle grows even bigger. Competitors - regardless of age, gender, or weight class - will unite under their national flags for the toughest, most pulse-pounding missions yet.

Catch up on the first two seasons of Physical: 100, now streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned for more updates on Physical: Asia - the ultimate test of teamwork, endurance, and raw physical power.

The Futon Critic

posted 2/4/2025

Food Network Sharpens "Knives"
Scott Conant to Host "House of Knives"
From The Futon Critic

Food Network welcomes a roster of top-tier chefs to the ultimate culinary arena in the epic new series House of Knives, where talented, innovative and ruthless contenders must use their cooking, strategy and survival skills to make it to the throne. Led by host Scott Conant and esteemed Culinary Council members Judy Joo and Marcus Samuelsson, the eight-episode competition names a weekly ruler based on challenges that reflect the contenders' personal stories, food influences and cultures, while the least successful chefs are banished. There are always six players in the game, so eliminations are followed with a dramatic reveal: a brand-new legendary chef entering the arena. House of Knives premieres Tuesday, March 18th at 9pm (all times ET/PT) on Food Network and streaming next day on MAX and in the final chapter on Tuesday, May 6th at 9pm, only one chef will claim the throne and win the $100,000 grand prize.

"The House of Knives arena is all about extreme talent and gameplay - only the strongest contenders have a chance at the crown," said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. "Our viewers are in for a unique experience watching these chefs fight for their name by showcasing their personal food style and stories."

Chefs competing for the House of Knives throne over the season include Anne Burrell, Shirley Chung, Kelsey Bernard Clark, Poppy O'Toole, Viet Pham, Jonathon Sawyer, Martel Stone, John Tesar and Claudette Zepeda.

The Futon Critic
Deadline

posted 2/4/2025

The Zenith of Talent?
ITV to Develop French-Canadian Format
From Deadline

Could ITV‘s next big gameshow be coming in from Canada?

The UK commercial broadcaster is understood to be in early-stage development on a version of Zenith, an X Factor-style French-Canadian format in which singers from different generations perform songs to a live audience. Masked Singer UK producer Bandicoot is forging the ITV version.

In Zenith, the audience in the arena-style building is made up of 100 judges all grouped by generation, split between Boomer, Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z. Over 13 weeks, 24 singers (six per generation) sing old and new hits via splashy performances and are judged by the audience. The end goal is “to crown a winner at the end of the season: an artist who has been able to captivate all generations, a singer whose timeless voice suits all styles, genres, and eras,” according to the show’s synopsis.

Deadline

posted 2/4/2025

"Flip Off" Flips Records
HGTV's Highest-Rated Freshman Series Premiere Since September 2022
From The Futon Critic

HGTV's highly anticipated new competition series The Flip Off, starring former Flip or Flop stars and exes Tarek El Moussa and Christina Haack, delivered HGTV's highest-rated freshman series premiere among Adults 25-54 since September 2022, attracting 4.0 million total viewers across linear and streaming when it premiered on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Garnering a .56 live plus three-day rating among Adults 25-54, the episode posted impressive triple-digit gains of 180 percent over the previous six weeks and 107 percent over year-ago levels for the demo in its Wednesday timeslot.

HGTV's highly anticipated new competition series The Flip Off, starring former Flip or Flop stars and exes Tarek El Moussa and Christina Haack, delivered HGTV's highest-rated freshman series premiere among Adults 25-54 since September 2022, attracting 4.0 million total viewers across linear and streaming when it premiered on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Garnering a .56 live plus three-day rating among Adults 25-54, the episode posted impressive triple-digit gains of 180 percent over the previous six weeks and 107 percent over year-ago levels for the demo in its Wednesday timeslot.

The Flip Off also attracted a large upscale audience, delivering a .59 L3 rating among both Upscale Adults 25-54 and Upscale Women 25-54. The ratings garnered respective triple-digit increases of 122 percent and 102 percent over previous six-week levels in the key demos. In addition, The Flip Off helped HGTV rank as the #2 non-news/sports cable network among Women 25-54 for the night, and the episode ranked as the #2 non-news/sports cable program among Women 25-54 and as a top 5 non-news/sports cable program among Adults 25-54 and Men 25-54.

Fans are highly engaged with The Flip Off content on HGTV's digital platforms, delivering 20 million impressions and 17 million video views on HGTV's Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Threads in January alone.

The Futon Critic

posted 2/4/2025

Tuesday Lightning Round
... or "Theme Nights!"

  • "Masked Singer' to salute Shrek, Ghostbusters (Variety)

  • James May says the BBC didn't need to fire Jeremy Clarkson (NEwsbreak)

  • Ken Jennings wants Kate McKinnon to play him on SNL (LADBible)

  • CASTING COUCH: Flip Side looking for season 2 players in Hotlanta (WANF Atlanta)

  • Matt James backed up in his split with Rachael Kirkconnell (Reality Tidbit)

  • Marcus Jordan arrested for cocaine possession & resisting (Entertainment Weekly)

  • Valerie Bertinelli doesn't remember the 80s (Entertainment Weekly)

  • How The Voice reunited Adam Levine & Blake Shelton (TV Line)

  • FIRST LOOK: Extracted (Fox, February 10) (The Futon Critic)

  • Michael Strahan felt "hopeless" after daughter's cancer battle (The Hollywood Reporter)

  • A FEW GOOD MINUTES with Bob the Drag Queen (The Wrap)

posted 2/4/2025

"Got Talent" Turns 20
Mel B to Rejoin Panel as Heidi Klum Departs
From TV Line

America’s Got Talent is about to celebrate a major milestone: The NBC competition series has been renewed for Season 20 and will premiere with a two-hour episode on Tuesday, May 27 at 8/7c.

The upcoming season will also see singer/songwriter Mel B return to the judges table alongside Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and executive producer Simon Cowell. Terry Crews also returns as host.

Heidi Klum will be sitting out Season 20. The supermodel judged alongside Mel B in Seasons 8-13 before both stepped away for Season 14. Klum made her comeback in Season 15 when she joined Vergara on the panel.

“It is absolutely brilliant to be able to announce this year as our 20th season,” Cowell said in a statement. “Over the years, we have seen some amazing acts and met some truly incredible people. It’s true that two or three minutes can change your life. I want to thank every contestant, all the fans who have supported the show every year and to NBC for believing in this show. And of course, the amazing team, past and present, who make the show so special. Now as always, I am really excited to meet the contestants this year.”

Auditions are currently underway for the new season.

TV Line
The Futon Critic
Variety
Deadline
The Hollywood Reporter
Variety

posted 2/3/2025

"What's My Line?" at 75
A Celebration of a Classic
From Remind

Seventy-five years ago, on February 2, 1950, the first mystery guest was revealed on the premiere episode of What’s My Line? Do you remember who it was? … Times up, it was New York Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto.

Over the run of the series, mystery guests ran the gamut from Hollywood stars like Gary Cooper and Elizabeth Taylor, to music icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne, among many others.

An early classic from prolific game show producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, this program featured celebrity panelists questioning contestants in order to determine their occupation. Most of these contestants were from the general public, but each week, there was a celebrity mystery guest for whom the panelists were blindfolded.

Journalist John Charles Daly hosted the original version of the show, which ran for 17 years on CBS. Among the notable regular celebrity panelists who appeared quite a bit during this time were actress Arlene Francis, journalist Dorothy Kilgallen, and writers Bennett Cerf and Hal Block.

Reboots were hosted by Wally Bruner & Larry Blyden.

During the course of its run, "What's My Line?" won three Emmys for Best Quiz/Audience Participation Show in 1952, 1953, and 1958, and a Golden Globe for Best TV Show in 1962.

Spinoffs include "I've Got a Secret", a non-occupational series played mostly for laughs, "That's My Line", a short-lived reality series, and "What's My Line? Live on Stage", a stage version based out of the ACME Comedy Theatre in Los Angeles.

Remind

posted 2/3/2025

"Wipeout" Wipes Out
TBS Cancels Reboot, "The Cube"
From TV Line

The Wipeout revival has wiped out.

And The Cube has melted. Those two cancellations were quietly revealed on Monday by Jason Sarlanis, President of TNT, TBS, TruTV, ID & HLN, Linear and Streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery, during a keynote session at the Realscreen Summit in Miami.

As reported by Deadline, Sarlanis indicated that the cost of the two series was not in keeping with the TNets’ new programming strategy, “Those are very much in the realm of what we do,” he acknowledged. “Wipeout is inherently comedic and a joy to watch. But I think what we’re what we’re looking at is being realistic in terms of the entire environment. We have to recalibrate.”

Sarlanis also noted that the Sarah Silverman-hosted Stupid Pet Tricks, based on the infamous David Letterman talk show segment, “did very nicely for us” in Season 1, but has yet to be renewed.

The Wipeout revival, which debuted in April 2021 and was hosted by John Cena and Nicole Byer, featured “updated courses that are bigger and wetter than ever,” with each episode sending contestants “racing their way through water, slime, mud, and the series’ iconic big red balls for the chance to win a grand prize of $25,000.” Camille Kostek provided interviews and commentary from the sidelines of the three main courses: The Qualifier, The Gauntlet, and The Wipeout Zone.

Wipeout‘s second (and final) season kicked off in November 2023 and ran for five weeks… took a year-long hiatus… and most recently aired on Jan. 26 of this year; “a few more episodes” reportedly have yet to air.

The Cube, hosted by three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade, followed contestant pairs who had to demonstrate skill, nerve and determination as they endured seemingly simple physical and mental tasks – all while confined in the titular glass box, which possessed its own mind and attitude. Season 2 premiered in May 2023.

TV Line
Awful Announcing
Forbes
Deadline

posted 2/3/2025

Amanda Holden Heads to "The Inner Circle"
BBC Eyes "Traitors"-like Format
From MSN

TV and radio presenter Amanda Holden is to host a new quiz show for BBC One called The Inner Circle.

Production is under way in Glasgow for the game, which involves a series of rounds designed to test contestants’ general knowledge and strategic thinking.

There will be 25 episodes across the series and a further six celebrity specials featuring famous faces who will join forces with a member of the public trying to win the cash prize.

Episodes featuring members of the public will air during the week and celebrity specials will be shown on Saturday’s in the teatime slot.

Britain’s Got Talent judge Holden, 53, said: “I’m so excited to be part of this thrilling new quiz that challenges contestants and entertains viewers in equal measure.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to bring something fresh and fabulous to weekday afternoons and Saturday night TV, and I can’t wait to see the audience reactions.” Rob Unsworth, head of BBC daytime and early peak, and Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, said: “We’re delighted to be joining forces to bring viewers a gripping new quiz that, for the first time, they’ll be able to play along with not only during the week, but on a Saturday teatime too.

“Getting the answers right on this show is only half the battle – contestants also need to decide who they trust enough to keep in the game, all under the watchful eye of the brilliantly mischievous Amanda Holden.”

MSN
Wales Online
Hello!
Digital Spy
TV Zone
TElevisual
Prolific North
Entertainment Focus

posted 2/3/2025


Getty Images

Liam Payne's Music Competition to Resume
Netflix Moves Forward with "Building the Band"
From Deadline

Liam Payne, who died last year after falling off the balcony of a hotel, will still likely be seen as guest judge in upcoming Netflix talent contest Building the Band.

Netflix unscripted chief Brandon Reigg said at the streamer’s Next on Netflix event that the company was in touch with Payne’s family as it pushes on with Building the Band, in what was the former One Direction star’s last major TV appearance.

Payne was guest judge on Building the Band alongside Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. Produced by Banijay-backed Remarkable Entertainment, the show is a Love is Blind-style talent contest in which singers form their own band without being able to see each other. The series culminated in three live shows that were filmed in late August in front of an audience at Aviva Studios in Manchester. Payne’s fans flocked to watch the recording, with some posting on social media about meeting the singer.

Netflix greenlit and wrapped the show prior to Payne’s death and had faced a dilemma over whether to proceed when he died last October. However, Building the Band was confirmed on the streamer’s 2025 slate.

In a few weeks’ time, the Brit Awards is understood to be planning a tribute to 31-year-old Payne, with reports speculating that the remaining members of One Direction could reunite on stage for the first time since their split a decade ago.

Payne died after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires. Five people have been charged in connection with his death.

Deadline
Vulture
Rolling Stone
The Hollywood Reporter

posted 1/30/2025


Paramount Global

Now Comes Discovery... and No, Not the Network.
Lawsuit Demands Answers to "Corporate Wrongdoing"
From TV Newscheck

A judge has granted the Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSI) request to obtain books and records from Paramount Global related to its pending $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.

In May, the pension fund, which owns Paramount stock, asked the Delaware Court of Chancery to order the media giant to turn over documents and communications related to the two parties’ discussions, citing concerns that controlling shareholder Shari Redstone and her holding company National Amusements had “usurped Paramount’s corporate opportunities.” At the time, ERSI said the inspection would investigate for “potential wrongdoing, including whether to seek equitable relief to ensure Shari Redstone and NAI do not profit from their wrongdoing.”

Variety
Deadline
The Wrap

posted 1/30/2025

Temptation Island on the Move
Netflix Picks Up New Season for March
From Variety

Netflix is expanding its dating show portfolio with “Temptation Island.” The reality series, which originally debuted in 2001, will be coming to the streaming platform with a new season on March 12.

The series follows four unmarried couples who are at a crossroads and have decided to put their relationship to the ultimate test by living in separate villas; the men will live in one with a group of single women while the women will live in a house of single men. In past seasons, though they can’t communicate with their partners, they are shown select footage of what their significant other is doing while apart, causing quite a bit of drama.

As Netflix’s official logline asks, “Will the choices they make push the couples closer together or farther apart into the arms of a new lover?”

Mark L. Walberg has been the host of the series from its start. Produced by Banijay Studios North America, David Goldberg and David Friedman serve as executive producers. Walberg is represented by Gersh.

“Temptation Island” originally debuted on Fox, where it aired for three seasons from 2001 to 2003; although the premise was controversial, seemingly convincing those in a relationship to cheat on their significant others, it received high ratings.

In 2019, USA Network revived the series and it aired for five more seasons between 2019 and 2023. The new version — the first time the format will be streaming — will be the ninth season.

Variety
Realscreen

posted 1/30/2025

Fawesome Gets Into the Game
Streamer Plots "Southern Food Truck Wars", "Family Game Show"
From Deadline

Free streamer Fawesome has dropped a pair of original series, including its first competition show.

Southern Food Truck Wars and Fawesome Family Game Show have been added to the ad-supported service, which offers family-friendly content.

Southern Food Truck Wars is a six-episode series that takes place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where food trucks compete for the title of Southern Food Truck Champion. Celebrity chef Jay Ducote is host as chefs battle over their signature dishes to impress the judges on three key criteria: presentation, taste and execution. The panel of judges includes Ducote, along with Joshua K. Carpenter, Tameeka Stewart and Darrell Freeman. The overall winner takes home $1,000 and a $5,000 advertising package.

Fawesome Family Game Show is billed as ‘a lively quiz show hosted by LaTangela Fay, where two teams compete in fast-paced, reimagined classic games.” These include games inspired by Pictionary, Scrabble and Boggle, word chains and Family Feud-style guessing. The winner takes home $1,000 each episode. Aaron L. Williams of Digital Media Studios and Joshua K. Carpenter of Global Content are the creators. The show is directed by Williams, who produces with Carpenter. Vikrant Mathur and Alok Ranjan are executive producers. The series comprises six episodes.

“These shows represent a fresh take on beloved competition formats,” Williams said. “With Southern Food Truck Wars, we’re celebrating the rich culinary traditions of the South through the lens of modern food truck culture, while Fawesome Family Game Show brings a dynamic, new energy to classic games that families already love. Bringing these two shows to life has been a rewarding journey, and there is no better home for them than Fawesome.”

“Our data shows that families are shifting dramatically to streaming, these original series create the perfect environment for advertisers to connect with engaged family audiences,” said Mathur, who is co-founder of Fawesome parent Future Today. “We’re offering advertisers a unique opportunity to reach the primary purchasing decision-makers in brand-safe and premium environments that prove to drive results.”

Fawesome began making original shows last year through Greenwood Rising: The Rise of Black Wall Street and The Peanut Man, a pair of feature films that dropped late in 2024. The service offers a library of free movies such as The Reader, The Pianist and Midnight in Paris in English and Spanish.

Deadline
MEdia Play News
Worldscreen

posted 1/30/2025


Skating Club of Boston
DICK BUTTON: 1930-2025
Figure Skating Legend Judged "Skating with the Stars"
From CNN

Dick Button was more than the most accomplished men’s figure skater in history. He was one of his sport’s greatest innovators and promoters.

Button, winner of two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships, died Thursday, said his son, Edward, who did not provide a cause. He was 95.

As an entrepreneur and broadcaster, Button promoted skating and its athletes, transforming a niche sport into the showpiece of every Winter Olympics.

“Dick was one of the most important figures in our sport,” Scott Hamilton said. “There wasn’t a skater after Dick who wasn’t helped by him in some way.”

Button’s impact began after World War II. He was the first U.S. men’s champion — and his country’s youngest at age 16 — when that competition returned in 1946. Two years later, he took the title at the St. Moritz Olympics, competing outdoors. He performed the first double axel in any competition and became the first American to win the men’s event.

“By the way, that jump had a cheat on it,” Button told the U.S. Olympic Committee website. “But listen, I did it and that was what counted.”

That began his dominance of international skating, and U.S. amateur sports. He was the first figure skater to win the prestigious Sullivan Award in 1949 — no other figure skater won it until Michelle Kwan in 2001.

In 1952, while a Harvard student, he won a second gold at the Oslo Games, making more history with the first triple jump (a loop) in competition. Soon after, he won a fifth world title, then gave up his eligibility as an amateur. All Olympic sports were subject to an amateur/professional division at the time.

“I had achieved everything I could have dreamed of doing as a skater,” said Button, who earned a law degree from Harvard in 1956. “I was able to enjoy the Ice Capades (show) and keep my hand in skating, and that was very important to me."

Button also featured in the game show realm. Button’s Candid Productions, formed 1959, also produced such made-for-TV programs as “Battle of the Network Stars" and "The Superstars". He was also on an episode of "I've Got a Secret" and judged the short-lived "Skating with the Stars".

He also dabbled in acting, but the rink was his realm.

“Dick Button created an open and honest space in figure skating broadcasting where no topic or moment was off-limits,” said Johnny Weir, the three-time U.S. champion and current NBC Sports figure skating analyst. “He told it like it was, even when his opinion wasn’t a popular one. His zingers were always in my mind when I would perform for him, and I wanted to make him as happy and proud as I would my coaches.

“I think that is something very special about commentating figure skating. As an athlete, we rarely have an opportunity to speak, and we rely on the TV voices to tell our story for us. Nobody could do it like Mr. Button.”

CNN
Newsday
The Washington Post
NBC Sports

posted 1/30/2025


Getty Images/ABC
MARIANNE FAITHFULL: 1946-2025
Singer/Actress Featured on Games
From the AP

Marianne Faithfull, the British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul who inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones’ greatest songs and endured as a torch singer and survivor of the lifestyle she once embodied, has died. She was 78.

Faithfull passed away Thursday in London, her music promotion company Republic Media said.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.”

The blonde, voluptuous Faithfull was a celebrity before turning 17, homeless by her mid-20s and an inspiration to peers and younger artists by her early 30s, when her raw, explicit “Broken English” album brought her the kinds of reviews the Stones had received. Over the following decades, her admirers would include Beck, Billy Corgan, Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, although her history would always be closely tied to the Stones and to the years she dated Mick Jagger.

“I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull,” Jagger wrote on Instagram. “She was so much a part of my life for so long. She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress.”

One of the first songs written by Jagger and Keith Richards, the melancholy “As Tears Go By,” was her breakthrough hit when released in 1964 and the start of her close and tormented relationship with the band.

She and Jagger began seeing each other in 1966 and became one of the most glamorous and notorious couples of “Swinging London,” with Faithfull once declaring that if LSD “wasn’t meant to happen, it wouldn’t have been invented.” Their rejection of conventional values was defined by a widely publicized 1967 drug bust that left Jagger and Richards briefly in jail and Faithfull identified in tabloids as “Naked Girl At Stones Party,” a label she would find humiliating and inescapable.

Her interests extended to theater, film and television. Faithfull began acting in the 1960s, including an appearance in Jean-Luc Godard’s “Made In U.S.A.” and stage roles in “Hamlet” and Chekhov’s “Three Sisters.” She would later appear in such films as “The Girl on a Motorcycle,” “Marie Antoinette” and “The Girl from Nagasaki,” and the TV series “Absolutely Fabulous,” in which she was cast as — and did not flinch from playing — God.

In game shows, Faithfull was featured on episodes of Juke Box Jury, British Song Contest, Call My Bluff, Thank Your Lucky STars, and Countdown.

Faithful was married three times, and in recent years dated her manager, Francois Ravard. Jagger was her most famous lover, but other men in her life included Richards (“so great and memorable,” she would say of their one-night stand), David Bowie and the early rock star Gene Pitney. Among the rejected: Bob Dylan, who had been so taken that he was writing a song about her, until Faithfull, pregnant with her son at the time, turned him down..

AP
CBS News
US Magazine
TV Insider
ABC News

posted 1/30/2025

Second Run
BBC Orders Season 2 of "The Answer Run"
From Televisual

BBC Daytime has commissioned season two of quiz show The Answer Run, for BBC One and iPlayer.

Created and made by BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, comedian Jason Manford will return to host show.

The program format sees three pairs of contestants battle it out in a “fast paced, quick-thinking” general knowledge quiz show.

Filming for the new series (25×45’) will take place in Glasgow this March.

In each round of the 50/50 quiz, contestants are given the choice of two possible answers. Questions fly down The Run and players must swipe towards the answer they think is correct.

“Under time pressure will they make the right decision?” Jason Manford said, “I’m delighted to be back on BBC One with a second series of The Answer Run. As predicted, it’s become an addictive TV quiz show that the whole family can get involved in, shouting at the telly. I can’t wait for the new series to air later this year with you lot sat watching at home thinking you could do better. And if that is the case, why not apply to take part in this series – filming starts in March – the contestants really are the stars of the show!”

Rob Unsworth, Head of Commissioning for BBC Daytime comments, “We’re delighted to welcome Jason back to The Answer Run after its debut series was such a hit with viewers. It’s a brilliantly play-along format – you can’t resist shouting your answers at the telly as it builds to a real edge-of-the-seat finish.”

Creative Director and Executive Producer for BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, Pete Ogden said: “We’re incredibly proud of the first series so it’s great news that its returning to screens for a second time. Jason is the perfect host for The Answer Run and we can’t wait for audiences to watch and play along again when it airs this year.”

Season 2 of The Answer Run will air later in the year.

Televisual
The Irish Sun
BBC Media Centre

posted 1/30/2025

Thursday Lightning Round
... or "His Greatest Challenge"

  • Dwyane Wade reveals surgery to remove cancerous tumor on his kidney (ESPN)

  • Bob the Drag Queen to host the Queerties (The Wrap)

  • Clare Crawley claims to have asked not to date Matt James (Swooon), who, according to Rachael Kirkconnel "really f----ed up" (Reality TV World)

  • How Blake Shelton got Adam Levine to return to "The Voice" (TV Insider)

  • MOMENT OF AWESOME: Inside the prize redemption of "The Price Is Right Nigeria" (Brand Times)

posted 1/30/2025

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