Alliance of motion picture and television producers

EXCLUSIVE: Television literary agent Christopher Licata has left CAA — and agenting. He has joined Los Angeles and London-based management and production company 42 ( The Silent Twins, The Flatshare ) as a manager. Based in 42’s Los Angeles office, Licata will continue to specialize in literary talent representation, working with creators and writers across television and film. Licata had been a TV agent at CAA since 2017. He will continue to represent a number of his clients in his new role of manager at 42, including showrunners Alena Smith, Caitlin Parrish & Erica Weiss, Jeffrey Paul King, and Ben Roy; New York Times bestselling author Mackenzi Lee; Australian TV creator and screenwriter Maria Lewis; and Mexican filmmaker and TV creator Carlos Rincones. “Chris is a whirlwind of ideas and creativity, and his exceptional clients have a partner and guide that is built for management,” said Josh Varney, 42 Managing Partner. “As we continue to build our domestic … [Read more...] about CAA TV Lit Agent Christopher Licata Joins 42 As Manager

Fox is doubling down on a pair of freshman crime dramas. The network has renewed both Accused and Alert : Missing Persons Unit for second seasons. Both shows come from Sony Pictures Television. The renewal of Howard Gordon’s crime anthology series Accused was expected, given that it opened strong with a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 demo and 8.4M viewers on live+same day data and grew to more than 11.3M multi-platform viewers and a 2.3 rating in the demo in the three days after its premiere, making it broadcast’s highest-rated debut in nearly two years, since the premiere of NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime in April 2021. RELATED: We’ll Be Back: Photo Gallery Of TV Series Renewed In 2023 Alert was less of a guarantee but Michael Thorn, President, Scripted Programming at Fox, recently told Deadline that it was a  “solid performer” and was “encouraged” by its delayed viewing. The show, however, will have a new showrunner for season two with Carla … [Read more...] about ‘Accused’ & ‘Alert: Missing Persons Unit’ Renewed For Season 2 At Fox

Season 3 of Power Book II: Ghost has smashed viewership records for Starz . The premiere episode delivered 5.8M multi-platform viewers in its first three days after it debuted on March 17, which the network says is its biggest premiere weekend ever. That’s up quite significantly from the 362,000 viewers that tuned in to the episode’s initial live telecast. Weekend multi-platform viewership for the Season 3 debut was also up about 30% from the Season 2 premiere in November 2021. Interestingly, the Season 2 premiere drew 518,000 for its live broadcast, which was on a Sunday. Season 2 averaged a little over half a million live viewers per episode. Prior to the launch of Season 3, Starz signaled its confidence in the series with an early renewal for a fourth installment. Season 4 is currently in production in New York. Season 3 took off in dramatic form with brand new twists, turns, and murder as Tariq, Brayden, and the Tejada family are grieving the death of … [Read more...] about ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Season 3 Premiere Smashes Debut Weekend Viewing Record For Starz

EXCLUSIVE: Mary J. Blige is back at Lifetime to executive produce two new original movies inspired by her biggest hits — Mary J. Blige’s Real Love and Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman . The flicks will premiere on back-to-back Saturdays, beginning June 10 at 8 p.m. The movies are headlined by Ajiona Alexus ( Empire , 13 Reasons Why ) and Da’Vinchi ( BMF, All American ) with Princess Davis, Austin Anozie, Shiraine Haas and Garfield Wilson rounding out the casts. Blige serves as an executive producer on both original films through her own production banner, Blue Butterfly with Ashaunna K. Ayars and Q. Nicole Jackson as co-producers. Mary J. Blige’s Real Love follows 18-year-old Kendra (Alexus) as she sets off on her own for the first time at an HBCU in North Carolina. Attending on a scholarship, Kendra is determined to focus on school while balancing work study and keeping things professional with Ben (Da’Vinchi), her photo class partner. Despite … [Read more...] about Mary J. Blige Books Two More Lifetime Original Movies Inspired By Her Music

Droughtlander is nearly over as Starz has set the premiere date for Outlander ‘s seventh season for Friday, June 16, at midnight ET via streaming and internationally on the Lionsgate+ premium streaming platform in the UK. For linear viewers, the show premieres on the same day, at 8 p.m. ET/PT in the U.S. New episodes will be released weekly Fridays. The extended 16-episode season will be split into two parts of eight episodes each, with the second half of the series inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s international bestsellers premiering in 2024. See the first-look photos above and below. Outlander was renewed for an eighth and final season in January, with the prequel Outlander: Blood of My Blood , focusing on Jamie Fraser’s parents, also officially ordered to series. Returning favorites include Caitríona Balfe as Claire Fraser, Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser, Sophie Skelton as Brianna MacKenzie, Richard Rankin as Roger MacKenzie, John Bell as Young Ian, David Berry … [Read more...] about ‘Outlander’ Sets Premiere Date For Two-Part Extended Season 7, Drops First-Look Photos

Apple TV+ has set the premiere date and offered a first look at Platonic , the upcoming 10-episode comedy series starring and executive produced by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen . Co-created, directed, and co-written by Nick Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, the half-hour comedy is set to make its global debut with the first three episodes Wednesday, May 24, 2023 on Apple TV+, followed by new episodes weekly every Wednesday. Platonic follows a pair of former best friends (Rogen and Byrne) approaching midlife who reconnect after a long rift. The duo’s friendship becomes all-consuming — and destabilizes their lives. The ensemble cast includes Luke Macfarlane, Tre Hale, Carla Gallo and Andrew Lopez. Platonic is produced by Sony Pictures Television, where Stoller and Stoller’s Global Solutions has an overall deal. Byrne, Rogen, Stoller, Delbanco and Conor Welch executive produce. The series marks the latest collaboration for Apple TV+ and Byrne, who also stars in the … [Read more...] about Rose Byrne-Seth Rogen Apple TV+ Comedy Series ‘Platonic’ Sets Premiere Date, Unveils First Look

Your first thought after seeing Bad Cinderella , the latest musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , is, well, she isn’t that bad. For better and worse. The musical, energetically directed by Laurence Connor, opens on Broadway tonight with quite a reputation: We’ve heard it was lambasted by critics in London (it wasn’t). That Andrew Lloyd Webber himself trashed it (he didn’t). The truth: Bad Cinderella , known as plain old Cinderella during an abbreviated London run that had the dreadful timing to coincide with the Covid pandemic (that was Lloyd Webber’s point when he lamented opening the show then), is a musical that upends and modernizes the age-old tale with an irreverent, knowing tone meant to smirk away the old lessons and replace them with new ones – with morals, as in the moral of the story, that more closely aligned with today’s thinking. What, you’ve seen this before, maybe when it was called Wicked ? Into the Woods ? Six ? There is no shortage of … [Read more...] about ‘Bad Cinderella’ Broadway Review: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Latest Could Use Some Badness

Fox just announced Season 2 renewals for two freshman drama series, anthology Accused and missing person drama Alert: Missing Persons Unit , both from Sony Pictures TV and Fox Entertainment. They join previously renewed sophomore drama The Cleaning Lady as well as animated stalwarts The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers . That leaves dramas 9-1-1 , 9-1-1: Lone Star , The Resident and Fantasy Island and comedies Animal Control , Call Me Kat and Welcome Flatch on the live-action side. Last year, the renewals for 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star and The Resident — all from Disney’s 20th Television — went down to the wire, only closing an hour or so before the network’s upfront presentation. I hear conversations have started on the 9-1-1 franchise. The flagship is Fox’s top-rated scripted series and most watched series overall. It is also the most expensive six seasons in, with a big-name stars, Oscar nominee Angela Bassett and Peter Krause, and … [Read more...] about Fox Renewal Status Report: ‘9-1-1’, ‘Lone Star’, ‘The Resident’, ‘Animal Control’, ‘Call Me Kat,’ ‘Flatch’ & More