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EXCLUSIVE: Guinness World Records , the iconic British institution that has been running for nearly 70 years, has launched its first ever TV channel. Guinness World Records and the recently-launched GWR Studios have tied with U.S. streamer Atmosphere on the FAST network. Shows such as GWR original Guinness World Records: Gone Viral will launch on the network along with a number of shows that focus on sports or fitness record-breaking. Launching in 1955 as the Guinness Book of Records before changing name in 1999, the institution publishes an annual world-renowned book, which carries the latest recordbreakers. Today, the offering has transformed into a multimedia brand. Kathryn Hubbard, Head of Licensing at Guinness World Records, called the channel a “pinnacle moment for both GWR Studios and Guinness World Records in general.” “It presents an amazing opportunity to curate and showcase the very best of our content in partnership with Atmosphere, an industry … [Read more...] about Guinness World Records Launches First Ever TV Channel

Work has begun on Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight ’s Birmingham TV and film studio. Digbeth Loc. Studios will complete in July and filming will begin in October, including on Knight’s upcoming BBC drama Two Tone. The 80,000 sq ft Digbeth Loc. Studios will create 760 new jobs, according to its founders, contributing £30M ($36.6M) to the local economy as it acts as a regeneration project for the Digbeth area in the West Midlands. Knight, who is also helming the BBC and FX’s upcoming Great Expectations adaptation, had a vision to create a long-term cultural legacy for Birmingham and he forged the idea for Digbeth Loc. with business partner Piers Read, the CEO of TIME+SPACE. The studios are the first such project in Birmingham, which has been boosting its local TV and film industry in recent years. Knight is also involved with the Birmingham Create Central grouping of producers and creatives, which champions local talent. Birmingham City Council has … [Read more...] about Work Begins On ‘Peaky Blinders’ Creator Steven Knight’s TV & Film Studio, First Projects Will Film Later This Year

GLAAD has released its 18th annual “Where We Are on TV” report. It counted 596 regular and recurring LGBTQ characters across broadcast, cable and streaming shows that have been released (or are expected to) between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023. This is a decrease of -6.44% from the previous year’s 637 LGBTQ characters. Streaming continues to dominate with 356 LGBTQ characters on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, and Paramount+ vs. 141 LGBTQ characters on broadcast, and 139 LGBTQ characters on cable. All broadcast networks saw a decrease in their percentage of LGBTQ series regulars from the previous report. The CW remains on top with 14.8 percent of all series regulars being LGBTQ. That is down -2.3%, and the report expresses concern how the network’s changed ownership would impact LGBTQ representation. In total, 51 percent (304) of the 596 LGBTQ characters are people of color. For the first time, in 2022-23 streaming features a majority … [Read more...] about LBGTQ Representation On TV Dipped During 2022-23 Season, GLAAD Reports

A Fox News producer claims that she was “coerced” and “intimidated” by the network’s legal team into providing misleading and evasive testimony in a deposition in the Dominion Voting Systems defamation case. Abby Grossberg , who has worked on shows hosted by Maria Bartiromo and Tucker Carlson , also claimed that the network’s attorneys were trying to subtly shift “all responsibility for the alleged defamation against Dominion onto her shoulders and by implication, those of her trusted female colleague, Ms. Bartiromo, rather than the mostly male higher ups at Fox News who endorsed the repeated coverage of the lies against the Dominion.” Her suit was filed in federal court in New York and Delaware Superior Court, where Fox and Dominion are delivering oral arguments on Tuesday in the summary judgment phase of the case. Grossberg also claims that she was retaliated against after she complained about unlawful harassment based on her gender and Jewish religion. She claims … [Read more...] about Fox News Producer Sues Network Claiming She Was Coached To Give Misleading Testimony In Dominion Case

EXCLUSIVE : Scott Stoops has been elevated to Partner at management and production co. Good Fear Content , Partners Chris Bender and Jake Weiner announced on Tuesday. A manager at Good Fear since its 2015 founding, Stoops’ roster includes numerous prominent writers and directors across film and TV, a number of which have reached EP or Co-EP level. Among his most notable clients is Megan McDonnell, who was the first writer in on Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels , after serving as a staff writer on the Emmy-winning WandaVision and its forthcoming spin-off Agatha: Coven of Chaos , as well as Apple’s Dark Matter . Others include Rayna McClendon, who is currently working in the Star Wars universe after staffing on Obi-Wan and Willow for Lucasfilm; Aisha Porter-Christie, who is on Marvel’s Daredevil staff while writing Clifton for Peacock; Stephen Herman, who sold his horror spec The Culling to Lionsgate and is currently penning Sweet Tooth for New Line; … [Read more...] about Good Fear Content Ups Scott Stoops To Partner

EXCLUSIVE : Lionsgate has acquired the Stephen Herman horror spec script The Culling for Shazam! helmer David F. Sandberg to direct. Sandberg & Lotta Losten will produce via their newly formed Mångata production banner, alongside Good Fear Content’s Chris Bender & Jake Weiner, with Scott Stoops exec producing. A troubled priest confines himself to a remote cabin in the middle of the woods where he attempts to make a last stand against the demon that terrorized his family when he was a child. Lionsgate’s Aaron Janus is overseeing the project along with Aaron Edmonds. Swedish-born Sandberg is coming off Shazam!, which grossed over $366M with Zachary Levi in the title role. Sandberg and Losten got started in 2013 when their short film Lights Out became a viral sensation with over 100 million hits. Short was acquired by New Line and Sandberg directed the feature with James Wan producing. That led Sandberg to the hit The Conjuring spinoff Annabelle: Creation . … [Read more...] about Lionsgate Lands Horror Spec ‘The Culling’ For ‘Shazam!’s David F. Sandberg To Direct

Ted Lasso Season 3 scored a goal for Apple TV+ with its premiere episode. About 870,000 Samba TV-measured U.S. households tuned in to the first episode in the first four days since it debuted on the streaming service, according to the audience analytics company. That’s up about 59% from the 546,000 households Samba measured for the Season 2 premiere. Of course, this doesn’t tell the whole viewing story, though it does give a pretty good picture of the premiere’s performance. Samba TV doesn’t measure mobile, however, their sample includes a panel of 3 million terrestrial TVs, weighted to the U.S. Census. By contrast, Samba TV’s panel is nearly 100x larger than Nielsen’s household footprint of 45K homes. Apple TV+ hasn’t released any data for Ted Lasso viewership (or any of its series), but it did say that Season 2 delivered the streamer’s biggest premiere day ever , largest opening weekend ever and No. 1 debut across all series and movies. So far, the streamer … [Read more...] about ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3 Premiere Scores 870K U.S. Households, Up 59% From Season 2 Premiere, Samba TV Says

EXCLUSIVE : NBCUniversal Syndication Studios has renewed the syndicated chatfest The Steve Wilkos Show for a 17th season. The Steve Wilkos Show tackles family and criminal justice, true crime and relationship conflicts. The show is hosted by Steve Wilkos, a former Chicago police officer and U.S. Marine. “We’re so proud to have reached this milestone as one of the longest-running talk shows in broadcast syndication,” said Tracie Wilson, Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios & E! News. “Along with our talented production team who bring riveting stories each day, Steve’s life experiences, his quick wit and no-nonsense approach create an organic connection with his audience. We look forward to bringing our station partners and loyal viewers another eventful season.” Wilkos will celebrate 30 years in daytime television in 2024. He started as the head of security on The Jerry Springer Show in 1994 and launched his own talk show in 2007. “I … [Read more...] about ‘The Steve Wilkos Show’ Renewed for 17th Season

The first premiere of Succession was in 2018 at the NYC complex formerly known as the Time Warner Center. “A lot has happened in those five years. We’ve had a couple of corporate mergers, a global pandemic, a few Emmys,” said Casey Bloys , chairman-CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content at the premiere of the series fourth and final season. HBO parent Warner Media was sold to AT&T in a deal that closed that year. The telecom giant then sold it to Discovery in 2022. At the Season 3 premiere in October of 2021 the deal to create Warner Bros. Discovery had been announced but not yet closed. “It’s been a wild ride. But we are so proud to be the home of Succession ,” Bloys said taking the stage at the event at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Succession happens to be a show where tortured M&A attempts and boardroom infighting by a charismatic ensemble led by Brian Cox as media mogul-patriarch Logan Roy are integral to the action. “It’s been a joy from day one,“ Bloys said … [Read more...] about HBO Content Chief Casey Bloys’ Heartfelt ‘Succession’ Sendoff, A Series That Weathered A Few Real-Life Corporate Mergers

Karamo , the syndicated talk show hosted by Karamo Brown , has been renewed for a second season. The news was announced Thursday by Tracie Wilson, Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios & E! News. To date, Karamo is sold in 85% of the country and appears on leading station groups including Nexstar, Weigel, Tegna, Sunbeam, Hearst, Sinclair, Capitol, Block, CW Plus, Mission Broadcasting and more. The conflict talk show addresses a wide range of topics, including infidelity, DNA mystery, parenting, and complex family dynamics. The show also features a popular segment called “Unlock The Phone,” where guests have the opportunity for Karamo’s investigative team to uncover their partners’ cell phone history to identify potential infidelities. In its first season in national broadcast syndication , Karamo is averaging over 600,000 daily viewers in 2023, up 18% over its performance for fall 2022. “I’m beyond excited for a second season where we … [Read more...] about Karamo Brown Syndicated Talk Show Renewed For Season 2 By NBCUniversal