Dropout has set a new series of live recorded comedy specials titled “Dropout Presents.” The series will launch on June 12 with Hank Green’s “Pissing Out Cancer,” taped at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles
Green is a YouTuber best known for the “Vlogbrothers” channel he runs alongside his brother, John Green, with whom he also produces educational shows such as “Crash Course.” He is also the author of the novels “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” (2018) and “A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor” (2020). Green was diagnosed with cancer in May 2023 and has thoroughly documented his experiences with the illness on the internet.
“There are good parts of cancer,” Green jokes in a trailer for “Dropout Presents.” “I was thinking I was maybe gonna get that Jeremy Allen White situation going on. I got the Mark Zuckerberg situation instead.”
Six more specials will debut on Dropout as part of “Dropout Presents” throughout the year. All were recorded in L.
Green is a YouTuber best known for the “Vlogbrothers” channel he runs alongside his brother, John Green, with whom he also produces educational shows such as “Crash Course.” He is also the author of the novels “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” (2018) and “A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor” (2020). Green was diagnosed with cancer in May 2023 and has thoroughly documented his experiences with the illness on the internet.
“There are good parts of cancer,” Green jokes in a trailer for “Dropout Presents.” “I was thinking I was maybe gonna get that Jeremy Allen White situation going on. I got the Mark Zuckerberg situation instead.”
Six more specials will debut on Dropout as part of “Dropout Presents” throughout the year. All were recorded in L.
- 5/8/2024
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries will soon debut two new comedy podcasts: Tiny Dinos, from Connor Ratliff and James III, and Allan McLeod’s Walkin’ About.
Tiny Dinos premieres May 7, with episodes dropping weekly on Tuesdays, while Walkin’ About debuts on May 15, with episodes released weekly on Wednesdays. Both series will be available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. A trailer for Tiny Dinos can be found above.
Tiny Dinos
“Connor, James and Allan are all very talented comedians, and Lord knows we all can use some laughter these days,” said McKay in a statement to Deadline. “But they’re also asking questions that boldly challenge the international corporate power structure like ‘What happens if I start taking regular walks?’ And ‘What would happen if we brought dinosaurs back but they were super tiny?'”
In Tiny Dinos, Ratliff takes improv to the next...
Tiny Dinos premieres May 7, with episodes dropping weekly on Tuesdays, while Walkin’ About debuts on May 15, with episodes released weekly on Wednesdays. Both series will be available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. A trailer for Tiny Dinos can be found above.
Tiny Dinos
“Connor, James and Allan are all very talented comedians, and Lord knows we all can use some laughter these days,” said McKay in a statement to Deadline. “But they’re also asking questions that boldly challenge the international corporate power structure like ‘What happens if I start taking regular walks?’ And ‘What would happen if we brought dinosaurs back but they were super tiny?'”
In Tiny Dinos, Ratliff takes improv to the next...
- 4/23/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
With the corporate-friendly copyright laws printed on current edition U.S. law books, film distribution and production companies are the default custodians of cinema. That doesn't mean they approach the responsibility of ensuring people can watch what they want, with the attitude it deserves. Quite the opposite; films and TV are devalued as mere "content," can linger in rights-holding limbo away from public exhibition, and in the streaming era, it's easier than ever to just destroy a film, as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has proven.
Now, it's Sony's turn for some anti-consumer activism. Kotaku reports that Sony will, come December 31, be deleting Discovery reality TV programs from PlayStation 4 users' digital libraries. People who have already bought and paid for these Discovery shows will lose access to them; it's like returning an item to the store where you bought it, except you don't get your money back.
Herein...
Now, it's Sony's turn for some anti-consumer activism. Kotaku reports that Sony will, come December 31, be deleting Discovery reality TV programs from PlayStation 4 users' digital libraries. People who have already bought and paid for these Discovery shows will lose access to them; it's like returning an item to the store where you bought it, except you don't get your money back.
Herein...
- 12/2/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
A lot can happen in 146 days. When the Writers Guild strike started in May, Drew Barrymore was one of its early folk heroes, when she stepped down as host of the MTV Movie & TV Awards in solidarity. But four months later, Barrymore became one of the strike’s most reviled public figures when she tried to rationalize the decision to bring back her daytime talk show in the midst of a work stoppage. There were many winners and losers to come out of this hot labor summer, and it’s not over yet, as SAG-AFTRA looks to seal its own deal with the AMPTP. But as the WGA prepares to vote on its hard-fought new contract, here are some of the entities that made it to the other side on the rise — or a bit imperiled.
Winners Adam Conover (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images)
Adam Conover
The standup and...
Winners Adam Conover (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images)
Adam Conover
The standup and...
- 9/29/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
“I never had any doubt that we were going to do it,” Adam Conover told TheWrap. The writer behind “Adam Ruins Everything” and “The G Word” has become an unofficial leader, or at least a public face on social media, during the long WGA strike. Now that the guild and the studios have reached a brokered peace, Conover took some time to speak about his feelings after a long and bruising battle.
“I understood how the power dynamics worked every step of the way, even though the CEOs didn’t,” he declared.
Conover admitted to feeling something approximating relief when the AMPTP began to aggressively negotiate in the final stretch of a nearly five-month-long strike. “When they finally started to negotiate, my first thought was, ‘My God, fucking finally, they get it. They get what they have to do.’”
#WGADeal #SAGAFTRAStrike #WGAStrike:
"When they finally started to negotiate, my first thought was,...
“I understood how the power dynamics worked every step of the way, even though the CEOs didn’t,” he declared.
Conover admitted to feeling something approximating relief when the AMPTP began to aggressively negotiate in the final stretch of a nearly five-month-long strike. “When they finally started to negotiate, my first thought was, ‘My God, fucking finally, they get it. They get what they have to do.’”
#WGADeal #SAGAFTRAStrike #WGAStrike:
"When they finally started to negotiate, my first thought was,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
CollegeHumor is dropping out of school, so to speak.
As the comedy brand shifts its distribution strategy under current CEO Sam Reich, it is giving up its original handle to rebrand as Dropout. That name, which previously applied to the company’s subscription service, will now become its official moniker.
Reich announced the rebrand in a video on the channel formerly known as CollegeHumor (which counts 14.7 million subscribers). Reich said that his company’s new name will represent its people-driven approach, “without any corporations, networks, or advertisers to muck it up.”
Dropout’s history dates back to 1999, when it was launched by Josh Abramson and Ricky Van Veen. YouTube arrived in 2005, and the company then known as CollegeHumor saw its stock go up. It pulled in billions of views, attracted guest stars like Michelle Obama, and even got its own television show with the TruTV original Adam Ruins Everything.
The...
As the comedy brand shifts its distribution strategy under current CEO Sam Reich, it is giving up its original handle to rebrand as Dropout. That name, which previously applied to the company’s subscription service, will now become its official moniker.
Reich announced the rebrand in a video on the channel formerly known as CollegeHumor (which counts 14.7 million subscribers). Reich said that his company’s new name will represent its people-driven approach, “without any corporations, networks, or advertisers to muck it up.”
Dropout’s history dates back to 1999, when it was launched by Josh Abramson and Ricky Van Veen. YouTube arrived in 2005, and the company then known as CollegeHumor saw its stock go up. It pulled in billions of views, attracted guest stars like Michelle Obama, and even got its own television show with the TruTV original Adam Ruins Everything.
The...
- 9/26/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Laura Blum-Smith, the Writers Guild of America West’s director of research and public policy, considers the strike a result of a tsunami of Hollywood mergers that has handed studios and streamers the power to exploit workers.
“Harmful mergers and attempts to monopolize markets are a recurring theme in the history of media and entertainment, and they are a key part of what led 11,500 writers to go on strike more than 100 days ago against their employers,” Blum-Smith said on Thursday at an event with the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice over new merger guidelines unveiled in July.
She pointed to Disney, Amazon and Netflix as companies that “gained power through anticompetitive consolidation and vertical integration,” allowing them to impose “more and more precarious working conditions, increasingly short term employment and lower pay for writers and other workers across the industry.” But she sees revisions to the merger guidelines...
“Harmful mergers and attempts to monopolize markets are a recurring theme in the history of media and entertainment, and they are a key part of what led 11,500 writers to go on strike more than 100 days ago against their employers,” Blum-Smith said on Thursday at an event with the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice over new merger guidelines unveiled in July.
She pointed to Disney, Amazon and Netflix as companies that “gained power through anticompetitive consolidation and vertical integration,” allowing them to impose “more and more precarious working conditions, increasingly short term employment and lower pay for writers and other workers across the industry.” But she sees revisions to the merger guidelines...
- 8/10/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikers picketing at Radford Studios Center in Studio City will be allowed at the main gates of the property starting Monday after the unions threatened legal action over the dangerous conditions of the only previously available locations.
WGA strike captain Andra Whipple announced the victory Friday to picketers and media outside another gate at the studio.
“We have won a huge victory in the battle of Radford because of the article that came out yesterday,” Whipple said. “Within an hour of that article coming out, the studio suddenly wanted to get on the phone very urgently, and they wanted to let us know, ‘Oh, well, we would love to have you picket on Radford.’ So starting on Monday, this picket line will be moving to Radford Avenue. We will have an observer here because this will turn into a neutral gate, and we’re gonna finally be...
WGA strike captain Andra Whipple announced the victory Friday to picketers and media outside another gate at the studio.
“We have won a huge victory in the battle of Radford because of the article that came out yesterday,” Whipple said. “Within an hour of that article coming out, the studio suddenly wanted to get on the phone very urgently, and they wanted to let us know, ‘Oh, well, we would love to have you picket on Radford.’ So starting on Monday, this picket line will be moving to Radford Avenue. We will have an observer here because this will turn into a neutral gate, and we’re gonna finally be...
- 7/28/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
On the first day of SAG-AFTRA picketing after the union called a strike, a hot topic of conversation was the assertion by an unnamed studio executive that the studios’ endgame in the WGA strike was to “break the WGA” and allow the strike to go on until people lost their homes.
Ron Perlman came out swinging on Friday in direct response, and comedian, SAG-AFTRA member and WGA contract negotiating committee member Adam Conover slammed those comments himself on CNN Saturday, saying the striking writers and actors are going to be the ones starving the studios out.
“I mean first of all, it’s offensive that the CEOs that we’re negotiating against literally said to the press that their goal is to starve us out until we lose our apartments and homes,” Conover told CNN’s Jim Acosta, referring to the unnamed executive’s comments in Deadline last week. “I...
Ron Perlman came out swinging on Friday in direct response, and comedian, SAG-AFTRA member and WGA contract negotiating committee member Adam Conover slammed those comments himself on CNN Saturday, saying the striking writers and actors are going to be the ones starving the studios out.
“I mean first of all, it’s offensive that the CEOs that we’re negotiating against literally said to the press that their goal is to starve us out until we lose our apartments and homes,” Conover told CNN’s Jim Acosta, referring to the unnamed executive’s comments in Deadline last week. “I...
- 7/15/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
The Sharpie Is Mightier: ‘Pissed Off’ Writers with Clever Signs Make Noise from the WGA Picket Lines
“No pages without fair wages!” “Don’t you want to know how ‘The Last of Us’ ends?” “Please don’t make me have to move back to Ohio!”
The WGA Strike of 2023 is now in full swing, and the writers who formed picket lines Tuesday afternoon across Los Angeles and New York City are mad as hell. Speaking of lines, those clever ones above were just a few of the phrases written on the poster boards of Hollywood’s writers as they protested what they feel to be unfair wages, a devaluing of their work by the studios, networks, and streamers, and an “existential” fight for entertainment writing as a viable profession. If you believe the pen to be mightier, maybe don’t mess with writers.
“To be out here today and see the unity of writers, to fight for our careers, to keep from turning us into gig workers...
The WGA Strike of 2023 is now in full swing, and the writers who formed picket lines Tuesday afternoon across Los Angeles and New York City are mad as hell. Speaking of lines, those clever ones above were just a few of the phrases written on the poster boards of Hollywood’s writers as they protested what they feel to be unfair wages, a devaluing of their work by the studios, networks, and streamers, and an “existential” fight for entertainment writing as a viable profession. If you believe the pen to be mightier, maybe don’t mess with writers.
“To be out here today and see the unity of writers, to fight for our careers, to keep from turning us into gig workers...
- 5/3/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Los Angeles, May 3 (Ians) Writer and comedian Adam Conover blasted David Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery CEO, during an interview with CNN, a company that Zaslav also oversees, reports ‘Variety’.
“David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of the network I’m talking to you on right now, was paid $250 million last year, a quarter of a billion dollars,” Conover said during his interview with CNN’s star reporter and anchor Sara Sidner, according to ‘Variety’.
“That’s about the same level as what 10,000 writers are asking him to pay all of us collectively, alright. I would say if you’re being paid $250 million — these companies are making enormous amounts of money. Their profits are going up. It’s ridiculous for them to plead poverty,” Conover said, tweeting later: “Went on CNN to explain why writers are striking, ended up roasting their bosses’ salary.”
Conover, a Writers...
“David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of the network I’m talking to you on right now, was paid $250 million last year, a quarter of a billion dollars,” Conover said during his interview with CNN’s star reporter and anchor Sara Sidner, according to ‘Variety’.
“That’s about the same level as what 10,000 writers are asking him to pay all of us collectively, alright. I would say if you’re being paid $250 million — these companies are making enormous amounts of money. Their profits are going up. It’s ridiculous for them to plead poverty,” Conover said, tweeting later: “Went on CNN to explain why writers are striking, ended up roasting their bosses’ salary.”
Conover, a Writers...
- 5/3/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Hundreds of WGA members stood outside Netflix’s headquarters in Hollywood, marching and chanting in an effort to bring more attention to their strike. Among them was Adam Conover.
“I’ve never done anything like this before,” said Conover, creator of HBO’s “The G Word” and host of “Adam Ruins Everything” from TruTV. “But, you know, this is my first action. There was a moment, you know, a week or two ago where I was like, ‘I don’t want to go on strike! There’s other shit I want to do! You know, I want to… I got my career I want to worry about. I got a podcast, I’m making videos, I want to pitch some TV shows. I don’t want to do this.’ None of us want to be here. Right?”
Also Read:
Hollywood Writers Go on Strike as WGA, Studios Fail to Reach...
“I’ve never done anything like this before,” said Conover, creator of HBO’s “The G Word” and host of “Adam Ruins Everything” from TruTV. “But, you know, this is my first action. There was a moment, you know, a week or two ago where I was like, ‘I don’t want to go on strike! There’s other shit I want to do! You know, I want to… I got my career I want to worry about. I got a podcast, I’m making videos, I want to pitch some TV shows. I don’t want to do this.’ None of us want to be here. Right?”
Also Read:
Hollywood Writers Go on Strike as WGA, Studios Fail to Reach...
- 5/3/2023
- by Raquel "Rocky" Harris
- The Wrap
Writer and comedian Adam Conover blasted David Zaslav, the Warner Bros Discovery CEO, during an interview with CNN on Tuesday, a company Zaslav also oversees.
“David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of the network I’m talking to you on right now, was paid $250 million last year, a quarter of a billion dollars,” Conover said during his interview with CNN anchor Sara Sidner. “That’s about the same level as what 10,000 writers are asking him to pay all of us collectively, alright. So I would say if you’re being paid $250 million — these companies are making enormous amounts of money. Their profits are going up. It’s ridiculous for them to plead poverty.”
Conover, a Writers Guild of America member and creator of truTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything,” also called out Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos, who made $50.3 million in 2022, a 32% increase from the previous year.
“David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of the network I’m talking to you on right now, was paid $250 million last year, a quarter of a billion dollars,” Conover said during his interview with CNN anchor Sara Sidner. “That’s about the same level as what 10,000 writers are asking him to pay all of us collectively, alright. So I would say if you’re being paid $250 million — these companies are making enormous amounts of money. Their profits are going up. It’s ridiculous for them to plead poverty.”
Conover, a Writers Guild of America member and creator of truTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything,” also called out Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos, who made $50.3 million in 2022, a 32% increase from the previous year.
- 5/2/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
It’s down with the pens and up with the picket signs. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has gone on strike, for the first time in 15 years. In-person demands for a new contract from the rank and file will begin today at Amazon/Culver Studios, CBS Radford and CBS Television City, Disney’s Burbank headquarters, Netflix’s Hollywood headquarters, and the Fox, Sony, Paramount, Warner Bros and Universal studio lots in Los Angeles. In New York, picketing will occur at Peacock’s Newfront at Center415 and Netflix’s Manhattan offices.
The WGA’s primary concern is that studios and streamers will not provide work guarantees, creating, in essence, a “gig economy” for writers. Newer shows, as you might have noticed, are around 10 episodes per season, unlike the old days 20 or so. Despite this, there are soaring production expenses affecting other departments, while pay rates for writers have stagnated, and residuals have shrunk.
The WGA’s primary concern is that studios and streamers will not provide work guarantees, creating, in essence, a “gig economy” for writers. Newer shows, as you might have noticed, are around 10 episodes per season, unlike the old days 20 or so. Despite this, there are soaring production expenses affecting other departments, while pay rates for writers have stagnated, and residuals have shrunk.
- 5/2/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Warner Bros. Discovery has taken a divide-and-conquer strategy when it comes to “Impractical Jokers.”
The show, a programming mainstay on the cable network TruTv for ten seasons, has been airing on both Tru and TBS since launching its most recent cycle in early February of 2023. During that run, the show has largely seen viewership increase on TBS week over week, according to data from Nielsen, except for the week of March 2. While its run on Tru has been a little choppier over its first month on air, viewership of the episodes has widened noticeably when viewership over a three-day period is taken into consideration. The launch of the tenth season has also boosted viewership of linear repeats as well as streams on HBO Max, according to Nielsen data reviewed by Variety.
“Impractical Jokers” has been an integral piece of TruTV, helping the network pivot from its identity as the old...
The show, a programming mainstay on the cable network TruTv for ten seasons, has been airing on both Tru and TBS since launching its most recent cycle in early February of 2023. During that run, the show has largely seen viewership increase on TBS week over week, according to data from Nielsen, except for the week of March 2. While its run on Tru has been a little choppier over its first month on air, viewership of the episodes has widened noticeably when viewership over a three-day period is taken into consideration. The launch of the tenth season has also boosted viewership of linear repeats as well as streams on HBO Max, according to Nielsen data reviewed by Variety.
“Impractical Jokers” has been an integral piece of TruTV, helping the network pivot from its identity as the old...
- 3/28/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
The possibility of a writers’ strike is one of the conversations dominating Hollywood right now, but Adam Conover, creator and star of truTV’s Adam Ruins Everything and a WGA West board member, has urged members to filter out “misinformation” and “provocative claims” ahead of talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
In a video posted to the WGA West’s YouTube page (see below), Conover, who also created Netflix’s limited series The G Word with Adam Conover, broke down what’s going to happen over the next few months ahead of May 1, when the guild’s basic agreement expires.
“For the past three years, our staff has been researching and analyzing industry trends and working with the board members and officers you elected to track member concerns. We do this through one-on-one conversations with members, organizing meetings, show visits and our member survey, every...
In a video posted to the WGA West’s YouTube page (see below), Conover, who also created Netflix’s limited series The G Word with Adam Conover, broke down what’s going to happen over the next few months ahead of May 1, when the guild’s basic agreement expires.
“For the past three years, our staff has been researching and analyzing industry trends and working with the board members and officers you elected to track member concerns. We do this through one-on-one conversations with members, organizing meetings, show visits and our member survey, every...
- 2/1/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Turmoil at HBO Max has sent shockwaves throughout the industry this week, and Hollywood creatives are going public with their anger about how Warner Bros. Discovery is handling content.
Uncertainty and dismay loomed when news broke that Wbd was killing the nearly completed DC film “Batgirl,” which was to have debuted on HBO Max. The parent company also quietly removed a number of HBO Max original films from the streaming service, and TheWrap reported Wednesday that Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav is expected to announce a major restructuring of HBO Max and Discovery+ that will result in a gutting of HBO Max, significant layoffs for its executives and staff to minimize redundancies with HBO and a combined streaming service with Discovery+ with a harder line separation between the scripted and unscripted content operations.
“Streamers have been selling us creatives on the virtues of platform exclusivity for some time now,” said...
Uncertainty and dismay loomed when news broke that Wbd was killing the nearly completed DC film “Batgirl,” which was to have debuted on HBO Max. The parent company also quietly removed a number of HBO Max original films from the streaming service, and TheWrap reported Wednesday that Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav is expected to announce a major restructuring of HBO Max and Discovery+ that will result in a gutting of HBO Max, significant layoffs for its executives and staff to minimize redundancies with HBO and a combined streaming service with Discovery+ with a harder line separation between the scripted and unscripted content operations.
“Streamers have been selling us creatives on the virtues of platform exclusivity for some time now,” said...
- 8/4/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
“Saturday Night Live” breakouts Ben Marshall, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy — the comedy trio better known as Please Don’t Destroy — are preparing for their big-screen debut.
Universal Pictures has acquired a buddy comedy from the writing trio, with plans to release the movie in theaters on Aug. 18, 2023. Judd Apatow is producing the yet-to-be-titled film.
Marshall, Higgins and Herlihy will write the movie, which centers on three childhood friends who live and work together. When the threesome decides they don’t like their life trajectory, they set off to find a gold treasure that is rumored to be buried in the nearby mountain.
Please Don’t Destroy, who met at New York University, were hired as writers on the 47th season of “SNL” and tasked with creating digital shorts a la The Lonely Island. Their biggest hits to date include “Three Sad Virgins” featuring Taylor Swift and Pete Davidson, “Good Variant,...
Universal Pictures has acquired a buddy comedy from the writing trio, with plans to release the movie in theaters on Aug. 18, 2023. Judd Apatow is producing the yet-to-be-titled film.
Marshall, Higgins and Herlihy will write the movie, which centers on three childhood friends who live and work together. When the threesome decides they don’t like their life trajectory, they set off to find a gold treasure that is rumored to be buried in the nearby mountain.
Please Don’t Destroy, who met at New York University, were hired as writers on the 47th season of “SNL” and tasked with creating digital shorts a la The Lonely Island. Their biggest hits to date include “Three Sad Virgins” featuring Taylor Swift and Pete Davidson, “Good Variant,...
- 7/20/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
1. “Stranger Things” Season 4, Volume 1 (available May 27)
Best Reason to Watch: Summer is the season for blockbusters, and “Stranger Things” is TV’s biggest blockbuster — at least, until HBO’s “House of the Dragon” and Amazon Prime’s “Lord of the Rings” premiere at summer’s end. Even with those gargantuan franchises in the offing, the Duffer Brothers aren’t giving up the title of TV’s top popcorn program without a fight. Season 4 is being split into two volumes, with four or five episodes premiering May 27 and the remaining entries debuting July 1. Moreover, the creators have promised Season 4 is nearly twice the length of past seasons, featuring thousands of VFX shots spread across more than 800 pages of scripts. No wonder reports have claimed Season 4 cost upwards of 270 million to produce. That’s more than the rumored budget for Marvel’s latest “Doctor Strange,” which officially kicks off the summer movie season,...
Best Reason to Watch: Summer is the season for blockbusters, and “Stranger Things” is TV’s biggest blockbuster — at least, until HBO’s “House of the Dragon” and Amazon Prime’s “Lord of the Rings” premiere at summer’s end. Even with those gargantuan franchises in the offing, the Duffer Brothers aren’t giving up the title of TV’s top popcorn program without a fight. Season 4 is being split into two volumes, with four or five episodes premiering May 27 and the remaining entries debuting July 1. Moreover, the creators have promised Season 4 is nearly twice the length of past seasons, featuring thousands of VFX shots spread across more than 800 pages of scripts. No wonder reports have claimed Season 4 cost upwards of 270 million to produce. That’s more than the rumored budget for Marvel’s latest “Doctor Strange,” which officially kicks off the summer movie season,...
- 5/8/2022
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson, composers on the hit Netflix show “Cobra Kai,” are hosting a one-night only ticketed concert on June 23 at the Troubadour titled “Enter the Dojo: The Music of Cobra Kai Live.”
“We can’t wait to rock out yet again with the ‘Cobra Kai’ fan base,” Birenberg said.
“This is a show you’ll never forget,” Robinson added. “Prepare your faces for melting.”
Birenberg and Robinson have composed the score for each season of the show, including the upcoming fifth season. Their work mixes heavy metal with 80’s synthwave sounds to create a unique blend of orchestral rock. Together, the duo aims to encapsulate the original sound of “The Karate Kid” with a modern twist.
Birenberg’s music is also featured in Hulu’s “PEN15” and Netflix’s “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous.” He has also scored the Disney+ superhero film “The Secret Society of Second Born Royals,...
“We can’t wait to rock out yet again with the ‘Cobra Kai’ fan base,” Birenberg said.
“This is a show you’ll never forget,” Robinson added. “Prepare your faces for melting.”
Birenberg and Robinson have composed the score for each season of the show, including the upcoming fifth season. Their work mixes heavy metal with 80’s synthwave sounds to create a unique blend of orchestral rock. Together, the duo aims to encapsulate the original sound of “The Karate Kid” with a modern twist.
Birenberg’s music is also featured in Hulu’s “PEN15” and Netflix’s “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous.” He has also scored the Disney+ superhero film “The Secret Society of Second Born Royals,...
- 5/3/2022
- by Carson Burton and Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
“Big government” is a dirty word for many people in politics, but what does it actually mean? A new lighthearted documentary series from Netflix wants to find out.
“The G Word with Adam Conover” aims to dig into the sprawling bureaucracy that makes up the executive branch of the federal government. Each episode will feature the “Adam Ruins Everything” host examining a different area of the government, complete with interviews from employees at obscure agencies that many Americans probably didn’t know existed.
Netflix’s synopsis of the show describes it as “a hybrid comedy-documentary series that pulls back the curtain on the surprising ways the U.S. government impacts our everyday lives, from the mundane to the life-changing. With his signature blend of irreverence and insight, Conover explores the government’s triumphs, failures, and what we might be able to do to change it.”
Each episode of “The G Word with Adam Conover...
“The G Word with Adam Conover” aims to dig into the sprawling bureaucracy that makes up the executive branch of the federal government. Each episode will feature the “Adam Ruins Everything” host examining a different area of the government, complete with interviews from employees at obscure agencies that many Americans probably didn’t know existed.
Netflix’s synopsis of the show describes it as “a hybrid comedy-documentary series that pulls back the curtain on the surprising ways the U.S. government impacts our everyday lives, from the mundane to the life-changing. With his signature blend of irreverence and insight, Conover explores the government’s triumphs, failures, and what we might be able to do to change it.”
Each episode of “The G Word with Adam Conover...
- 5/3/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Idina Menzel and Jae Suh Park (“The Big Short”) have joined Golden Globe nominee Elsie Fisher (“Eighth Grade”) and Alan S. Kim (“Minari”) for “Latchkey Kids,” which David Garrett’s Mister Smith Entertainment has boarded as its sales agent.
Starlings Entertainment is also now on board to co-produce and finance the feature, which Mister Smith is launching at this week’s European Film Market in Berlin where it bids fair to become one of the market standouts.
Directed by John J. Budion, whose feature debut was the acclaimed fest hit “Rockaway,” and with a script from Meaghan Cleary, “Latchkey Kids” is scheduled to start production in late Spring. Ken H. Keller and Caron Rudner of Related Pictures Group produce. Executive producers are Brendan Thomas of Luber Roklin, Cory Thompson, and RPG’s David Polemeni and Donald Malter.
“Latchkey Kids” stars Kim – who broke out melting hearts as the seven-year-old little...
Starlings Entertainment is also now on board to co-produce and finance the feature, which Mister Smith is launching at this week’s European Film Market in Berlin where it bids fair to become one of the market standouts.
Directed by John J. Budion, whose feature debut was the acclaimed fest hit “Rockaway,” and with a script from Meaghan Cleary, “Latchkey Kids” is scheduled to start production in late Spring. Ken H. Keller and Caron Rudner of Related Pictures Group produce. Executive producers are Brendan Thomas of Luber Roklin, Cory Thompson, and RPG’s David Polemeni and Donald Malter.
“Latchkey Kids” stars Kim – who broke out melting hearts as the seven-year-old little...
- 2/8/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Big Breakfast, the Propagate-owned production company behind series including truTV’s Adam Ruins Everything, has set a new top table.
Jason Schrift, former co-exec producer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has been named President, while Luke Kelly-Clyne, who was formerly President and Chief Creative Officer Kevin Healey are exiting the business.
Schrift was part of the launch team of Kimmel’s late-night ABC comedy and more recently was an exec producer on the Alec Baldwin/Kelsey Grammer multi-camera comedy from Modern Family’s Chris Lloyd and Vali Chandrasekaran that had received an ABC straight-to-series order but was subsequently passed on.
Schrift left Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2018 and other credits include ESPN’s Homecoming with Rick Reilly, ABC’s The Alec Baldwin Show and HBO music doc series Shangri-La with Rick Rubin.
He previously had an overall deal for scripted and unscripted television with NBCUniversal.
“We are thrilled to bring Jason...
Jason Schrift, former co-exec producer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has been named President, while Luke Kelly-Clyne, who was formerly President and Chief Creative Officer Kevin Healey are exiting the business.
Schrift was part of the launch team of Kimmel’s late-night ABC comedy and more recently was an exec producer on the Alec Baldwin/Kelsey Grammer multi-camera comedy from Modern Family’s Chris Lloyd and Vali Chandrasekaran that had received an ABC straight-to-series order but was subsequently passed on.
Schrift left Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2018 and other credits include ESPN’s Homecoming with Rick Reilly, ABC’s The Alec Baldwin Show and HBO music doc series Shangri-La with Rick Rubin.
He previously had an overall deal for scripted and unscripted television with NBCUniversal.
“We are thrilled to bring Jason...
- 1/31/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Nat Faxon, Kevin Dunn, Marquise Vilsón, Marinda Anderson, Don Fanelli and Nancy Lenehan are set for major recurring roles opposite lead Abbi Jacobson in Amazon’s A League of Their Own, a reimagining of Penny Marshall’s 1992 film, from co-creators Jacobson (Broad City) and Will Graham (Mozart in the Jungle) and Sony Pictures TV.
The hourlong series, described as a fresh approach to Marshall’s classic about the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, will follow new characters who embody the spirit of a generation of women who dreamed to play professional baseball. “The show takes a deeper look at race and sexuality, following the journey of a whole new ensemble of characters as they carve their own paths towards the field, both in the league and outside of it,” according to the streamer.
Faxon will play Marshall, the Rockford Peaches’ team manager who works for league owner...
The hourlong series, described as a fresh approach to Marshall’s classic about the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, will follow new characters who embody the spirit of a generation of women who dreamed to play professional baseball. “The show takes a deeper look at race and sexuality, following the journey of a whole new ensemble of characters as they carve their own paths towards the field, both in the league and outside of it,” according to the streamer.
Faxon will play Marshall, the Rockford Peaches’ team manager who works for league owner...
- 11/8/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
“Saturday Night Live” director Paul Briganti is set to direct Chris Pratt in the indie comedy “The Black Belt” for Monarch Media, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.
The coming-of-age film will star Pratt as an eccentric uncle who trains his shy teenage nephew in the ways of karate. Pratt will produce the film through his banner Indivisible Productions, alongside producing partner Jon Schumache, and Monarch Media’s Steve Barnett and Alan Powell. Monarch principal Vicky Patel will executive produce and UTA Independent Film Group will oversee film sales and distribution.
Pratt and Indivisible Productions have a first look deal with Universal Pictures, which has worked with Pratt on the “Jurassic World” trilogy. Among the projects being developed by the studio is the action film “Saigon Bodyguards,” which will be produced by “Avengers: Endgame” directors Joe and Anthony Russo.
Monarch Media is developing an original country musical with Florida Georgia Line,...
The coming-of-age film will star Pratt as an eccentric uncle who trains his shy teenage nephew in the ways of karate. Pratt will produce the film through his banner Indivisible Productions, alongside producing partner Jon Schumache, and Monarch Media’s Steve Barnett and Alan Powell. Monarch principal Vicky Patel will executive produce and UTA Independent Film Group will oversee film sales and distribution.
Pratt and Indivisible Productions have a first look deal with Universal Pictures, which has worked with Pratt on the “Jurassic World” trilogy. Among the projects being developed by the studio is the action film “Saigon Bodyguards,” which will be produced by “Avengers: Endgame” directors Joe and Anthony Russo.
Monarch Media is developing an original country musical with Florida Georgia Line,...
- 7/7/2021
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Amazon’s YA pilot “Hot Pink” has added five new cast members.
Nina Bloomgarden, David Iacono, Mimi Davila, Dana Donnelly, and Myra Molloy will star in the pilot, joining previously announced star Sarah Michelle Gellar.
The show is loosely inspired by Elana K. Arnold’s book “What Girls Are Made Of.” In the book, Nina Faye was raised to believe that there is no such thing as unconditional love, meaning she will do anything for her boyfriend to prove her worthiness. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost and sets out to find out what the conditions of love really are.
Bloomgarden recently wrapped on the Netflix/Sony film “Fatherhood” starring Kevin Hart. She previously had a supporting role in the indie feature “Good Girl Jane.” She is repped by Innovative Artists and Grandview.
Iacono’s past credits include “Grand Army” at Netflix, “The Flight Attendant” at HBO Max,...
Nina Bloomgarden, David Iacono, Mimi Davila, Dana Donnelly, and Myra Molloy will star in the pilot, joining previously announced star Sarah Michelle Gellar.
The show is loosely inspired by Elana K. Arnold’s book “What Girls Are Made Of.” In the book, Nina Faye was raised to believe that there is no such thing as unconditional love, meaning she will do anything for her boyfriend to prove her worthiness. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost and sets out to find out what the conditions of love really are.
Bloomgarden recently wrapped on the Netflix/Sony film “Fatherhood” starring Kevin Hart. She previously had a supporting role in the indie feature “Good Girl Jane.” She is repped by Innovative Artists and Grandview.
Iacono’s past credits include “Grand Army” at Netflix, “The Flight Attendant” at HBO Max,...
- 4/29/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Cougar Town alum Ian Gomez is set for a recurring role on Apple TV+’s dramedy Physical opposite Rose Byrne and Rory Scovell, from Almost Family creator Annie Weisman, Dirty John showrunner Alexandra Cunningham and Tomorrow Studios. Written by Weisman, who also will serve as showrunner, Physical is set in a 1980s Southern California beach community. It follows Sheila (Byrne), a woman struggling in her life as a quietly tortured housewife who finds an unconventional path to power through an unlikely source: the world of aerobics. Gomez will play ‘Ernie,’ an early tech pioneer who hit the jackpot with one of his inventions, and now plays a big role in local politics. Gomez is best known for playing Courtney Cox’s lovable neighbor Andy Torres on six seasons of the ABC comedy series Cougar Town. His other recent credits include features The Ultimate Playlist of Noise for Hulu and Lionsgate...
- 4/1/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
While the total impact of the Writers Guild of America’s victory in phasing out packaging fees won’t be seen for months or years to come, one big change has hit Hollywood: Many writers are beginning to re-examine their relationships with their agents and rely more on each other to find new jobs. With thousands of writers now once again being represented by agencies after UTA, CAA, and most recently WME agreed to the guild’s franchise agreement, agents will once again play a role in developing screenplays and pilots into films and TV shows and helping Hollywood newcomers navigate the fine print in their contracts. But some writers expect that agents won’t be expected as much to be the ones that find positions for writers during staffing season. “For me, this is a truth that I’ve already known from years in comedy writing, but I think...
- 2/15/2021
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
A live-action television adaptation of Netflix’s acclaimed “The Legend of Zelda” franchise was in development before leaks caused the video game company to cancel the project.
The Wall Street Journal reported in 2015 that Netflix was working on a live-action “The Legend of Zelda” television show and described the project as “‘Game of Thrones’ for a family audience.” The project was in its early stages at the time and casting details and a prospective release date were never provided. The Journal’s article proved to be the “Zelda” show’s undoing and also inadvertently killed another television adaptation of one of Nintendo’s oldest franchises, according to Adam Conover, the creator of TruTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything.”
Conover explained the “Zelda” show’s premature death in a recent interview on The Serf Times YouTube show. Conover noted that he was involved in a claymation television adaptation of Nintendo’s “Star...
The Wall Street Journal reported in 2015 that Netflix was working on a live-action “The Legend of Zelda” television show and described the project as “‘Game of Thrones’ for a family audience.” The project was in its early stages at the time and casting details and a prospective release date were never provided. The Journal’s article proved to be the “Zelda” show’s undoing and also inadvertently killed another television adaptation of one of Nintendo’s oldest franchises, according to Adam Conover, the creator of TruTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything.”
Conover explained the “Zelda” show’s premature death in a recent interview on The Serf Times YouTube show. Conover noted that he was involved in a claymation television adaptation of Nintendo’s “Star...
- 2/4/2021
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Time and time again during this year’s pandemic, movie studios have had to make the best of a bad situation. HBO Max’s list of new releases for December 2020 comes along with the most extreme example yet.
WarnerMedia undoubtedly had big plans for Wonder Woman 1984 when it scheduled it for a holiday release last year. After moving it to the summer, however, the conglomerate had to delay its theatrical release time and time again. Now HBO Max is the lucky winner of the saga, as it gets to premiere the long-awaited sequel on its servers on Dec. 25.
While Wonder Woman 1984 is definitely the headline this month, there are some other intriguing streaming options for HBO Max in December. The month plays host to a whole host of high-powered documentaries like Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults (Dec. 3), Alabama Snake (Dec. 9), and the Tiger Woods documentary Tiger (Dec.
WarnerMedia undoubtedly had big plans for Wonder Woman 1984 when it scheduled it for a holiday release last year. After moving it to the summer, however, the conglomerate had to delay its theatrical release time and time again. Now HBO Max is the lucky winner of the saga, as it gets to premiere the long-awaited sequel on its servers on Dec. 25.
While Wonder Woman 1984 is definitely the headline this month, there are some other intriguing streaming options for HBO Max in December. The month plays host to a whole host of high-powered documentaries like Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults (Dec. 3), Alabama Snake (Dec. 9), and the Tiger Woods documentary Tiger (Dec.
- 11/30/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
We’ve now got just a few days left of November, so it’s time to take a look ahead at everything that’s headed to the major streaming networks in December. As it’s Christmas, Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Prime Video have extra special hauls ready to gift to their subscribers this holiday season, with literally hundreds of new movies and TV shows dropping over the course of the month.
All the various sites – excepting Disney Plus – are serving up a ton of newly licensed films on December 1st. Netflix, for instance, is adding such classics as E.T., Little Nicky and the first three Jurassic Parks. Meanwhile, HBO Max is offering up The Shawshank Redemption, Shaun of the Dead and a bunch of Final Destinations, while Hulu and Prime Video, which share a lot of the same movies, are treating users to a host of iconic...
All the various sites – excepting Disney Plus – are serving up a ton of newly licensed films on December 1st. Netflix, for instance, is adding such classics as E.T., Little Nicky and the first three Jurassic Parks. Meanwhile, HBO Max is offering up The Shawshank Redemption, Shaun of the Dead and a bunch of Final Destinations, while Hulu and Prime Video, which share a lot of the same movies, are treating users to a host of iconic...
- 11/28/2020
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
Just like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Disney Plus, HBO Max is adding a ton of great new titles to give you some festive treats this holiday season. The Warner streaming service’s December haul isn’t necessarily full of Christmas content – there’s a lot of that already available – but there are definitely a ton of must-see films and TV shows on the lineup, so let’s take a look at the highlights.
December 1st brings a glut of newly licensed titles, including everything from horror prequel Annabelle: Creation to the original Westworld movie. In terms of franchises, you’ll be able to find a bunch of The Crown films, some Final Destinations and the whole Free Willy trilogy on the site next month. And if you’re looking to chow down on some of the best movies around, you won’t be disappointed. Just a few of the acclaimed...
December 1st brings a glut of newly licensed titles, including everything from horror prequel Annabelle: Creation to the original Westworld movie. In terms of franchises, you’ll be able to find a bunch of The Crown films, some Final Destinations and the whole Free Willy trilogy on the site next month. And if you’re looking to chow down on some of the best movies around, you won’t be disappointed. Just a few of the acclaimed...
- 11/25/2020
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
Adam Conover Teams With Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground on Netflix Series About Government
Adam Conover of truTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything,” and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company, are teaming up for a new informational series at Netflix, the streamer announced Thursday.
Titled “The G Word With Adam Conover,” the series is described as a blend of sketch comedy and documentary elements. It is loosely based on the book “The Fifth Risk” by Michael Lewis, and will explore the profound power and complexity of the U.S. government, introduce viewers to the heroic civil servants who make it work, and take an incisive satirical look at its shortcomings.
Conover will serve as host and executive producer of the series.
Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminathan of Higher Ground Productions, and Jon Cohen and Jon Wolf of Conover’s Fair Point will also executive produce.
The project is the latest to arise from Higher Ground’s deal with Netflix, which has spawned a range of scripted,...
Titled “The G Word With Adam Conover,” the series is described as a blend of sketch comedy and documentary elements. It is loosely based on the book “The Fifth Risk” by Michael Lewis, and will explore the profound power and complexity of the U.S. government, introduce viewers to the heroic civil servants who make it work, and take an incisive satirical look at its shortcomings.
Conover will serve as host and executive producer of the series.
Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminathan of Higher Ground Productions, and Jon Cohen and Jon Wolf of Conover’s Fair Point will also executive produce.
The project is the latest to arise from Higher Ground’s deal with Netflix, which has spawned a range of scripted,...
- 11/19/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
“Adam Ruins Everything” star Adam Conover and the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions are teaming up for a Netflix comedy series that explores the world of government.
“The G Word with Adam Conover” is described as a blend of sketch comedy and documentary that takes viewers inside the complex machinery of the U.S. government. Conover will introduce the civil servants who make it work, and take a satirical look at its shortcomings. The series is loosely inspired by Michael Lewis’ best-selling book “The Fifth Risk.”
The series was created by Conover, Jon Cohen, and Jon Wolf under their Fair Point production banner. All three will also serve as executive producers along with Higher Ground co-heads Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminathan.
Conover is best known as the star, writer, and creator of the truTV series “Adam Ruins Everything,” in which he aimed to dispel misconceptions in people’s everyday lives on subjects such as voting,...
“The G Word with Adam Conover” is described as a blend of sketch comedy and documentary that takes viewers inside the complex machinery of the U.S. government. Conover will introduce the civil servants who make it work, and take a satirical look at its shortcomings. The series is loosely inspired by Michael Lewis’ best-selling book “The Fifth Risk.”
The series was created by Conover, Jon Cohen, and Jon Wolf under their Fair Point production banner. All three will also serve as executive producers along with Higher Ground co-heads Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminathan.
Conover is best known as the star, writer, and creator of the truTV series “Adam Ruins Everything,” in which he aimed to dispel misconceptions in people’s everyday lives on subjects such as voting,...
- 11/19/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
TNT, TBS, and truTV are set to air blocks of HBO Max programming over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The first episodes of the DC series “Titans” and the new Kaley Cuoco series “The Flight Attendant” will both air during the “Thanksgiving to the HBO Max” block, which will run from Nov. 26-29 on each network. The DC films “Aquaman,” “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and “Wonder Woman” will also air, with “Aquaman” making its network premiere. Elsewhere, Melissa McCarthy will offer a sneak peek of her HBO Max original film “Superintelligence.”
For “The Flight Attendant,” Cuoco will host a curated marathon of “Big Bang Theory” episodes leading up to the airing of the new show’s pilot. Throughout each day, Qr codes will appear on-screen along with network and show specific URLs giving viewers access to subscribe for a free 7-day trial of HBO Max.
‘”Thanksgiving to the HBO Max...
The first episodes of the DC series “Titans” and the new Kaley Cuoco series “The Flight Attendant” will both air during the “Thanksgiving to the HBO Max” block, which will run from Nov. 26-29 on each network. The DC films “Aquaman,” “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and “Wonder Woman” will also air, with “Aquaman” making its network premiere. Elsewhere, Melissa McCarthy will offer a sneak peek of her HBO Max original film “Superintelligence.”
For “The Flight Attendant,” Cuoco will host a curated marathon of “Big Bang Theory” episodes leading up to the airing of the new show’s pilot. Throughout each day, Qr codes will appear on-screen along with network and show specific URLs giving viewers access to subscribe for a free 7-day trial of HBO Max.
‘”Thanksgiving to the HBO Max...
- 11/9/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
In the first major crossover between WarnerMedia’s HBO Max and siblings TNT, TBS and TruTV, the ad-supported linear cable networks will carry four days of curated HBO Max programming over the Thanksgiving holiday. The stunt is clearly designed to promote HBO Max’s programming and draw new subscribes to the streaming platform.
Warner Media brass have said that HBO Max is a main priority, and the other divisions of the company have been pitching in to support it. When WarnerMedia earlier this year pulled the plug on DirecTV’s Audience as an original programming network, it was transformed into an HBO Max preview channel.
Beginning Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 29 each network will air its own themed content from HBO Max.
On Thursday, TNT will feature DC movies, including the network premiere of Aquaman, as well as the first episode of season one of HBO Max’s original series Titans.
Warner Media brass have said that HBO Max is a main priority, and the other divisions of the company have been pitching in to support it. When WarnerMedia earlier this year pulled the plug on DirecTV’s Audience as an original programming network, it was transformed into an HBO Max preview channel.
Beginning Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 29 each network will air its own themed content from HBO Max.
On Thursday, TNT will feature DC movies, including the network premiere of Aquaman, as well as the first episode of season one of HBO Max’s original series Titans.
- 11/9/2020
- by Denise Petski and Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Spyglass Media Group has joined with Propagate Content, Artists First, and Off-Road Productions to form Artists Road as a new comedy film joint venture.
The companies unveiled the alliance Wednesday, announcing that Artists Road will focus on developing, financing and producing moderately budgeted, commercial comedy films with the genre’s biggest names. Spyglass Media will handle worldwide distribution.
The announcement was made by Gary Barber, Spyglass chairman and CEO; Ben Silverman, Propagate Chairman and co-ceo; Peter Principato, CEO of Artists First; and Todd Garner for Off-Road Productions. Artists Road has appointed Mark Korshak, formerly of Lakeshore Entertainment, as CEO, and he’ll report to Barber, Silverman, Principato and Garner.
“Artists Road collectively brings together some of the boldest and brightest creative talents in comedy production. By combining Artists Firsts’ powerful roster of comedic talent with Propagate’s production expertise and Off-Road’s creative ingenuity, Spyglass is uniquely set up to...
The companies unveiled the alliance Wednesday, announcing that Artists Road will focus on developing, financing and producing moderately budgeted, commercial comedy films with the genre’s biggest names. Spyglass Media will handle worldwide distribution.
The announcement was made by Gary Barber, Spyglass chairman and CEO; Ben Silverman, Propagate Chairman and co-ceo; Peter Principato, CEO of Artists First; and Todd Garner for Off-Road Productions. Artists Road has appointed Mark Korshak, formerly of Lakeshore Entertainment, as CEO, and he’ll report to Barber, Silverman, Principato and Garner.
“Artists Road collectively brings together some of the boldest and brightest creative talents in comedy production. By combining Artists Firsts’ powerful roster of comedic talent with Propagate’s production expertise and Off-Road’s creative ingenuity, Spyglass is uniquely set up to...
- 10/28/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Ahead of its return Saturday, “SNL” showed off the first look at Jim Carrey’s Joe Biden, along with Maya Rudolph’s return as Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris.
“SNL” returns for its 46th season on Saturday with host Chris Rock and musical guest Megan Thee Stallion. Alec Baldwin will return for his fifth season portraying Donald Trump, while castmember Beck Bennett will again play current Vice President Mike Pence.
Watch a video of Carrey’s and Rudolph’s transformation into the Democratic hopefuls above.
The longrunning NBC sketch comedy series is starting off its 46th season with five consecutive shows, leading up to the Nov. 3 election.
After finishing last season with a trio of remotely-produced “At Home” episodes, “SNL” will have a “limited” in-studio audience this season in its return to Rockefeller Center, and will test all attendees for Covid-19 upon entry.
As previously announced, the entire Season...
“SNL” returns for its 46th season on Saturday with host Chris Rock and musical guest Megan Thee Stallion. Alec Baldwin will return for his fifth season portraying Donald Trump, while castmember Beck Bennett will again play current Vice President Mike Pence.
Watch a video of Carrey’s and Rudolph’s transformation into the Democratic hopefuls above.
The longrunning NBC sketch comedy series is starting off its 46th season with five consecutive shows, leading up to the Nov. 3 election.
After finishing last season with a trio of remotely-produced “At Home” episodes, “SNL” will have a “limited” in-studio audience this season in its return to Rockefeller Center, and will test all attendees for Covid-19 upon entry.
As previously announced, the entire Season...
- 10/1/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Jim Carrey has been set to play Joe Biden on the upcoming 46th season of “Saturday Night Live.” In additional news eminating from Studio 8H, executive producer Lorne Michaels has added three new comics to his cast: Lauren Holt, Punkie Johnson and Andrew Dismukes.
Dismukes has been a writer on the show for the past three years.
“SNL” plans to start the new season with five consecutive shows: Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Oct. 17, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31.
The NBC sketch-comedy staple aims to have a “limited” in-studio audience this season in its return to Rockefeller Center. “The show will work closely with Gov. Cuomo’s team” on that, according to notes sent to press by a spokesperson on Wednesday.
Holt is an actor, comedian, singer and improviser. She was a house performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater in Los Angeles and starred in the independent web series “The Filth” as well as...
Dismukes has been a writer on the show for the past three years.
“SNL” plans to start the new season with five consecutive shows: Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Oct. 17, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31.
The NBC sketch-comedy staple aims to have a “limited” in-studio audience this season in its return to Rockefeller Center. “The show will work closely with Gov. Cuomo’s team” on that, according to notes sent to press by a spokesperson on Wednesday.
Holt is an actor, comedian, singer and improviser. She was a house performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater in Los Angeles and starred in the independent web series “The Filth” as well as...
- 9/16/2020
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
“Saturday Night Live” has tapped Jim Carrey to play Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden as the show gears up to put a satirical touch on the run up to Election Day – typically one of the series’ most influential periods.
Carrey gets a role that has been played by others in recent years. Former “SNL” cast member Jason Sudeikis played an affable, loud-talking version of Biden in past seasons, and Woody Harelson took on Biden duties as the show lampooned recently Democratic primary debates.
NBC plans to launch the 46th season of “Saturday Night Live” on October 3, the start of five consecutive broadcasts of the program. The show is planning to have a limited in-studio audience at Rockefeller Center for the upcoming season, and will work with authorities to stay abreast of health and safety concerns.
“SNL” plans to add three new featured players to its cast this season,...
Carrey gets a role that has been played by others in recent years. Former “SNL” cast member Jason Sudeikis played an affable, loud-talking version of Biden in past seasons, and Woody Harelson took on Biden duties as the show lampooned recently Democratic primary debates.
NBC plans to launch the 46th season of “Saturday Night Live” on October 3, the start of five consecutive broadcasts of the program. The show is planning to have a limited in-studio audience at Rockefeller Center for the upcoming season, and will work with authorities to stay abreast of health and safety concerns.
“SNL” plans to add three new featured players to its cast this season,...
- 9/16/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
TruTV has canceled the comedy series “I’m Sorry,” Variety has learned. The news comes despite the fact that the show was renewed for a third season last June. Production on the show’s third season was shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Due to circumstances created by Covid, we unfortunately cannot move forward with production on the third season of I’m Sorry,'” a truTV spokesperson said in a statement. “We admire Andrea Savage’s irreverent voice and fresh take on parenthood and are so proud of the show she and her cast and crew created. She was a great partner for many years and we truly wish everyone well.”
The series followed confident comedy writer, wife and mom Andrea (played by series creator Andrea Savage), who comically exposes her inner immaturity and neuroses through unexpected life situations. The series also starred Tom Everett Scott, Olive Petrucci, Kathy Baker,...
“Due to circumstances created by Covid, we unfortunately cannot move forward with production on the third season of I’m Sorry,'” a truTV spokesperson said in a statement. “We admire Andrea Savage’s irreverent voice and fresh take on parenthood and are so proud of the show she and her cast and crew created. She was a great partner for many years and we truly wish everyone well.”
The series followed confident comedy writer, wife and mom Andrea (played by series creator Andrea Savage), who comically exposes her inner immaturity and neuroses through unexpected life situations. The series also starred Tom Everett Scott, Olive Petrucci, Kathy Baker,...
- 8/26/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Voting for Emmy nominations ended on Monday, July 13, and I’m nothing if not the patron saint of the overlooked; you can still find me lamenting the longtime snubs of shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Gilmore Girls” and “The Wire.” This year there are a number of programs I love that are at risk of falling through the cracks (and in some cases not for the first time). I’m praying that some of them surprise us on July 28 when nominations are finally announced. Here are the top eight dark horse contenders I’m holding out hope for.
SEEAdam Conover (‘Adam Ruins Everything’) on covering ‘ambitious’ topics, including some that have proved eerily relevant [Exclusive Video Interview]
“Adam Ruins Everything” — This series blends sketch comedy, situation comedy, and documentary as Adam Conover busts myths about topics we think we know a lot about. And talk about good timing. In the most recent...
SEEAdam Conover (‘Adam Ruins Everything’) on covering ‘ambitious’ topics, including some that have proved eerily relevant [Exclusive Video Interview]
“Adam Ruins Everything” — This series blends sketch comedy, situation comedy, and documentary as Adam Conover busts myths about topics we think we know a lot about. And talk about good timing. In the most recent...
- 7/18/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
“Our show has an incredibly intense research process, so I’m very used to sucking up vast quantities of information quickly and converting them into a form that’s easily digestible for me so I can bring it to folks through comedy,” Adam Conover explains about his work on the truTV series “Adam Ruins Everything” and how that work has made it “a little easier for me to keep up” with the current news cycle. That’s especially true since a lot of the subjects the show has covered have a “special relevance” in the middle of a pandemic. Watch our exclusive video interview with Conover above.
Conover created and stars in the series, in which he plays a version of himself who debunks myths and corrects misconceptions people might have about a variety of topics. The show doesn’t generally tackle current events, focusing more on subjects that have...
Conover created and stars in the series, in which he plays a version of himself who debunks myths and corrects misconceptions people might have about a variety of topics. The show doesn’t generally tackle current events, focusing more on subjects that have...
- 6/1/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Netflix has released the trailer for “The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show,” and it features hot comedic takes on everything from women-lead roundtable talk shows to the Home Shopping Network.
The six-part sketch comedy series premieres on April 1 — because of course it does.
From a fake reality TV show called “American Top Knot” to an infomercial selling catheters for the low, low price of several payments of $19.99, nothing is safe from Shlesinger’s satirical gaze.
Watch the trailer above.
Also Read: Robin Roberts to Host 'Gma' From Home Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Shlesinger executive produces and stars alongside an ensemble cast in the series, which Netflix describes as a “Hilarious satire filled series packed with insane original characters who inhabit the landscape of all the content we love to consume and make fun of. From bizarre exercise plans to the over-simplified Diy shows to “reality” TV at its best/worst,...
The six-part sketch comedy series premieres on April 1 — because of course it does.
From a fake reality TV show called “American Top Knot” to an infomercial selling catheters for the low, low price of several payments of $19.99, nothing is safe from Shlesinger’s satirical gaze.
Watch the trailer above.
Also Read: Robin Roberts to Host 'Gma' From Home Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Shlesinger executive produces and stars alongside an ensemble cast in the series, which Netflix describes as a “Hilarious satire filled series packed with insane original characters who inhabit the landscape of all the content we love to consume and make fun of. From bizarre exercise plans to the over-simplified Diy shows to “reality” TV at its best/worst,...
- 3/24/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Elliot Fletcher is set as a series regular opposite Ben Schnetzer in FX’s upcoming drama series Y: The Last Man.
Based on the DC Comics series of the same name by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, Y: The Last Man traverses a post-apocalyptic world in which a cataclysmic event decimates all but one cisgender male, Yorick Brown (Ben Schnetzer), and his pet monkey. The series follows the survivors in this new world as they struggle with their efforts to restore what was lost and the opportunity to build something better.
More from Deadline'American Horror Story' Season 10 Poster Washes Up On Social Media'y: The Last Man': Ben Schnetzer To Star As Yorick Brown In FX's Drama SeriesLacretta Joins Chris Messina & Ari Graynor In Paul Simms Comedy Pilot At FX
Fletcher will play Sam Jordan, Hero Brown’s (Schnetzer) best friend, and enabler. His background...
Based on the DC Comics series of the same name by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, Y: The Last Man traverses a post-apocalyptic world in which a cataclysmic event decimates all but one cisgender male, Yorick Brown (Ben Schnetzer), and his pet monkey. The series follows the survivors in this new world as they struggle with their efforts to restore what was lost and the opportunity to build something better.
More from Deadline'American Horror Story' Season 10 Poster Washes Up On Social Media'y: The Last Man': Ben Schnetzer To Star As Yorick Brown In FX's Drama SeriesLacretta Joins Chris Messina & Ari Graynor In Paul Simms Comedy Pilot At FX
Fletcher will play Sam Jordan, Hero Brown’s (Schnetzer) best friend, and enabler. His background...
- 3/12/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
“Running Wild with Bear Grylls” producer-distributor Propagate Content has struck a first-look deal with Munch-headquartered Constantin Entertainment for entertainment titles.
Under the deal, the two companies will partner to develop and produce entertainment across all formats and genres.
Propagate’s slate includes the likes of “Hillary,” “Jane the Virgin,” “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” and “Adam Ruins Everything,” while Constantin, one of the largest independent TV producers out of Europe and housed under Constantin Film, produces local versions of formats such as “The Voice” and “Masterchef” in several markets.
Constantin format “Chris Tall Presents” also recently became Amazon’s first German entertainment original.
Jochen Köstler, general manager for Constantin, said: “With their robust and growing catalogue of content across all genres and formidable development and creative team, Propagate is the ideal partner for Constantin Entertainment. Production is imminent and will continue to ramp up as we look forward to sharing...
Under the deal, the two companies will partner to develop and produce entertainment across all formats and genres.
Propagate’s slate includes the likes of “Hillary,” “Jane the Virgin,” “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” and “Adam Ruins Everything,” while Constantin, one of the largest independent TV producers out of Europe and housed under Constantin Film, produces local versions of formats such as “The Voice” and “Masterchef” in several markets.
Constantin format “Chris Tall Presents” also recently became Amazon’s first German entertainment original.
Jochen Köstler, general manager for Constantin, said: “With their robust and growing catalogue of content across all genres and formidable development and creative team, Propagate is the ideal partner for Constantin Entertainment. Production is imminent and will continue to ramp up as we look forward to sharing...
- 2/27/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Don’t tread on “Treadstone.” The USA Network thriller series based on the Jason Bourne film franchise has experienced the largest delayed-viewing lift of any TV series this season. According to Nielsen’s Live + Same Day ratings, the 10 episodes of “Treadstone” Season 1, which concluded last month, have averaged a modest 501,000 total viewers. But with 72 hours of (mostly) DVR viewing factored in, that number jumps to a much better 1.337 million, a whopping +167% lift. That is the largest percentage growth among television’s Top 600 primetime series thus far this season, which started on Sept. 23, 2019. We currently have Live + 3 Day data through Jan. 12, 2020. Just behind Tim Kring’s “Treadstone” in the three-day-viewing-lift rankings is Fxx’s “Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (+148%), then truTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything” (+147%). FX dramas “American Horror Story” and “Mayans M.C.” round out the Top 5, both with +131% lifts in the Live + 3 Day viewership metric. Also Read: Ratings: 'Station 19...
- 1/24/2020
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Chris Longo Jan 23, 2020
British import The Crystal Maze is being reimagined as a family game show on Nickelodeon. We go behind the scenes to check it out!
To fans of a certain age, the dream of participating in a Nickelodeon game show could only be realized if you had a high tolerance for slime, but more crucially: the good fortune to be on a family vacation to Orlando. Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios' Florida outpost was the epicenter of the network—from game shows like Double Dare to sketch comedy with All That—throughout the ‘90s. Promoting a physical location as a destination for young viewers of the network built a sense of community that was truly unique in the years before internet fandom largely would come to define how we socially engaged with the next decade of television.
But by the early 2000s, there was a sharp decline in...
British import The Crystal Maze is being reimagined as a family game show on Nickelodeon. We go behind the scenes to check it out!
To fans of a certain age, the dream of participating in a Nickelodeon game show could only be realized if you had a high tolerance for slime, but more crucially: the good fortune to be on a family vacation to Orlando. Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios' Florida outpost was the epicenter of the network—from game shows like Double Dare to sketch comedy with All That—throughout the ‘90s. Promoting a physical location as a destination for young viewers of the network built a sense of community that was truly unique in the years before internet fandom largely would come to define how we socially engaged with the next decade of television.
But by the early 2000s, there was a sharp decline in...
- 1/23/2020
- Den of Geek
The future of CollegeHumor, the pioneering comedy website that rose to prominence before the rise of YouTube, was thrown into question Wednesday after the brand’s sale resulted in more than 100 layoffs.
InterActive Corp., the New York company that owned CollegeHumor parent Ch Media, sold its brands to CollegeHumor’s chief creative officer Sam Reich. Terms of the deal were undisclosed but Deadline reported that “all but a handful” of employees were notified of their layoffs Wednesday.
Reich, who joined CollegeHumor in 2006 was not available for comment, but shared the news on Twitter and said he aimed to continue operating the leading CollegeHumor brands, including Dropout, its comedy Svod streaming service. “I hope to be able to save Dropout, CollegeHumor, Drawfee, Dorkly, and many of our shows,” Reich said on Twitter. “Some will need to take on bold new creative directions in order to survive. You may not agree with all of them.
InterActive Corp., the New York company that owned CollegeHumor parent Ch Media, sold its brands to CollegeHumor’s chief creative officer Sam Reich. Terms of the deal were undisclosed but Deadline reported that “all but a handful” of employees were notified of their layoffs Wednesday.
Reich, who joined CollegeHumor in 2006 was not available for comment, but shared the news on Twitter and said he aimed to continue operating the leading CollegeHumor brands, including Dropout, its comedy Svod streaming service. “I hope to be able to save Dropout, CollegeHumor, Drawfee, Dorkly, and many of our shows,” Reich said on Twitter. “Some will need to take on bold new creative directions in order to survive. You may not agree with all of them.
- 1/8/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Last year was one for the movie-history books: 2019 gave us the highest grossing movie ever in “Avengers: Endgame,” Netflix continued to cement itself as a corporate patron of original storytelling with awards movies like “The Irishman,” and Disney’s purchase of Fox further solidified the company as the Hollywood power to be reckoned with as its movies accounted for nearly 40% of domestic grosses.
While these milestones mark success for powerhouses Disney and Netflix, dig beneath the surface and you’ll find plenty of questions about what they mean for the future health of the film industry. If “Endgame” can make $2.8 billion, why would any studio ever want to take a gamble on something that might only make a modest few million at best? If Netflix continues to grow as a go-to distributor for original prestige titles that play for just a short time in limited release, what does that mean for moviegoing’s future?...
While these milestones mark success for powerhouses Disney and Netflix, dig beneath the surface and you’ll find plenty of questions about what they mean for the future health of the film industry. If “Endgame” can make $2.8 billion, why would any studio ever want to take a gamble on something that might only make a modest few million at best? If Netflix continues to grow as a go-to distributor for original prestige titles that play for just a short time in limited release, what does that mean for moviegoing’s future?...
- 1/7/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
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