For Broadcast Networks, Ownership Matters More Now Than Ever Before

It’s why 9-1-1 moved from Fox to ABC and why CBS canceled and then reversed course on SWAT.

Jay Leno “Stands In Solidarity” With WGA As ‘You Bet Your Life’ Halts Production

Production on the Fox syndicated game show You Bet Your Life has halted amid the ongoing writers strike. Series host Jay Leno, who has been seen at multiple picket lines delivering donuts, supports the move. “As a member of the Writers Guild for almost 40 years, I truly understand and stand in solidarity with my fellow union members,” Leno said in a statement. “For that reason, we are suspending production of our game show, You Bet Your Life until such time when an agreement can be reached.”

SUNDAY OVERNIGHTS

‘East New York’ Steady With Series Finale

ABC’s American Idol dominated Sunday in the demo (5.5 million/0.8), while CBS’s 60 Minutes clocked in with the night’s largest audience (6.4M/0.4) and East New York wrapped its run with 4.6 million viewers (down 8%) and a fourth straight 0.3 rating.

BRAND CONNECTIONS

What Is The CW’s Brand? Because It’s Not Homegrown Originals Anymore

New owner Nexstar has gutted the network’s roster that former CEO Mark Pedowitz built in favor of low-cost imports and unscripted shows — and a rejected cable drama. Pictured: Sullivan’s Crossing, starring Chad Michael Murray, Morgan Kohan and Scott Patterson, is one of many low-cost foreign series that The CW will program instead of homegrown original series. It’s already aired elsewhere.

Kelly Clarkson Responds To Report Accusing Her Daytime Talk Show Of Being A Toxic Workplace

Clarkson issued a statement on her Instagram page Saturday. She addressed the allegations after 11 current and former employees complained about being overworked and underpaid on her syndicated The Kelly Clarkson Show and also called their work “traumatizing to their mental health” in Rolling Stone’s Friday report.

‘Days Of Our Lives’ Star Deidre Hall Celebrates 5,000 Episodes, Making Her Soap’s Longest-Running Actress

ABC Cancels Three Dramas, Including ‘Big Sky’ And ‘Alaska Daily’

Three of ABC’s primetime dramas won’t make it to the 2023-24 schedule. On Friday, the Alphabet network canceled Big SkyAlaska Daily and The Company You Keep.

‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ Is Toxic Behind The Scenes, Staffers Say

According to 11 current and former employees, the talk-show host “is fantastic,” but a number of the show’s producers make employees’ lives hell.

NBC Rolls Out Fall Schedule

NBC is opening up a new fall comedy block on Tuesday nights and has pushed a couple of its drama series to midseason. The network unveiled its fall schedule, which sees Jon Cryer’s Extended Family run after Night Court, Quantum Leap moves to Tuesday night, while Found replaces Law & Order: Organized Crime on Dick Wolf’s second night in the fall and La Brea, with its short order season, also pushed to midseason. There are plenty of strike contingencies built into the schedule, in part as a result of NBC renewing shows early and keeping them in production ahead of the writers walking out.

NBCU Refutes Report of Toxic ‘Kelly Clarkson Show’ Environment

NBCUniversal says the workplace complaints around The Kelly Clarkson Show are taken seriously. Following complaints of a toxic environment from anonymous employees on the show, the network has issued a statement responding to the accusations, which were first reported by Rolling Stone.

THURSDAY OVERNIGHTS

‘Ghosts,’ ‘Young Sheldon’ Lead Thursday; ‘Grey’s Eyes Audience Low

CBS’s Ghosts scared up Thursday’s best demo number (6.3 million/0.6), while lead-in Young Sheldon delivered the night’s biggest audience (6.5M/0.5).

Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Password’ Renewed For Season 2 At NBC

Password, the game show from Jimmy Fallon and hosted by Keke Palmer, is returning to NBC for a second season. However, filming of season two of the series has been postponed as a result of the writers strike with The Tonight Show host Fallon among those not wanting to cross the picket line.

No Season 2 For Netflix’s ‘Lockwood & Co.’

The CW Grabs ’61st Street’ Drama After AMC Cancellation

The broadcast network has picked up both seasons of the drama series 61st Street from AMC. The legal thriller stars Courtney B. Vance as an attorney defending a high school athlete (Tosin Cole) who get swept up in Chicago’s corrupt criminal justice system. AMC picked up the series with a two-season order and aired the first installment in the spring of 2022. Despite Season 2 already being finished, however, AMC scrapped the conclusion — part of a wave of cost-cutting un-renewals at several outlets in late 2022 and early 2023. The first season is set to air in the fall on The CW, with the unseen season two set for 2024.

NBCUniversal And Amazon Strike New FAST Channel Deal For NBC And Telemundo Stations

NBC and Telemundo local FAST channels are now available on Amazon Fire TV and Echo Show devices.

Sony’s Faith-Based Streaming Service Merges With Hallmark Rival Great American Media

How The Last Writers’ Strike Changed Things Onscreen

The impact included promising shows that lost their audiences, films rushed into production with flimsy scripts and turbocharging reality programming. Pictured: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles saw its ratings plunge after an extended break during the 2007 writers’ strike.

When ‘Homicide’ Hit Its Stride

The influential crime drama debuted 30 years ago. Here, the creators and stars reflect on its legacy and on an early episode that served notice that it was a different sort of cop show.

‘Kung Fu,’ ‘The Winchesters’ Canceled At The CW

The CW on Thursday canceled two more series as network owner Nextstar continues to whittle down its roster of scripted shows. Kung Fu and Supernatural prequel The Winchesters — both produced by Warner Bros. TV, one of The CW’s former owners — won’t return to the network in 2023-24. Kung Fu ran for three seasons, while The Winchesters ends after a single season. The cancellations follow that of first-year show Walker: Independence, which comes from the network’s other former owner, CBS Studios, on Tuesday.

‘FBI: Most Wanted’ Filming Halted By WGA East Pickets In New York

‘Beef’ Jumps To No. 1 Overall In Streaming Rankings

The Netflix series takes over for The Night Agent as the top title for the week of April 10-16.

‘Next Level Chef’ Plates Two-Season Renewal At Fox

The network has renewed the cooking competition show from Gordon Ramsay for two more seasons, which will take Next Level Chef through Season 4. The renewal came just ahead of the show’s season finale Thursday night.

Oprah Winfrey Visits WTVF Nashville For Conference Room Dedication

Jets, Rodgers Receive Plenty Of Marquee Spots As Networks Navigate NFL Schedule Process

For the second straight year, ESPN’s Monday Night Football gets a marquee QB making his debut with another team when the Jets host the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 11. Three of the Jets’ first four games are in a national widow. The Sept. 17 game at Dallas is the featured CBS game in the late window, and Rodgers’ first meeting with Patrick Mahomes is on NBC’s Sunday Night Football on Oct. 1 when the Jets host Kansas City. Even though this was the first year of the NFL’s new television package, where any game could go to any network, most of the past structure remains in place. Over 90% of Fox’s schedule features at least one NFC team, while CBS remains the top network for the AFC’s top teams. CBS has at least eight Jets games, with Fox, ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video getting two apiece. The league does not set networks for all Week 18 games until after Week 17. Pictured: New York Jets’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers talks to reporters after an NFL football press on April 26, 2023. (Seth Wenig/AP)

Scripps National Spelling Bee To Host 231 Spellers At 2023 Bee Week

The Scripps National Spelling Bee will welcome 231 spellers to National Harbor, Md., from May 30 to June 1 for the national rounds of its 95th competition since being founded […]

Mayim Bialik Leaving ‘Jeopardy’ Season 39 Early Due To Writers’ Strike

Jeopardy! has become one of the first game shows to be impacted by the writers strike.

Jeopardy host Mayim Bialik has decided against hosting the final week of filming for season 39, standing in solidarity with the striking writers. However, production on the final run of episodes for the season is going ahead with Ken Jennings taking over hosting duties. The final episodes of the season will be filmed at the Sony Pictures lot in Culver City between Tuesday, May 16, and Friday, May 19.

WEDNESDAY OVERNIGHTS

#OneChicago Trio Eye Lows On Wednesday

With CNN’s Town Hall drawing away 3.1 million total viewers in the 8 o’clock hour, CBS’s Survivor led Wednesday in the demo (4.6 million/0.6) while NBC’s Chicago Fire cooked up the night’s largest audience (5.8M/0.4).

The CW Buys Lea Thompson Canadian Drama ‘The Spencer Sisters’ For Fall Lineup

The CW has been busy north of the border. The network has picked up The Spencer Sisters, a Canadian drama starring Caroline in the City star Lea Thompson and Superman & Lois’ Stacey Farber, for its fall lineup. It is the latest Canadian series that it has acquired, this time from eOne, as the Nexstar-owned company’s scripted strategy becomes a little clearer.

NBC Will Air Most Of Marquee Olympic Events From Paris Live During Daytime

NBC will have at least nine hours of weekday daytime coverage, expanding to at least 11 hours on weekends. With Paris six hours ahead of New York, the marquee finals will air live in the morning or late afternoon. NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service will have every sport and event live, including all 329 medal events, from July 26 to Aug. 11, 2024.

Big Ten Network Halts U Of Maryland’s Subscription Streaming Service