The Wall Street Journal reports that Fox Entertainment has agreed to buy Bento Box Entertainment, a prolific producer of animated content including several shows for Fox Corp.’s broadcast network. Bento Box is the animation house behind Fox’s long-running Sunday night show Bob’s Burgers. The deal will fortify Fox’s pipeline for animation, which has been a staple of its primetime lineup for decades. Journal subscribers can read the full story here.
Regional cable network NBC Sports Washington will continue to offer a traditional telecast on its main channel, while the gambling-focused telecasts of four preseason games will air simultaneously on its secondary channel, NBC Sports Washington Plus.
Syndies Take A Hit From Mueller Hearing
The July 24 coverage caused massive preemptions and pulled ratings lower for most daytime shows in the session ending July 28.
ABC’s Bachelor in Paradise put up healthy ratings for its season premiere, helping the network lead its ninth straight Monday in adults 18-49. NBC’s American Ninja Warrior took top honors among total viewers.
Exclusives
The new agreement with largest independent operator of CBS affiliates covers nearly six million television households across 15 markets.
ABC’s live production will starr Moana actress Auli’i Cravalho as Ariel. The production, to air on Nov. 5, will also star Queen Latifah as Ursula and Shaggy as Sebastian.
ABC is saying no to The Proposal: The reality romance competition from The Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss has been canceled after just one season.
Litchfield Penitentiary may have closed its doors for good, but the last visit with its inmates saw a series-high level of interest for Orange Is the New Black. The premier for the final season of Netflix’s longest-running original registered 24% higher in the U.S. the day after its July 26 premiere than during the same period for the season-six premiere, according to demand measurement firm Parrot Analytics, which conducted exclusive analysis for Variety using its “demand expression” calculation.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Jimmy Kimmel is among Donald Trump’s late-night gadflies, while producer Mark Burnett showcased the future president on “The Apprentice.” Yet they are going into business […]
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The longtime composer of “The Simpsons” has sued over his dismissal from the long-running series, saying he was discriminated against because of his age and a […]
‘CMA Fest’ Steady As ABC Tops Sunday
Big Brother remains the night’s top show among adults 18-49 but ABC’s annual concert special pulls in consistent numbers across its three hours.
Following the success of the first installment, ABC has ordered two more Live in Front of a Studio Audience specials for the 2019-20 season. The first new special will air this winter, while the second is slated for spring 2020. The classic sitcoms that will be the focus of each special will be announced at a later date. Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear will return to executive produce them along with Brent Miller, Will Ferrell, and Justin Theroux.
The rising demand for scripted shows on streaming services is having an effect in a decidedly un-Hollywood area of Los Angeles: the neighborhood of Pacoima.
Nearly three months after opting to not renew its Netflix pact, the younger-skewing network will finally have in-season streaming rights to its programming. CWTV.com and The CW App will be home to the full seasons of rookie dramas Batwoman, Nancy Drew and Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene. Every episode of those three shows will be available to watch the day after it airs for free while the shows are currently airing and remain on the network’s free and ad-supported platforms.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Showtime says the eighth and final season of “Homeland” will debut in early 2020. The channel said on Friday that production on the acclaimed drama’s […]
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Luke Perry will be honored in the season premiere of “Riverdale,” with his former “Beverly Hills, 90210” co-star Shannen Doherty guest starring. Mark Pedowitz, president […]
LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBC says Emmy-winning lighting director Phil Hymes has died. He was 96. NBC said that Hymes died of complications from cancer at a New York City […]
In an Instagram post Sunday, Afton Williamson said that throughout the filming of the ABC show’s pilot, “I experienced racial discrimination/racially charged inappropriate comments from the hair department.”
Country Music Television is attempting to nudge in new directions — toward feminism and racial diversity and away from its historical white roots. Can it lead a woke sea change?
Nancy O’Dell is leaving her perch as co-host of Entertainment Tonight after nearly a decade with the syndicated entertainment newsmagazine. The veteran showbiz journalist made the announcement at the end of Friday’s broadcast.
