Paramount+ has announced the June 18 premiere of Chopper Cops, an all-new docuseries that takes viewers into the cockpit of an elite Florida police team of helicopter pilots as they attack crime from the skies.
They’re just north of Disney World, but to the men and women of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, the 1,600 square-mile area they patrol is no fantasy. Marion County’s highways, forests, and suburban neighborhoods are crime scenes for more than 7,000 felonies a year. But with a jurisdiction larger than the state of Rhode Island, ground units find it impossible to have eyes everywhere.
With 10 half-hour episodes, Chopper Cops showcases the Marion County Sheriff’s Department’s secret weapon: state-of-the-art helicopters manned by elite police pilots. Known as Air One, these chopper cops operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are equipped with high-tech infrared cameras and augmented-reality mapping capabilities that allow police on...
They’re just north of Disney World, but to the men and women of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, the 1,600 square-mile area they patrol is no fantasy. Marion County’s highways, forests, and suburban neighborhoods are crime scenes for more than 7,000 felonies a year. But with a jurisdiction larger than the state of Rhode Island, ground units find it impossible to have eyes everywhere.
With 10 half-hour episodes, Chopper Cops showcases the Marion County Sheriff’s Department’s secret weapon: state-of-the-art helicopters manned by elite police pilots. Known as Air One, these chopper cops operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are equipped with high-tech infrared cameras and augmented-reality mapping capabilities that allow police on...
- 5/22/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Paramount+ has landed We Will Dance Again, a documentary about Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack at the Nova Music Festival.
The project from See It Now Studios features new interviews with more than a dozen survivors, who recorded their experience throughout the attack, and exclusive footage. The doc also includes eyewitness accounts from those survivors, as well as footage captured by other victims and Hamas.
“The human cost of what happened on October 7th in Israel, and the war in Gaza, has been catastrophic. We can’t tell everyone’s story. This film is about innocent young people, forced to fight for their survival,” Susan Zirinsky, president of See It Now Studios, said in a statement. “It is a painful story of unfathomable tragedy, and also of bravery, sacrifice and heroism.”
Yariv Mozer directed We Will Dance Again, which was originally announced the week after the attacks took place. His other...
The project from See It Now Studios features new interviews with more than a dozen survivors, who recorded their experience throughout the attack, and exclusive footage. The doc also includes eyewitness accounts from those survivors, as well as footage captured by other victims and Hamas.
“The human cost of what happened on October 7th in Israel, and the war in Gaza, has been catastrophic. We can’t tell everyone’s story. This film is about innocent young people, forced to fight for their survival,” Susan Zirinsky, president of See It Now Studios, said in a statement. “It is a painful story of unfathomable tragedy, and also of bravery, sacrifice and heroism.”
Yariv Mozer directed We Will Dance Again, which was originally announced the week after the attacks took place. His other...
- 5/16/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A documentary on Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack at the Nova Music festival in Israel, titled We Will Dance Again, will be released on Paramount+ this fall. The film will be “told through the eyes of more than a dozen survivors, many of whom videotaped their experiences as the massacre unfolded,” including “footage captured by both the victims and Hamas,” a press release states.
“The human cost of what happened on October 7th in Israel and the war in Gaza has been catastrophic. We can’t tell everyone’s story. This film...
“The human cost of what happened on October 7th in Israel and the war in Gaza has been catastrophic. We can’t tell everyone’s story. This film...
- 5/16/2024
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
Paramount+ has announced that the three-part docuseries Pillowcase Murders will premiere exclusively on the service beginning Tuesday, May 14.
Directed by true-crime filmmaker Randy Ferrell, the series reveals how an unknown serial killer, Billy Chemirmir, preyed upon the residents of high-end retirement communities and left a trail of death and devastation in his wake.
When dozens of women enjoying their golden years unexpectedly died at Senior Living Communities across the Dallas area, authorities classified the deaths as natural causes. No one suspected that a cold-blooded serial killer posing as a maintenance man was targeting one of the most vulnerable populations: elderly women.
Pillowcase Murders unravels how Chemirmir operated undetected for nearly two years, exploiting a demographic that’s often forgotten.
Over the three episodes, the series uncovers the shocking oversights and security failures that allowed the killer to pursue his reign of terror unimpeded. The victims’ families felt doubly tormented – at...
Directed by true-crime filmmaker Randy Ferrell, the series reveals how an unknown serial killer, Billy Chemirmir, preyed upon the residents of high-end retirement communities and left a trail of death and devastation in his wake.
When dozens of women enjoying their golden years unexpectedly died at Senior Living Communities across the Dallas area, authorities classified the deaths as natural causes. No one suspected that a cold-blooded serial killer posing as a maintenance man was targeting one of the most vulnerable populations: elderly women.
Pillowcase Murders unravels how Chemirmir operated undetected for nearly two years, exploiting a demographic that’s often forgotten.
Over the three episodes, the series uncovers the shocking oversights and security failures that allowed the killer to pursue his reign of terror unimpeded. The victims’ families felt doubly tormented – at...
- 5/1/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Netflix has set “Rather,” the documentary about veteran journalist Dan Rather’s landmark career in news for an May 1 April 24 premiere on the streamer. (The date has now been changed to reflect Netflix’s decision to move the launch by a week.) The feature utilizes the story of Rather’s life on television to also explore the evolution of broadcast journalism, the troubles a free press now faces, along with the slide of American society from hard-fought advances in social justice and democratic freedoms.
Frank Marshall directed “Rather,” which comes from Wavelength and Original Productions, in association with Anchor Entertainment and The Kennedy/Marshall Company. The doc first premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last June.
Related: Dan Rather Says He’s Never Been Angry About His CBS Firing. But a New Documentary Restores Some Justice to His Lengthy Career
With unrestricted access to Rather, the film takes on the highs...
Frank Marshall directed “Rather,” which comes from Wavelength and Original Productions, in association with Anchor Entertainment and The Kennedy/Marshall Company. The doc first premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last June.
Related: Dan Rather Says He’s Never Been Angry About His CBS Firing. But a New Documentary Restores Some Justice to His Lengthy Career
With unrestricted access to Rather, the film takes on the highs...
- 4/12/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
From books and docuseries to podcasts and big-screen thrillers, true-crime tales are everywhere. Much of it is thinly researched retreads of well-worn cases and subjects that feel exploitative in the end.
“Born in Synanon” is none of those things. The four-part documentary, directed by Geeta Gandbhir, that premiered in December on Paramount+, is a richly detailed look at the evolution of the California-based cult from the 1960s through its demise in the early 1990s. The storytelling is enhanced by a wealth of high-quality film footage of the inner workings of a group that began as a sober-living program but descended into the madness of a cult. And the perspective could not be more intimate. “Born in Synanon” follows Cassidy Arkin, whose parents were prominent members when she was born in 1974, as she tries to make sense of the community that surrounded her for the first six years of her life.
“Born in Synanon” is none of those things. The four-part documentary, directed by Geeta Gandbhir, that premiered in December on Paramount+, is a richly detailed look at the evolution of the California-based cult from the 1960s through its demise in the early 1990s. The storytelling is enhanced by a wealth of high-quality film footage of the inner workings of a group that began as a sober-living program but descended into the madness of a cult. And the perspective could not be more intimate. “Born in Synanon” follows Cassidy Arkin, whose parents were prominent members when she was born in 1974, as she tries to make sense of the community that surrounded her for the first six years of her life.
- 2/3/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Zee-Sony Merger Back On Track
The merger of Zee Entertain Enterprises and Sony’s Indian arm looks to be back on track after an order banning Punit Goenka from managing the new entity was lifted yesterday. The merger of Zee and Culver Max Entertainment was given the go-ahead in August, but the merger has run into several problems. The India Securities and Exchange Board had barred Goenka and his father, Zee founder Subhash Chandra, from the boardrooms of listed companies for a year over allegations of insider trading. However, the Securities Appellate Tribunal has overturned that decision, paving the way for the $10B merger to go ahead and for Goenka to resume his role as MD and CEO of Zee. Sony and Zee have been planning the union for over two years now.
JFK Doc Set For Channel 5/Paramount+
UK network and its stablemate Paramount+ have ordered...
The merger of Zee Entertain Enterprises and Sony’s Indian arm looks to be back on track after an order banning Punit Goenka from managing the new entity was lifted yesterday. The merger of Zee and Culver Max Entertainment was given the go-ahead in August, but the merger has run into several problems. The India Securities and Exchange Board had barred Goenka and his father, Zee founder Subhash Chandra, from the boardrooms of listed companies for a year over allegations of insider trading. However, the Securities Appellate Tribunal has overturned that decision, paving the way for the $10B merger to go ahead and for Goenka to resume his role as MD and CEO of Zee. Sony and Zee have been planning the union for over two years now.
JFK Doc Set For Channel 5/Paramount+
UK network and its stablemate Paramount+ have ordered...
- 10/31/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The documentary JFK: What the Doctors Saw offers a behind the scenes look at the day President John F. Kennedy was shot as his motorcade was traveling through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas. The documentary will premiere on Paramount+ on November 14, 2023, just days ahead of the 60th anniversary of JFK’s assassination.
Barbara Shearer (Loving Elvis) directed and serves as an executive producer with Jacque Lueth, Bill Garnet, and Lucky Elephant Media’s Adam Somer, Cheryl Leib, Joseph Leib, and Joseph Marvel. See It Now Studios’ Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong also executive produce along with Guy Davies.
Poster for ‘JFK: What the Doctors Saw’ (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+)
Paramount+ released this description of the documentary:
“The film reveals startling medical observations about JFK’s wounds when seven doctors who were in the Parkland Hospital ER reunite to discuss a day none of them can forget. In never-before-seen footage from this reunion,...
Barbara Shearer (Loving Elvis) directed and serves as an executive producer with Jacque Lueth, Bill Garnet, and Lucky Elephant Media’s Adam Somer, Cheryl Leib, Joseph Leib, and Joseph Marvel. See It Now Studios’ Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong also executive produce along with Guy Davies.
Poster for ‘JFK: What the Doctors Saw’ (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+)
Paramount+ released this description of the documentary:
“The film reveals startling medical observations about JFK’s wounds when seven doctors who were in the Parkland Hospital ER reunite to discuss a day none of them can forget. In never-before-seen footage from this reunion,...
- 10/30/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Paramount+ has dropped a trailer for the hard-hitting, two-part docuseries “Crush” that premieres on the streamer October 17 ahead of the first anniversary of the devastating crowd catastrophe in Seoul, South Korea that unfolded on October 29 of last year. Watch the trailer above.
“Crush” is described as “a spine-tingling account of what happened when a Halloween night of celebration turned into a nightmare.” More than 100,000 mostly young revelers who were packed like sardines into the narrow bar-lined alleyways of Seoul’s trendy Itaewon neighborhood became trapped in a mass panic. The toll was astonishing: 159 people, including two American students studying abroad, suffocated in the ensuing bedlam and died. Nearly all of those who perished were in their twenties.
From the co-producers of “11 Minutes,” the four-part docuseries about the mass murder at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas,” “Crush” tells the tale of the Seoul tragedy in an immersive style,...
“Crush” is described as “a spine-tingling account of what happened when a Halloween night of celebration turned into a nightmare.” More than 100,000 mostly young revelers who were packed like sardines into the narrow bar-lined alleyways of Seoul’s trendy Itaewon neighborhood became trapped in a mass panic. The toll was astonishing: 159 people, including two American students studying abroad, suffocated in the ensuing bedlam and died. Nearly all of those who perished were in their twenties.
From the co-producers of “11 Minutes,” the four-part docuseries about the mass murder at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas,” “Crush” tells the tale of the Seoul tragedy in an immersive style,...
- 10/11/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Paramount+ just released the trailer for Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders, a five-part documentary series that takes a deep dive into the 1982 Tylenol murders. The docuseries premieres on October 10, 2023 and examines the tragic deaths of seven people in Chicago after they purchased bottles that contained pills laced with poison.
The seven innocent victims ranged from 12 (Mary Kellerman) to 35 years old. Three of the unfortunate victims were members of the same family.
Nurse Helen Jensen discovered the thread between the victims, and it was determined someone had opened the packaging, injected captures with cyanide, and then resealed the bottles. The discovery forced stores across the U.S. to remove Tylenol from their shelves, and Johnson & Johnson initiated a recall of all Tylenol capsules.
The FBI and multiple law enforcement agencies investigated, but the person or persons responsible was never apprehended.
‘Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders’ poster (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+)
The Plot,...
The seven innocent victims ranged from 12 (Mary Kellerman) to 35 years old. Three of the unfortunate victims were members of the same family.
Nurse Helen Jensen discovered the thread between the victims, and it was determined someone had opened the packaging, injected captures with cyanide, and then resealed the bottles. The discovery forced stores across the U.S. to remove Tylenol from their shelves, and Johnson & Johnson initiated a recall of all Tylenol capsules.
The FBI and multiple law enforcement agencies investigated, but the person or persons responsible was never apprehended.
‘Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders’ poster (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+)
The Plot,...
- 9/29/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Today, CBS announced the first five episodes of FBI True. This docuseries takes viewers into some of the most significant and astonishing cases in FBI history through the eyes of the agents who were there.
FBI True will debut on CBS Tuesday, October 3 and is available to stream on Paramount+.
FBI True pulls no punches as the agents share emotional stories. They relive the heart-stopping moments of their most significant cases, revealing new details of how they foiled major criminal and terrorist plots.
Each week, FBI True introduces audiences to courageous agents who took significant personal risks in the line of duty. Each episode focuses on a single case or two cases where agents had to make hair-trigger decisions where lives hung in the balance.
The docuseries is from executive producers Craig Turk’s Thinking Hat Productions, Anne Beagan’s Anne Beagan Productions, and Shawn Efran’s Efran Films Canada.
FBI True will debut on CBS Tuesday, October 3 and is available to stream on Paramount+.
FBI True pulls no punches as the agents share emotional stories. They relive the heart-stopping moments of their most significant cases, revealing new details of how they foiled major criminal and terrorist plots.
Each week, FBI True introduces audiences to courageous agents who took significant personal risks in the line of duty. Each episode focuses on a single case or two cases where agents had to make hair-trigger decisions where lives hung in the balance.
The docuseries is from executive producers Craig Turk’s Thinking Hat Productions, Anne Beagan’s Anne Beagan Productions, and Shawn Efran’s Efran Films Canada.
- 9/28/2023
- by Laura Nowak
- TVfanatic
Sean Penn’s documentary Superpower, which follows an embattled Ukraine’s fight against an invading Russia and interviews president Volodymyr Zelensky, will debut on Ukrainian TV today.
The Fifth Season film will premiere the same day on Ukrainian broadcaster Inter as the feature documentary starts streaming in the U.S. on Paramount+. The day-and-date release will include other Ukrainian airdates on major channels Ntn, Mega and Sonce.
The documentary, co-financed with Vice Studios, chronicles Ukraine’s fight for freedom from invading Russian military forces and is directed by Hollywood actor and activist Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Superpower includes Penn conducing intimate interviews with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and others during seven trips to Ukraine over a two-year period.
Besides centering Zelensky as a wartime president, the documentary also explains how the conflict started, the stakes as it continues into a second year for the war and who remain the key players.
The Fifth Season film will premiere the same day on Ukrainian broadcaster Inter as the feature documentary starts streaming in the U.S. on Paramount+. The day-and-date release will include other Ukrainian airdates on major channels Ntn, Mega and Sonce.
The documentary, co-financed with Vice Studios, chronicles Ukraine’s fight for freedom from invading Russian military forces and is directed by Hollywood actor and activist Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Superpower includes Penn conducing intimate interviews with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and others during seven trips to Ukraine over a two-year period.
Besides centering Zelensky as a wartime president, the documentary also explains how the conflict started, the stakes as it continues into a second year for the war and who remain the key players.
- 9/18/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Superpower, Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s doc about Ukraine’s fight for freedom, is getting a launch in the war-torn Eastern European country today.
Fifth Season, which shops the film, has coordinated a day-and-date release for the doc in Ukraine alongside its launch on Paramount+ in the U.S. today.
The film will screen on leading Ukrainian net Inter, before running on other channels including Ntn, Mega, and Sonce, as part of a plan to support the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russia’s invasion.
Superpower is billed as “a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom, featuring a series of intimate interviews done by Penn with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others from seven trips over nearly a two-year period.” Penn and Kaufman are co-directors.
It began as a light-hearted project about Zelenskyy’s unusual rise from comic actor to President. However, when Russian troops...
Fifth Season, which shops the film, has coordinated a day-and-date release for the doc in Ukraine alongside its launch on Paramount+ in the U.S. today.
The film will screen on leading Ukrainian net Inter, before running on other channels including Ntn, Mega, and Sonce, as part of a plan to support the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russia’s invasion.
Superpower is billed as “a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom, featuring a series of intimate interviews done by Penn with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others from seven trips over nearly a two-year period.” Penn and Kaufman are co-directors.
It began as a light-hearted project about Zelenskyy’s unusual rise from comic actor to President. However, when Russian troops...
- 9/18/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Sean Penn urged the White House to take a more aggressive approach toward arming Ukraine, telling a crowd at a screening of his film Superpower that those who are influencing U.S. policy “need to get out of the pure caution business.”
“I don’t mind being foolish in saying that I deeply believe, whether Democrat or Republican, if this was an issue that one of the parties chose to commit to, in arming Ukraine, that not only would it be a principal win, but it would be a political win. I think we are hungering for that kind of decisiveness,” Penn told CBS News’ Major Garrett.
“Caution has been very important, humanly and politically … But many times in emergencies, restraint is the enemy of action,” Penn added. “I think that there are influential people, perhaps influential with our president, who they themselves need to be encouraged to get out...
“I don’t mind being foolish in saying that I deeply believe, whether Democrat or Republican, if this was an issue that one of the parties chose to commit to, in arming Ukraine, that not only would it be a principal win, but it would be a political win. I think we are hungering for that kind of decisiveness,” Penn told CBS News’ Major Garrett.
“Caution has been very important, humanly and politically … But many times in emergencies, restraint is the enemy of action,” Penn added. “I think that there are influential people, perhaps influential with our president, who they themselves need to be encouraged to get out...
- 9/15/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
“Superpower,” the documentary feature film co-directed by Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman and credits Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as its writer, will stream exclusively over Paramount+ in the United States beginning September 18. In chronicling Ukraine’s bloody and devastating war to maintain its independence from Russia, the film is described as “a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom” and features a series of intimate interviews conducted by Penn with Zelensky during seven trips made by Penn over the past two years. Watch the “Superpower” trailer above.
The movie documents the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the hours leading up to the moment that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath that continues today. When filming began in late 2021, Putin’s invasion was just a looming and seemingly distant threat. Penn traveled to Ukraine to learn more about Zelensky,...
The movie documents the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the hours leading up to the moment that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath that continues today. When filming began in late 2021, Putin’s invasion was just a looming and seemingly distant threat. Penn traveled to Ukraine to learn more about Zelensky,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Sean Penn’s “Superpower,” the actor’s upcoming documentary about Ukraine’s fight to maintain its freedom from Russia, is set to premiere on September 18. The film will be available to watch exclusively on Paramount+.
Co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman, the documentary features several interviews between Penn and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the production’s seven trips to the country over the past two years. The film chronicles the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the hours leading up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath.
“Superpower” has followed an unconventional road. Filming started in 2021, and at the time, the documentary was intended to be a deep dive into Zelensky, an actor and comedian who played a president on TV before becoming Ukraine’s actual president. But while Penn was filming in Kyiv, Russia’s army attacked the capital,...
Co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman, the documentary features several interviews between Penn and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the production’s seven trips to the country over the past two years. The film chronicles the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the hours leading up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath.
“Superpower” has followed an unconventional road. Filming started in 2021, and at the time, the documentary was intended to be a deep dive into Zelensky, an actor and comedian who played a president on TV before becoming Ukraine’s actual president. But while Penn was filming in Kyiv, Russia’s army attacked the capital,...
- 8/23/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
The first trailer has been released for Sean Penn’s upcoming war documentary Superpower, which chronicles Ukraine’s battle for independence against an invading Russia.
The Oscar-winning actor and longtime political activist made seven trips to Ukraine during the past two years for the project, which was co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Filming started months before the war began in late 2021, with Penn journeying to Ukraine to learn more about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The film includes Penn venturing to the battle’s front lines and captures the moment when the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was first attacked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bombs in February 2022.
“We set out to tell a lighthearted tale of this comedic actor who had been elected president of Ukraine and instead became witness to a historic leader and his country’s war for freedom,” Penn said. “When you step into a country of such incredible unity,...
The Oscar-winning actor and longtime political activist made seven trips to Ukraine during the past two years for the project, which was co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Filming started months before the war began in late 2021, with Penn journeying to Ukraine to learn more about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The film includes Penn venturing to the battle’s front lines and captures the moment when the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was first attacked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bombs in February 2022.
“We set out to tell a lighthearted tale of this comedic actor who had been elected president of Ukraine and instead became witness to a historic leader and his country’s war for freedom,” Penn said. “When you step into a country of such incredible unity,...
- 8/23/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wendy McMahon will take on sole duties leading CBS News and stations while adding oversight of the network’s domestic syndication business.
Her title will be president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures. The appointment follows the announcement on Sunday that Neeraj Khemlani would step down from CBS News leadership and take a production deal with the network. He and McMahon were named presidents and co-heads of CBS News and stations in 2021, following a two year run of Susan Zirinsky leading the news division.
The network said that in the new role, McMahon will now lead all of CBS News’ broadcast and streaming operations, 27 local television stations in major U.S. markets, 14 local news streaming channels and CBS Media Ventures first-run syndication programming. She also will oversee content licensing to television stations and the division’s national advertising sales business.
After Khemlani announced his departure in a memo to staffers,...
Her title will be president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures. The appointment follows the announcement on Sunday that Neeraj Khemlani would step down from CBS News leadership and take a production deal with the network. He and McMahon were named presidents and co-heads of CBS News and stations in 2021, following a two year run of Susan Zirinsky leading the news division.
The network said that in the new role, McMahon will now lead all of CBS News’ broadcast and streaming operations, 27 local television stations in major U.S. markets, 14 local news streaming channels and CBS Media Ventures first-run syndication programming. She also will oversee content licensing to television stations and the division’s national advertising sales business.
After Khemlani announced his departure in a memo to staffers,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Neeraj Khemlani is stepping down as the president and co-head of CBS News and Stations.
In a memo to staffers on Sunday, Khemlani said that he had signed a first look deal with the network to develop documentaries, scripted series and books for Simon & Schuster.
“It’s an opportunity that will allow me to write, report and develop stories that I’ve long wanted to pursue,” he wrote.
George Cheeks, the president and CEO of CBS Entertainment Group, said that he will update staffers soon with information about new leadership and structure for the news division. That may come as soon as Monday, and there is some speculation that Wendy McMahon, who was named president and co-head of CBS News and Stations in 2021, will take on a new or expanded role. Khemlani and McMahon were named to their posts in a restructuring that combined two divisions of the company.
In a memo to staffers on Sunday, Khemlani said that he had signed a first look deal with the network to develop documentaries, scripted series and books for Simon & Schuster.
“It’s an opportunity that will allow me to write, report and develop stories that I’ve long wanted to pursue,” he wrote.
George Cheeks, the president and CEO of CBS Entertainment Group, said that he will update staffers soon with information about new leadership and structure for the news division. That may come as soon as Monday, and there is some speculation that Wendy McMahon, who was named president and co-head of CBS News and Stations in 2021, will take on a new or expanded role. Khemlani and McMahon were named to their posts in a restructuring that combined two divisions of the company.
- 8/13/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The headlines coming out of CBS News will soon be guided by a new executive.
Neeraj Khemlani, who arrived at the Paramount Global unit in 2021 to oversee CBS News and local stations along with Wendy McMahon, is leaving his role running the unit that produces “60 Minutes,” “CBS Evening News” and “Face The Nation,” among other programs. Khemlani told CBS News staffers Sunday that he has decided to exit and will instead pursue a new multi-year first-look deal with CBS that has him developing content including books for Simon & Schuster, documentaries and scripted series.
Many senior news executives and anchors sign contracts for three years or more. Khemlani has during a two-years-plus tenure helped to rework CBS News’ morning programming; eliminate divisions between the linear news staff and CBS News streaming operations; bolster its investigative unit; and inject new talent into the famously insular division, including Robert Costa, Natalie Morales and Cecilia Vega.
Neeraj Khemlani, who arrived at the Paramount Global unit in 2021 to oversee CBS News and local stations along with Wendy McMahon, is leaving his role running the unit that produces “60 Minutes,” “CBS Evening News” and “Face The Nation,” among other programs. Khemlani told CBS News staffers Sunday that he has decided to exit and will instead pursue a new multi-year first-look deal with CBS that has him developing content including books for Simon & Schuster, documentaries and scripted series.
Many senior news executives and anchors sign contracts for three years or more. Khemlani has during a two-years-plus tenure helped to rework CBS News’ morning programming; eliminate divisions between the linear news staff and CBS News streaming operations; bolster its investigative unit; and inject new talent into the famously insular division, including Robert Costa, Natalie Morales and Cecilia Vega.
- 8/13/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Katie Spikes, a veteran producer for 60 Minutes, has died after a long battle with cancer, CBS News said.
Spikes, who was 53, died on Tuesday.
She was at the network for three decades in a number of producing roles, including as senior story editor. She was tasked with many high-profile guest bookings, ranging from former President Barack Obama to Olympic gold-medal swimmer Michael Phelps. She also was behind 60 Minutes profile last year of Tony Bennett, which showed how the singer, despite suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, could still perform. Bennett died last week.
60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens said, per CBS News, “She was the relentless positive energy that everyone sought out. Smart, funny, hardworking, and a genius friend and mentor. I valued Katie’s opinion because she wasn’t afraid to take the other side of an argument and always had impeccable taste.”
Susan Zirinsky, senior executive...
Spikes, who was 53, died on Tuesday.
She was at the network for three decades in a number of producing roles, including as senior story editor. She was tasked with many high-profile guest bookings, ranging from former President Barack Obama to Olympic gold-medal swimmer Michael Phelps. She also was behind 60 Minutes profile last year of Tony Bennett, which showed how the singer, despite suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, could still perform. Bennett died last week.
60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens said, per CBS News, “She was the relentless positive energy that everyone sought out. Smart, funny, hardworking, and a genius friend and mentor. I valued Katie’s opinion because she wasn’t afraid to take the other side of an argument and always had impeccable taste.”
Susan Zirinsky, senior executive...
- 7/27/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The Paramount+ purge continues.
Inside Amy Schumer and Kevin Williamson’s Tell Me a Story are among the latest titles to be removed from the Paramount Global-owned streaming platform. The moves, which were expected after last week’s erasure of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, The Game and Queen of the Universe, come the same day that the conglomerate officially unveiled Paramount+ With Showtime.
Other titles that are being deleted from the service include Dave Grohl’s docuseries From Cradle to Stage, Ghislaine: Partner in Crime (the doc from former CBS News president Susan Zirinsky), the LeBron James-produced film Fantasy Football (which was picked up as part of Brian Robbins push for younger-skewing content) and family musical Snow Day.
Nickelodeon fare was hit especially hard with the removals of series including All In With Cam Newton, Allegra’s Window, Becca’s Bunch, Bella and the Bulldogs,...
Inside Amy Schumer and Kevin Williamson’s Tell Me a Story are among the latest titles to be removed from the Paramount Global-owned streaming platform. The moves, which were expected after last week’s erasure of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, The Game and Queen of the Universe, come the same day that the conglomerate officially unveiled Paramount+ With Showtime.
Other titles that are being deleted from the service include Dave Grohl’s docuseries From Cradle to Stage, Ghislaine: Partner in Crime (the doc from former CBS News president Susan Zirinsky), the LeBron James-produced film Fantasy Football (which was picked up as part of Brian Robbins push for younger-skewing content) and family musical Snow Day.
Nickelodeon fare was hit especially hard with the removals of series including All In With Cam Newton, Allegra’s Window, Becca’s Bunch, Bella and the Bulldogs,...
- 6/27/2023
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After a year of questionable decisions from streaming services that involve password sharing, app overhauls, advertisement tiers, removal of content and so on, the bubble is somewhat bursting as companies look to regain profitability through the purging of shows. It was not long ago that news broke about the streaming platform, Paramount+, canceling a number of projects, including Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, The Game and Queen of the Universe. Not only is the streamer canceling these movies and shows, but they’re removing the titles from the application as well to reap the benefits of a content write-down.
Deadline now reports that more shows have been put on the chopping block over at Paramount+. One of the bigger names that is getting purged is the return of the sketch comedy show Inside Amy Schumer, which had returned to continue its run with a fifth season in six years.
Deadline now reports that more shows have been put on the chopping block over at Paramount+. One of the bigger names that is getting purged is the return of the sketch comedy show Inside Amy Schumer, which had returned to continue its run with a fifth season in six years.
- 6/27/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Inside Amy Schumer returned to Paramount+ after six years for its fifth season – a season that Paramount was hoping could score an Emmy nomination to compete against the likes of SNL and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
However, Emmy voters hoping to take a last minute watch on Paramount+ before tonight’s voting deadline will have been disappointed after it was one of the latest titles to be scrapped from the streaming service.
Paramount+ has purged a phalanx of programming today including a number of original series, original movies and Nickelodeon content.
The low-profile move comes after Paramount revealed last week that it was canceling and scrapping four series: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, The Game and Queen of the Universe.
Inside Amy Schumer is joined by From Cradle to Stage, a docuseries directed by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl and based on his mother’s book,...
However, Emmy voters hoping to take a last minute watch on Paramount+ before tonight’s voting deadline will have been disappointed after it was one of the latest titles to be scrapped from the streaming service.
Paramount+ has purged a phalanx of programming today including a number of original series, original movies and Nickelodeon content.
The low-profile move comes after Paramount revealed last week that it was canceling and scrapping four series: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, The Game and Queen of the Universe.
Inside Amy Schumer is joined by From Cradle to Stage, a docuseries directed by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl and based on his mother’s book,...
- 6/27/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
With a running time of 96 minutes, Frank Marshall’s Rather, a documentary about the life and times of Dan Rather, is premiering at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival opposite Luke Korem’s Milli Vanilli, a 106-minute documentary about the life and times of Milli Vanilli. I know that both documentaries exist in their own vacuums and the comparison is apples to rutabagas, but I’m still confident in saying this: A definitive documentary about Dan Rather is going to require more time to properly tell its story than a definitive documentary about Milli Vanilli.
In its home stretch, Rather mentions that for a young generation weaned on social media, Dan Rather is an amusingly cantankerous Twitter truth-teller, but those new fans have very little awareness that he was once a revered (and briefly disgraced) journalist and broadcast nightly news anchor. Leaving aside that those Rather-adoring whelps similarly don’t...
In its home stretch, Rather mentions that for a young generation weaned on social media, Dan Rather is an amusingly cantankerous Twitter truth-teller, but those new fans have very little awareness that he was once a revered (and briefly disgraced) journalist and broadcast nightly news anchor. Leaving aside that those Rather-adoring whelps similarly don’t...
- 6/11/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Revisit the episode of 48 Hours titled “The Dexter Killer,” airing on the CBS Television Network on Saturday, June 10, at 9:00 Pm Et/Pt. This repeat episode takes viewers deep inside the mind of Mark Twitchell, the convicted murderer whose actions shocked the nation. Join host Troy Roberts as he explores the dark and twisted world of Twitchell through his writings in this gripping installment.
With a focus on the shocking case against Twitchell, 48 Hours and Roberts provide a rare glimpse into the mind of the killer. Investigative journalist and author Steve Lillebuen reveals the letters he exchanged with Twitchell over a three-year period. Lillebuen’s book, The Devil’s Cinema: The Untold Story Behind Mark Twitchell’s Kill Room, provides valuable insights into the disturbing mindset of the perpetrator.
Twitchell, an aspiring filmmaker from Canada, was convicted of luring Johnny Altinger to a garage, where he attacked and dismembered him.
With a focus on the shocking case against Twitchell, 48 Hours and Roberts provide a rare glimpse into the mind of the killer. Investigative journalist and author Steve Lillebuen reveals the letters he exchanged with Twitchell over a three-year period. Lillebuen’s book, The Devil’s Cinema: The Untold Story Behind Mark Twitchell’s Kill Room, provides valuable insights into the disturbing mindset of the perpetrator.
Twitchell, an aspiring filmmaker from Canada, was convicted of luring Johnny Altinger to a garage, where he attacked and dismembered him.
- 6/9/2023
- by Alex Matthews
- TV Regular
Exclusive: The team behind award-winning documentary 11 Minutes, which told the story of the mass shooting at Las Vegas’ Route 91 Harvest music festival, have set up another docuseries at Paramount+.
The streamer has ordered Crush, which will explore the Halloween tragedy in Seoul, South Korea, that left 159 dead and hundreds injured.
The series, which is set to launch this fall, likely around the anniversary of the tragedy, comes from See It Now Studios, Triage Entertainment, and All Rise Films. It is exec produced by Jeff Zimbalist, who directs, Stu Schreiberg, Terence Wrong and Susan Zirinsky with Josh Gaynor as co-exec producer, Aysu Saliba as supervising producer and Alana Saad as producer.
The Seoul crush tragedy occurred on October 29, 2022 during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon neighborhood of the South Korean city and was the country’s largest crowd crush in its history.
The multi-part series will be an immersive moment-by-moment dive...
The streamer has ordered Crush, which will explore the Halloween tragedy in Seoul, South Korea, that left 159 dead and hundreds injured.
The series, which is set to launch this fall, likely around the anniversary of the tragedy, comes from See It Now Studios, Triage Entertainment, and All Rise Films. It is exec produced by Jeff Zimbalist, who directs, Stu Schreiberg, Terence Wrong and Susan Zirinsky with Josh Gaynor as co-exec producer, Aysu Saliba as supervising producer and Alana Saad as producer.
The Seoul crush tragedy occurred on October 29, 2022 during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon neighborhood of the South Korean city and was the country’s largest crowd crush in its history.
The multi-part series will be an immersive moment-by-moment dive...
- 5/11/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
King Charles has had a complicated life.
On Monday, Paramount+ announced the brand new documentary “King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone”, set to premiere May 2, just days before the king’s coronation.
Read More: Inside The Royal Family’s ‘Lack Of Trust’ Toward Prince Harry Ahead Of King Charles III’s Coronation
The film is described as “an unprecedented look at the life of King Charles from those who know him best – former friends, schoolmates and his private staff – ahead of his coronation as king of the United Kingdom.”
Photo: Paramount +
Running 90 minutes, the doc features “exclusive interviews, never-before-seen photos, and letters with former girlfriends, schoolmates, royal watchers and staff, with many speaking for the first time disclosing new details about the life of King Charles.”
The film’s title comes from Charles’ former boarding schoolmate Johnny Stonborough, who recalls how “Charles was the boy who walked alone,...
On Monday, Paramount+ announced the brand new documentary “King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone”, set to premiere May 2, just days before the king’s coronation.
Read More: Inside The Royal Family’s ‘Lack Of Trust’ Toward Prince Harry Ahead Of King Charles III’s Coronation
The film is described as “an unprecedented look at the life of King Charles from those who know him best – former friends, schoolmates and his private staff – ahead of his coronation as king of the United Kingdom.”
Photo: Paramount +
Running 90 minutes, the doc features “exclusive interviews, never-before-seen photos, and letters with former girlfriends, schoolmates, royal watchers and staff, with many speaking for the first time disclosing new details about the life of King Charles.”
The film’s title comes from Charles’ former boarding schoolmate Johnny Stonborough, who recalls how “Charles was the boy who walked alone,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Exclusive: Paramount+ is readying a new doc on King Charles III.
King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone will debut on the service in the U.S. on May 2, giving subscribers a look at the new monarch’s life from former friends and girlfriends, schoolmates and his private staff ahead of his coronation as king this month.
The doc comes from Diana: The Truth Behind the Scandal producer Blink Films and Paramount Global’s See It Now Studio. In the U.S. it will be branded as a Paramount+ Original, following an agreement brokered through See It Now Studios, whose President Susan Zirinsky keynoted at Mip TV today, where she urged doc makers not to pay contributors.
Silverlinings Rights has been shopping a separate version called My King Charles, which last month was sold to 14 co-production partners including Australia’s Nine Network, Rtl in Germany and TV2 in Denmark.
When news of that doc broke,...
King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone will debut on the service in the U.S. on May 2, giving subscribers a look at the new monarch’s life from former friends and girlfriends, schoolmates and his private staff ahead of his coronation as king this month.
The doc comes from Diana: The Truth Behind the Scandal producer Blink Films and Paramount Global’s See It Now Studio. In the U.S. it will be branded as a Paramount+ Original, following an agreement brokered through See It Now Studios, whose President Susan Zirinsky keynoted at Mip TV today, where she urged doc makers not to pay contributors.
Silverlinings Rights has been shopping a separate version called My King Charles, which last month was sold to 14 co-production partners including Australia’s Nine Network, Rtl in Germany and TV2 in Denmark.
When news of that doc broke,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Susan Zirinsky has criticized documentarians who pay their contributors as she urges her fellow execs to “keep your moral compass.”
The former CBS News President, who is now running CBS production outfit See it Now Studios, joked “you may as well strip me naked and beat me” rather than asking her to pay participants and sources.
“Ken Burns never pays, Alex Gibney never pays, but there is a camp that feels you should pay,” she added. “But for us if you pay someone you will never believe that what they are telling you is something you want to hear. I will walk away before one dime is given for a story.”
Zirinksy launched See It Now around one and a half years ago and the company is producing content for both Paramount’s brands including Paramount+ and Smithsonian Channel, along with pitching to third parties such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
The former CBS News President, who is now running CBS production outfit See it Now Studios, joked “you may as well strip me naked and beat me” rather than asking her to pay participants and sources.
“Ken Burns never pays, Alex Gibney never pays, but there is a camp that feels you should pay,” she added. “But for us if you pay someone you will never believe that what they are telling you is something you want to hear. I will walk away before one dime is given for a story.”
Zirinksy launched See It Now around one and a half years ago and the company is producing content for both Paramount’s brands including Paramount+ and Smithsonian Channel, along with pitching to third parties such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
- 4/17/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here penning the weekly mailer a day after Cannes revealed its long-awaited lineup. Read on for all the details and plenty more, and sign up to the International Insider here.
Cannes Lineup Roars
Few surprises: Zac Ntim here reporting on Cannes …Cannes General Delegate Thierry Frémaux announced 52 titles Thursday morning that will debut at the festival’s 76th edition, which runs May 16-27 on the Riviera. There were few surprises in the Official Competition lineup, with festival favorites such as Wes Anderson, Ken Loach, Nanni Moretti and Hirokazu Kore-eda vying for the Palme d’Or alongside long-rumored entries from Alice Rohrwacher, Jonathan Glazer and Aki Kaurismäki. The festival did, however, clock six films with women filmmakers playing in competition, a new record for Cannes. With 19 competition titles announced, however, six still remains far below that elusive 50% parity mark. Progress has been slow. This year’s...
Cannes Lineup Roars
Few surprises: Zac Ntim here reporting on Cannes …Cannes General Delegate Thierry Frémaux announced 52 titles Thursday morning that will debut at the festival’s 76th edition, which runs May 16-27 on the Riviera. There were few surprises in the Official Competition lineup, with festival favorites such as Wes Anderson, Ken Loach, Nanni Moretti and Hirokazu Kore-eda vying for the Palme d’Or alongside long-rumored entries from Alice Rohrwacher, Jonathan Glazer and Aki Kaurismäki. The festival did, however, clock six films with women filmmakers playing in competition, a new record for Cannes. With 19 competition titles announced, however, six still remains far below that elusive 50% parity mark. Progress has been slow. This year’s...
- 4/14/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount+ has unveiled a trailer for the upcoming docuseries FBI True premiering on the streaming service on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. The half-hour documentary series dives into big cases, with the agents involved walking viewers through what went down.
The 10-episode docuseries was created by Craig Turk, co-creator of CBS’s FBI, and veteran FBI special agent Anne Beagan. Turk, Beagan, Shawn Efran, and Azadeh de Leon serve as executive producers. See It Now Studios’ Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong also executive produce, and Adam Goldfried is the executive director. Mike Schultz guides the series as showrunner and producer. The series is produced by Efran Films Canada for See It Now Studios.
Paramount+ released the following lengthy description of FBI True:
Each edition of FBI True focuses on dynamic insider conversations between agents when they meet at the FBI’s favorite bar, the Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor, just down the block from their New York headquarters.
The 10-episode docuseries was created by Craig Turk, co-creator of CBS’s FBI, and veteran FBI special agent Anne Beagan. Turk, Beagan, Shawn Efran, and Azadeh de Leon serve as executive producers. See It Now Studios’ Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong also executive produce, and Adam Goldfried is the executive director. Mike Schultz guides the series as showrunner and producer. The series is produced by Efran Films Canada for See It Now Studios.
Paramount+ released the following lengthy description of FBI True:
Each edition of FBI True focuses on dynamic insider conversations between agents when they meet at the FBI’s favorite bar, the Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor, just down the block from their New York headquarters.
- 2/24/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Paramount+ has announced FBI True, a 10-episode original docuseries from FBI co-creator Craig Turk, focused on the real-life situations faced by FBI agents that have inspired the CBS series.
Turk has partnered with veteran FBI special agent-turned producer Anne Beagan, CBS’ See It Now Films and Efran Films Canada on the docuseries which begins streaming Tuesday, Feb. 28 in the U.S. and May 5 in Canada on Paramount+.
The 10 half-hour installments will provide a real-life look into FBI agents’ high-pressure world with never-before-seen surveillance video, interrogations with hostage takers and terrorists, and personal photos from the agents’ collections. You can watch a trailer below.
Each episode features insider conversations between agents when they meet at the FBI’s favorite bar, the Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor, just down the block from their New York headquarters. “In this relaxed setting, they share hair-raising stories of dangerous missions carried out by the FBI in the United States and worldwide,...
Turk has partnered with veteran FBI special agent-turned producer Anne Beagan, CBS’ See It Now Films and Efran Films Canada on the docuseries which begins streaming Tuesday, Feb. 28 in the U.S. and May 5 in Canada on Paramount+.
The 10 half-hour installments will provide a real-life look into FBI agents’ high-pressure world with never-before-seen surveillance video, interrogations with hostage takers and terrorists, and personal photos from the agents’ collections. You can watch a trailer below.
Each episode features insider conversations between agents when they meet at the FBI’s favorite bar, the Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor, just down the block from their New York headquarters. “In this relaxed setting, they share hair-raising stories of dangerous missions carried out by the FBI in the United States and worldwide,...
- 2/24/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Checkup with Dr. David Agus,” a six-episode docuseries featuring notable names in entertainment as they sit down with the doctor for intimate conversations about their personal health struggles, will premiere on Paramount+, with the first three episodes will debuting on the platform Tuesday, Dec. 6. The final three episodes will follow on Monday, Dec. 12.
Guests for the docuseries include Ashton Kutcher, Oprah Winfrey, Maria Shriver, Howie Mandel, Amy Schumer, Nick Cannon, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Each guest goes into personal detail about life-threatening diseases, women’s health issues such as reproductive health, the loss of a child and more.
The series is produced by Skydance Television and See It Now Studios. Agus serves as executive producer alongside Amy Coleman and David Ellison and Dana Goldberg for Skydance Television. For See It Now Studios, Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong are executive producers, Aysu Saliba is the supervising producer and Adam Goldfried is the executive director.
Guests for the docuseries include Ashton Kutcher, Oprah Winfrey, Maria Shriver, Howie Mandel, Amy Schumer, Nick Cannon, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Each guest goes into personal detail about life-threatening diseases, women’s health issues such as reproductive health, the loss of a child and more.
The series is produced by Skydance Television and See It Now Studios. Agus serves as executive producer alongside Amy Coleman and David Ellison and Dana Goldberg for Skydance Television. For See It Now Studios, Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong are executive producers, Aysu Saliba is the supervising producer and Adam Goldfried is the executive director.
- 11/30/2022
- by EJ Panaligan
- Variety Film + TV
CBS News medical contributor Dr. David Agus is headlining a new docuseries for Paramount+ in which he will talk with Ashton Kutcher, Amy Schumer, Nick Cannon and other celebrities about some of their personal health struggles.
The Checkup with Dr. David Agus will debut its first three episodes on Dec. 6, and the final three will drop on Dec. 12.
Kutcher will chat about his battle with a rare life-threatening disease, and is interviewed with his twin brother Michael, who was born with cerebral palsy and recently had a heart transplant. Cannon will talk about the loss of his son Zen to a brain tumor, and also reveals his lupus diagnosis. Amy Schumer will talk about her reproductive health struggles and battles with depression early in life.
Also featured will be Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver talking about women’s health; Jane Fonda, who will talk about her diagnosis with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The Checkup with Dr. David Agus will debut its first three episodes on Dec. 6, and the final three will drop on Dec. 12.
Kutcher will chat about his battle with a rare life-threatening disease, and is interviewed with his twin brother Michael, who was born with cerebral palsy and recently had a heart transplant. Cannon will talk about the loss of his son Zen to a brain tumor, and also reveals his lupus diagnosis. Amy Schumer will talk about her reproductive health struggles and battles with depression early in life.
Also featured will be Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver talking about women’s health; Jane Fonda, who will talk about her diagnosis with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- 11/29/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The two-minute trailer for Paramount+’s 11 Minutes documentary series opens with Country music fans enjoying the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas before their joy was erased by a mass shooter. Using interviews with concertgoers, cellphone footage, and other videos, 11 Minutes recalls the horrific mass shooting and its aftermath.
The four-part docuseries was directed by Emmy and Peabody-winning director Jeff Zimbalist and features the very first in-depth interview with Jason Aldean. The Country music star was actually on stage when the shooting began.
“When I turned around, my bass player was just looking at me like a deer in the headlights. And my security guy was on stage at that point, telling me to get down, waving me off the stage,” recalled Aldean.
Aldean admits to feeling survivor’s guilt. “It’s hard not to feel a little guilty. I mean, those people were there to support us,...
The four-part docuseries was directed by Emmy and Peabody-winning director Jeff Zimbalist and features the very first in-depth interview with Jason Aldean. The Country music star was actually on stage when the shooting began.
“When I turned around, my bass player was just looking at me like a deer in the headlights. And my security guy was on stage at that point, telling me to get down, waving me off the stage,” recalled Aldean.
Aldean admits to feeling survivor’s guilt. “It’s hard not to feel a little guilty. I mean, those people were there to support us,...
- 9/12/2022
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Click here to read the full article.
ABC News is doubling down on documentaries and docuseries, launching a new non-fiction division called ABC News Studios.
The studio already has 15 series in various stages of production, as well as 3 feature-length documentaries, which will live under the ABC News Films banner.
“It really felt like there was a much bigger opportunity for ABC News to really scale the narrative non-fiction storytelling that we were doing,” ABC News Studios head Mike Kelley tells The Hollywood Reporter, noting that the studio will significantly expand ABC News’ presence in streaming. “In particular, to lean into the narrative non-fiction space that is rooted in journalism, but entertaining at its heart. Those are the stories that we want to tell.”
Kelley says the studio wants to play in the long-form documentary film space; the limited series space; the formatted anthology space; and will produce one-off specials. “From a genre perspective,...
ABC News is doubling down on documentaries and docuseries, launching a new non-fiction division called ABC News Studios.
The studio already has 15 series in various stages of production, as well as 3 feature-length documentaries, which will live under the ABC News Films banner.
“It really felt like there was a much bigger opportunity for ABC News to really scale the narrative non-fiction storytelling that we were doing,” ABC News Studios head Mike Kelley tells The Hollywood Reporter, noting that the studio will significantly expand ABC News’ presence in streaming. “In particular, to lean into the narrative non-fiction space that is rooted in journalism, but entertaining at its heart. Those are the stories that we want to tell.”
Kelley says the studio wants to play in the long-form documentary film space; the limited series space; the formatted anthology space; and will produce one-off specials. “From a genre perspective,...
- 7/26/2022
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
George Stephanopoulos is known at ABC News for his turns co-anchoring “Good Morning America” and the Sunday public affairs program “This Week.” As Hollywood’s streaming wars intensify, however, he may soon be recognized for something else.
Stephanopoulos will be at the center of a new political documentary series slated to appear on Hulu that will examine the upcoming midterm election along with important races and key issues. The program is one among many currently in the pipeline at ABC News Studios, a new effort by the Disney-backed news organization to centralize its efforts to produce documentary programming aimed at fueling the fortunes of Disney properties.
“We want to leverage our intellectual property that is generated across the news division in service of entertaining narrative storytelling. That is an absolute priority for us,” says Mike Kelley, vice president and head of ABC News Studios, in an interview. “We know that...
Stephanopoulos will be at the center of a new political documentary series slated to appear on Hulu that will examine the upcoming midterm election along with important races and key issues. The program is one among many currently in the pipeline at ABC News Studios, a new effort by the Disney-backed news organization to centralize its efforts to produce documentary programming aimed at fueling the fortunes of Disney properties.
“We want to leverage our intellectual property that is generated across the news division in service of entertaining narrative storytelling. That is an absolute priority for us,” says Mike Kelley, vice president and head of ABC News Studios, in an interview. “We know that...
- 7/26/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount+ has picked up the missing person docuseries Never Seen Again for a second season, with the next debut set for Tuesday.
The series first launched in May.
The new season will examine 10 cases of individual disappearances and the families and friends looking for clues and answers.
The first episode looks at the case of Caleb Diehl, a high school senior who failed to show up for school. According to Paramount+, the investigation ended up “uncovering sinister secrets that had lain hidden for years in a small Texas town, including shocking revelations about the man who has been a pillar of the tightknit community.”
The season also will look at other cases, including the vanishing of Ashley Loring Heavy Runner, who left the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana to pursue college, and Heather Teague, a former high school cheerleader who was abducted at a country lake.
Each of the episodes...
The series first launched in May.
The new season will examine 10 cases of individual disappearances and the families and friends looking for clues and answers.
The first episode looks at the case of Caleb Diehl, a high school senior who failed to show up for school. According to Paramount+, the investigation ended up “uncovering sinister secrets that had lain hidden for years in a small Texas town, including shocking revelations about the man who has been a pillar of the tightknit community.”
The season also will look at other cases, including the vanishing of Ashley Loring Heavy Runner, who left the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana to pursue college, and Heather Teague, a former high school cheerleader who was abducted at a country lake.
Each of the episodes...
- 7/25/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Tyler Perry will executive produce the first two episodes of a new Paramount+ documentary series about family members who go missing and those who struggle in the aftermath of their various disappearances.
Each episode of “Never Seen Again” starts with a loved one recounting the last time they saw their son, daughter, brother, sister, boyfriend or girlfriend before they vanished into thin air. The series comes from See It Now Studios, the new production shingle overseen by veteran CBS News producer and former CBS News President Susan Zirinsky. To generate awareness of the program, Paramount+ will make the first episode available for free Saturday, May 7 through Monday, May 10 on the CBS News app, and the first season will be available to stream Tuesday, May 10 on Paramount+.
In the first episode, Aa27-year-old Black man named Terrance Williams disappears in Naples, Fl in 2004 after he last being seen getting into a...
Each episode of “Never Seen Again” starts with a loved one recounting the last time they saw their son, daughter, brother, sister, boyfriend or girlfriend before they vanished into thin air. The series comes from See It Now Studios, the new production shingle overseen by veteran CBS News producer and former CBS News President Susan Zirinsky. To generate awareness of the program, Paramount+ will make the first episode available for free Saturday, May 7 through Monday, May 10 on the CBS News app, and the first season will be available to stream Tuesday, May 10 on Paramount+.
In the first episode, Aa27-year-old Black man named Terrance Williams disappears in Naples, Fl in 2004 after he last being seen getting into a...
- 5/4/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount+ announced today that its four-hour docuseries Ghislaine — Partner in Crime, exploring the life of Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, will be available for streaming in full starting April 7.
Maxwell’s journey began as the daughter of Robert Maxwell, a wealthy media magnate scrutinized over questionable business deals, who then died mysteriously while out to sea in his yacht. It ends with Epstein, a money manager and convicted sex offender, who died while being held on federal sex trafficking charges.
Ghislaine — Partner in Crime looks at how deeply Maxwell was involved in recruiting, grooming, and trafficking some girls as young as 14 for sexual abuse. Testimony described a ring that abused hundreds of women and girls, and how the former socialite became an accomplice to one of the worst sex offenders in history. The docuseries features interviews with Maxwell’s siblings Ian, Kevin and Isabel Maxwell; her friends; legal experts; and her alleged victims,...
Maxwell’s journey began as the daughter of Robert Maxwell, a wealthy media magnate scrutinized over questionable business deals, who then died mysteriously while out to sea in his yacht. It ends with Epstein, a money manager and convicted sex offender, who died while being held on federal sex trafficking charges.
Ghislaine — Partner in Crime looks at how deeply Maxwell was involved in recruiting, grooming, and trafficking some girls as young as 14 for sexual abuse. Testimony described a ring that abused hundreds of women and girls, and how the former socialite became an accomplice to one of the worst sex offenders in history. The docuseries features interviews with Maxwell’s siblings Ian, Kevin and Isabel Maxwell; her friends; legal experts; and her alleged victims,...
- 4/5/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Gayle King, who over ten years at CBS News has become one of that ViacomCBS division’s most recognizable personnel, has signed a deal to stay for another contract cycle.
“I still feel that in many ways I’m just getting started,” King told listeners of her SiriusXM radio program on Friday.
Speculation has risen in recent weeks whether CBS News would keep both King and her colleague Norah O’Donnell, both of whom had contracts that were set to lapse this year. King last signed an extension with CBS News in 2019, when Susan Zirinsky, the former CBS News president, rebuilt the network’s morning-news program, now known as “CBS Mornings,” with her at the center. King has in recent years gained notice for her interviews with figures making waves in popular culture, including R Kelly.
During her radio show, King said she was impressed by CBS News’ plans for the...
“I still feel that in many ways I’m just getting started,” King told listeners of her SiriusXM radio program on Friday.
Speculation has risen in recent weeks whether CBS News would keep both King and her colleague Norah O’Donnell, both of whom had contracts that were set to lapse this year. King last signed an extension with CBS News in 2019, when Susan Zirinsky, the former CBS News president, rebuilt the network’s morning-news program, now known as “CBS Mornings,” with her at the center. King has in recent years gained notice for her interviews with figures making waves in popular culture, including R Kelly.
During her radio show, King said she was impressed by CBS News’ plans for the...
- 1/28/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: MTV and CBS are commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day with two primetime specials hosted by Julianna Margulies.
The Good Wife star, who also starred in the second season of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, will front The Hate We Can’t Forget: A Holocaust Memorial Special for Smithsonian Channel/MTV International and Undeniable: The Truth to Remember, for CBS. This marks the highest-profile collaboration to date between ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment and CBS, with the divisions’ top executives, Chris McCarthy and George Cheeks, shepherding the initiative. It also marks Margulies’ return to CBS six years after the end of The Good Wife.
The Hate We Can’t Forget: A Holocaust Memorial Special will air on Wednesday, January 26 at 10pm on Smithsonian Channel before airing on MTV internationally on Thursday, January 27 and in the U.S. on Monday January 31 at 10pm.
The special will follow four Holocaust survivors who share...
The Good Wife star, who also starred in the second season of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, will front The Hate We Can’t Forget: A Holocaust Memorial Special for Smithsonian Channel/MTV International and Undeniable: The Truth to Remember, for CBS. This marks the highest-profile collaboration to date between ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment and CBS, with the divisions’ top executives, Chris McCarthy and George Cheeks, shepherding the initiative. It also marks Margulies’ return to CBS six years after the end of The Good Wife.
The Hate We Can’t Forget: A Holocaust Memorial Special will air on Wednesday, January 26 at 10pm on Smithsonian Channel before airing on MTV internationally on Thursday, January 27 and in the U.S. on Monday January 31 at 10pm.
The special will follow four Holocaust survivors who share...
- 1/25/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The clock has stopped ticking for “60 Minutes Plus,” the streaming spinoff of the venerable CBS News mainstay that was once envisioned as a means of introducing the next generation of viewers to the popular Sunday newsmagazine that has been broadcasting for more than half a century.
Staffers were informed of the decision Thursday morning, according to people familiar with the matter. The company expects to work with employees to find other jobs within ViacomCBS and executives remain committed to making news programming a central part of Paramount Plus, which has been the most recent home of the new show.
“We are proud of the team at 60 Minutes Plus” and of the stories they produced, which informed the audience about some of the most important issues of our time,” Paramount Plus said in a statement. ” Their journalism was recognized with several awards, including a Gracie, National Headliner and Nabj Salute to Excellence Award.
Staffers were informed of the decision Thursday morning, according to people familiar with the matter. The company expects to work with employees to find other jobs within ViacomCBS and executives remain committed to making news programming a central part of Paramount Plus, which has been the most recent home of the new show.
“We are proud of the team at 60 Minutes Plus” and of the stories they produced, which informed the audience about some of the most important issues of our time,” Paramount Plus said in a statement. ” Their journalism was recognized with several awards, including a Gracie, National Headliner and Nabj Salute to Excellence Award.
- 1/13/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Susan Zirinsky is back in a job where she can do one of her favorite things: tell a few stories.
For decades, Zirinsky, who left her role as president of CBS News last year, had big tales to relate. As a senior producer at CBS News, she played a role in preparing some of the operation’s most dramatic work: dozens of episodes of “48 Hours”; a memorable documentary on 9/11; and a look inside the CIA for Showtime featuring 12 living directors.
Now, after two years of tending more to the management of the news business at ViacomCBS — re-engineering CBS’ morning program and “CBS Evening News” — she has more. Zirinsky heads See It Now Studios, an independent production unit that she expects to launch documentary films and series for a range of ViacomCBS properties as well as outside parties. “I’m not a sliver of the network, or producing just for the inside,...
For decades, Zirinsky, who left her role as president of CBS News last year, had big tales to relate. As a senior producer at CBS News, she played a role in preparing some of the operation’s most dramatic work: dozens of episodes of “48 Hours”; a memorable documentary on 9/11; and a look inside the CIA for Showtime featuring 12 living directors.
Now, after two years of tending more to the management of the news business at ViacomCBS — re-engineering CBS’ morning program and “CBS Evening News” — she has more. Zirinsky heads See It Now Studios, an independent production unit that she expects to launch documentary films and series for a range of ViacomCBS properties as well as outside parties. “I’m not a sliver of the network, or producing just for the inside,...
- 1/5/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount+ is to memorialize the anniversary of the January 6th attack on the Capitol with a six-part docuseries narrated by Mandy Patinkin.
The Homeland star is narrating Indivisible: Healing Hate and the first episode of the investigative documentary series will debut one year on from the attacks.
The series analyzes the driving forces behind the attack on the Capitol, the rise of far right extremism that fueled the events, and how the country is dealing with the divide.
It will feature interviews with federal and state law enforcement, victims of extremism, accused and convicted extremists, lawmakers, and analysts – uncovering surprising links between January 6, historical events and today’s most dangerous radical frontiers in America.
It is directed by James Bruce and exec produced by Jim Clemente, Tim Clemente, James Bruce, Spencer Gordon, and Josh Murphy.
It comes from America’s Most Wanted producer Xg Productions and See It Now Studios,...
The Homeland star is narrating Indivisible: Healing Hate and the first episode of the investigative documentary series will debut one year on from the attacks.
The series analyzes the driving forces behind the attack on the Capitol, the rise of far right extremism that fueled the events, and how the country is dealing with the divide.
It will feature interviews with federal and state law enforcement, victims of extremism, accused and convicted extremists, lawmakers, and analysts – uncovering surprising links between January 6, historical events and today’s most dangerous radical frontiers in America.
It is directed by James Bruce and exec produced by Jim Clemente, Tim Clemente, James Bruce, Spencer Gordon, and Josh Murphy.
It comes from America’s Most Wanted producer Xg Productions and See It Now Studios,...
- 1/5/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
CBS News is recalibrating its talent relations efforts as it faces key contract-renewal talks next year with Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell, the network’s two most visible anchors.
Alison Pepper, a longtime CBS News executive who spent about two decades at the ViacomCBS news unit at “60 Minutes” and in talent recruitment and development, is returning in a senior role to oversee talent relations. She will replace Laurie Orlando, who has been CBS News’ senior vice president of talent strategy since 2016, and will move into a similar role for CBS’ owned and operated stations and local streaming efforts. ViacomCBS combined its news and station operations in April under executives Neeraj Khemlani and Wendy McMahon.
Pepper will report to Khemlani, who supervises news operations, while Orlando will report to McMahon, who oversees the local TV properties. Both appointments are effective November 1, and each executive will be a senior vice president of talent strategy.
Alison Pepper, a longtime CBS News executive who spent about two decades at the ViacomCBS news unit at “60 Minutes” and in talent recruitment and development, is returning in a senior role to oversee talent relations. She will replace Laurie Orlando, who has been CBS News’ senior vice president of talent strategy since 2016, and will move into a similar role for CBS’ owned and operated stations and local streaming efforts. ViacomCBS combined its news and station operations in April under executives Neeraj Khemlani and Wendy McMahon.
Pepper will report to Khemlani, who supervises news operations, while Orlando will report to McMahon, who oversees the local TV properties. Both appointments are effective November 1, and each executive will be a senior vice president of talent strategy.
- 10/28/2021
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
The job of the modern TV-news anchor may have less to do with TV as information junkies get their fixes and facts from a wider array of media venues.
The days of watching a popular anchor like Dan Rather solely on a broadcast program like venerable “CBS Evening News” are quickly fading. The rise of streaming video has created new opportunities for journalists and the venues they fill with content. With that in mind, Endeavor’s WME talent agency, one of the industry’s largest, is giving new thought to how to serve a wide array of clients that include ABC News’ Robin Roberts, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin.
“The networks have to go with where their viewers are. Their business model depends on how do we find these people, how do we get to them? And it’s going to call for a lot of creative ways,...
The days of watching a popular anchor like Dan Rather solely on a broadcast program like venerable “CBS Evening News” are quickly fading. The rise of streaming video has created new opportunities for journalists and the venues they fill with content. With that in mind, Endeavor’s WME talent agency, one of the industry’s largest, is giving new thought to how to serve a wide array of clients that include ABC News’ Robin Roberts, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin.
“The networks have to go with where their viewers are. Their business model depends on how do we find these people, how do we get to them? And it’s going to call for a lot of creative ways,...
- 10/20/2021
- by Brian Steinberg and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
George Stephanopoulos has launched a production company for ABC News, with the first two projects to stream on Hulu this month and November.
George Stephanopoulos Productions will produce nonfiction long-form projects that include interviews and investigations across The Walt Disney Co. platforms, including ABC, Disney+, FX, Hulu and National Geographic.
The first, Out of the Shadows: The Man Behind the Steele Dossier, will feature Stephanopoulos’ interview with MI6 spy Christopher Steele. It will begin streaming on Monday on Hulu.
The second, The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland, will feature a look at the FBI’s thwarting of a homegrown terrorist attack. It will start streaming on Hulu on Nov. 1. Jennifer Joseph is executive producer of the production unit, and Eamon McNiff is also an EP on The Informant.
As was reported earlier this year, Stephanopoulos signed a new extended contract that included a production company element. The network...
George Stephanopoulos Productions will produce nonfiction long-form projects that include interviews and investigations across The Walt Disney Co. platforms, including ABC, Disney+, FX, Hulu and National Geographic.
The first, Out of the Shadows: The Man Behind the Steele Dossier, will feature Stephanopoulos’ interview with MI6 spy Christopher Steele. It will begin streaming on Monday on Hulu.
The second, The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland, will feature a look at the FBI’s thwarting of a homegrown terrorist attack. It will start streaming on Hulu on Nov. 1. Jennifer Joseph is executive producer of the production unit, and Eamon McNiff is also an EP on The Informant.
As was reported earlier this year, Stephanopoulos signed a new extended contract that included a production company element. The network...
- 10/14/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
A bevy of big media players are eager to win a growing battle to provide consumers with streaming news, but John Heilemann has a message for them: Don’t count out smaller competitors.
Heilemann’s “The Recount,” a media outlet founded with entrepreneur John Battelle in 2019, is hiring its first chief content officer in a bid to gain new traction with streaming-news aficionados eager for smarter analysis in critical news categories like politics and sports. Ryan Kadro, the former executive producer of “CBS This Morning” and, more recently, head of news programming for the short-form video service Quibi, is taking on the role and will oversee day -to-day editorial production at “The Recount,” which features programming from Heilemann, Jennifer Palmieri and Reena Ninan, among others.
“Ryan has unique experience,” with history in traditional TV news as well as a recent entrepreneurial venture with Quibi, says Heilemann, in a recent interview.
Heilemann’s “The Recount,” a media outlet founded with entrepreneur John Battelle in 2019, is hiring its first chief content officer in a bid to gain new traction with streaming-news aficionados eager for smarter analysis in critical news categories like politics and sports. Ryan Kadro, the former executive producer of “CBS This Morning” and, more recently, head of news programming for the short-form video service Quibi, is taking on the role and will oversee day -to-day editorial production at “The Recount,” which features programming from Heilemann, Jennifer Palmieri and Reena Ninan, among others.
“Ryan has unique experience,” with history in traditional TV news as well as a recent entrepreneurial venture with Quibi, says Heilemann, in a recent interview.
- 10/4/2021
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
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