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Showbiz In France: Sex, Violence, Drugs & Ratings; No Oscar For ‘Blue’; TV Film Ads?
30 June 2013 3:45 PM, PDT
This is the first in a planned series of reports on the people, projects and polemics that have folks buzzing in various overseas territories. Each year following the Cannes Film Festival the French film industry falls into semi-hibernation as execs recover from months of build-up, the box office gives way to Hollywood tentpoles and attention turns to tennis and weeks-long vacations. Some years, it seems like the industry doesn’t even really wake up again until the fall festivals hit. But in this past month since Cannes ended, there’s been quite a bit keeping the industry buzzing. Among the issues are what France’s Oscar entry will be, vagaries at the local ratings board, a renewed push to allow film advertising on television and the fight to preserve the Cultural Exception. France led the charge on the latter, winning in its bid on June 14 to keep the audiovisual business »
- NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor
Hot TV Trailer: ‘Clear History’
30 June 2013 11:00 AM, PDT
Curb Your Enthusiasm fans know how Larry David pines for a serious head of hair. He gets his wish — for a while, at least — in his HBO Films comedy Clear History. Looking a little like Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski, David is a marketing exec at car maker. But an argument with his boss leaves him jobless, and he sells his 10% of the company, just before its worth soars into the billions. A decade later, with a new identity and minus numerous hair follicles, he lands a chance to get even. David co-wrote the telepic, which also stars Bill Hader, Curb and Seinfeld veteran Philip Baker Hall, Jon Hamm, Kate Hudson, Michael Keaton, Danny McBride, Eva Mendes, Amy Ryan and David’s Curb foil J.B. Smoove. It premieres August 10 on HBO. Here’s the trailer: »
- THE DEADLINE TEAM
Would Time Warner Cable Rather Buy Systems Than Sell Itself To John Malone?
30 June 2013 10:27 AM, PDT
Apparently so, according to a Reuters report. The No. 2 cable operator has spoken to Cox and Cablevision about possible deals “in recent months” and continues to be interested in them, the news wire says. Execs recognize that the cable industry is mature and poised for consolidation. But they’re also cool to the idea of combining with Charter, a much smaller company that’s seen as a stalking horse for John Malone after his Liberty Media paid $2.6B for a 27.3% stake. The problem: Charter, which has a market value of $12.5B, likely would have to take on a lot of debt in order to buy Time Warner Cable, valued as $32.7B. And Evercore Partners’ Bryan Kraft notes that TWC’s board might “see selling now as premature if it believes management is righting the ship.” TWC already has rejected Malone’s overtures, leading him to take his case directly to its investors, »
- DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
SAG-aftra Election Coalition Collapses As Roberta Reardon Fails To Push NY Local Prez Aside And Secure Evp Support
29 June 2013 7:39 PM, PDT
Exclusive: It was a SAG-aftra coalition that ultimately wasn’t. Roberta Reardon‘s plan to run for both NY Local President and National Executive Vice President came only after coalition talks collapsed, union sources tell me. NY-based Usan and the current SAG-aftra Co-President’s then-unnamed slate were deep in negotiations to form a powerhouse unit for this year’s union national elections. Those talks included current NY Local President Mike Hodge seeking his post again in this summer’s election and Reardon running for the Evp gig when the SAG-aftra national convention meets in September. Initially Reardon wanted Hodge to step aside as NY Local President. But all the principals involved in the coalition negotiations thought that was a bad idea and agreed that the current NY Local President should seek re-election. The grand alliance splintered and folded when Reardon was unable to secure endorsements from the Usan slate for the Evp job. »
- DOMINIC PATTEN
NBC’s Craig Robinson Comedy Remains In Contention With Cast Options Extension
29 June 2013 11:30 AM, PDT
Updated: Another NBC pilot that narrowly missed the cut to series is staying alive. I’ve learned that the network has extended the options on the entire cast of the untitled Craig Robinson pilot, which I hear also is getting an order for three additional scripts. The project, written by Owen Ellickson, centers around a talented musician (Robinson) who adjusts to his new life as a middle school music teacher, where he maneuvers precocious kids, teacher politics, and the temptations of single moms. The cast of the pilot, from Universal TV, Deedle-Dee Prods and 3 Arts, also includes Larenz Tate, Amanda Lund and Jean Smart. Ellickson is executive producing with Greg Daniels, Tracy Katsky, Gabe Miller and Jonathan Green, who helped rewrite the pilot script, Howard Klein and Mark Schulman. Robinson serves as producer. The Craig Robinson pilot joins fellow NBC/Uni TV comedy pilot Assistance, which recently received an order »
- NELLIE ANDREEVA
‘Glee’s New Class Upped To Series Regulars
29 June 2013 11:20 AM, PDT
A day after downgrading Glee veterans Heather Morris (Brittany), Mark Salling (Puck), Amber Riley (Mercedes) and Harry Shum Jr (Mike), Fox has promoted New Directions’ latest recruits. Melissa Benoist (Marley), Jacob Artist (Jake), Becca Tobin (Kitty), and Blake Jenner (Ryder), and Alex Newell (Wade Aka “Unique”) will anchor the musical dramedy as series regulars. Glee returns for its fifth season in September. »
- THE DEADLINE TEAM
John Mulaney’s NBC Comedy Pilot Eyes Series Pickup At Fox With Script Order
29 June 2013 10:08 AM, PDT
Exclusive: The untitled John Mulaney/Lorne Michaels multi-camera comedy pilot, which missed the cut at NBC last month, has found a new life at Fox. I’ve learned that Fox has ordered a script, described as a quick pass at the script by Mulaney that got a pilot order at NBC. If the network likes the new version, the project will receive a six-episode series order. I hear Fox brass are big fans of Mulaney and were interested in the project with some script and potential cast adjustments. I hear star Mulaney and co-star Martin Short and set to continue, with the future of the other cast members unclear. The cast of project, a young ensemble comedy based loosely on Mulaney’s life, includes Saturday Night Live‘s Mulaney and Nasim Pedrad as well as comedy veterans Short and Elliot Gould. The pilot, from Universal TV and 3 Arts, was in »
- NELLIE ANDREEVA
CBS’ ‘Under The Dome’ Gets DVR Lift In Live + 3; Ties Fox’s ‘The Following’
29 June 2013 9:59 AM, PDT
The Live + 3 results of the premiere of the series from Steven Spielberg and Stephen King didn’t shatter any glass ceilings but it did add a full ratings point to Under The Dome’s pull among Adults 18-49. The dystopian drama rose 30% to a 4.3 from the strong 3.3 L+Sd rating of its June 25 debut. That also ties Under The Dome with the Live + 3 result that the premiere of Fox’s The Following received earlier this year. The Following’s 34% rise from its 3.2 L+Sd rating also came with a heavy “Set Your DVR” campaign by Fox during the lead up to the series’ launch. A tactic that CBS did not repeat with Under The Dome. However, despite its boost, Under The Dome did not hit the high that Revolution received in its Live + 3 debut numbers last year. The NBC dystopian drama garnered a 5.45. Up 33% over the L+Sd of its September 17, 2012 debut, »
- DOMINIC PATTEN
Jayma Mays To Co-Star On Greg Garcia’s New CBS Comedy ‘The Millers’
29 June 2013 9:00 AM, PDT
Glee‘s Jayma Mays is set to co-star opposite Will Arnett, Margo Martindale and Beau Bridges in CBS‘ new comedy series The Millers. The multi-camera show from Greg Garcia centers on Nathan Miller (Arnett), a local roving news reporter. After finally breaks the news of his recent divorce to his parents, Carol (Martindale) and Tom (Bridges), his father is inspired to follow suit and leaves his wife of 43 years. Carol moves in with Will, while Tom moves in with Will’s sister Debbie (Mays) and her husband. Mays replaces Mary Elizabeth Ellis, who played Debbie in the pilot. The role of her husband, played in the pilot by Michael Rapaport, also is being recast. In addition to her regular role on The Millers next season, Mays is expected to do a handful of episodes of Fox’s Glee where she started off as a regular before segueing to recurring last season. »
- NELLIE ANDREEVA
NBC’s ‘Assistance’ Gets Order For 3 More Scripts, Actors’ Options Extended
28 June 2013 6:25 PM, PDT
I hear NBC is keeping comedy pilot Assistance in contention with an order for three more scripts. Additionally, I hear producing studio Universal TV has extended the options on several cast members, including star Krysten Ritter and pilot standout Alfred Molina. Assistance, from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Prods, is based on the play by Leslye Headland, who wrote the adaptation. It centers on an idealistic “working girl” assistant (Ritter) who is pulled between her colleague (“work husband”) and her real-life fiance while trying to manage a demanding (translation: crazy) boss. Related: Josh Bycel & Jonathan Fener Ink Overall Deal With Uni TV, Join ‘Assistance’ As EPs »
- NELLIE ANDREEVA
New Drama Series Hire Producing Directors
28 June 2013 5:39 PM, PDT
As the newly picked-up broadcast series are gearing up for production, they’ve brought in producing directors. Here are some notable hires on new drama series. Jace Alexander will be co-executive producer/director on hot NBC drama The Blacklist. He is with ICM Partners and Fineman Entertainment. Ghost Whisperer creator John Gray will serve in the same capacity on CBS’ Reckless, while Ken Olin will be producing director on Fox’s Sleepy Hollow. Other producing director appointments: Dan Lerner (Lucky 7), Tim Busfield (Mind Games), Sam Hill (Almost Human), Jonas Pate (Believe), Deran Sarafian (Star-Crossed) and Nelson McCormick (Gang Related). Related: 2013-14 Schedule Grid & Top Face-Offs »
- NELLIE ANDREEVA
Emmys: AwardsLine’s Pre-Nom Profiles
28 June 2013 5:06 PM, PDT
There are five AwardsLine Emmy issues scheduled for this year — three have come out ahead of today’s 5 Pm Pt deadline to submit nominations ballots for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, and two more are due in August after the nominations are announced July 18. Here are links to AwardsLine’s stories we’ve posted to keep you satisfied until nomination day. Drama Drama Series Overview At a glance, this list of probable contenders for the drama Emmy will look a lot like last year’s. AMC’s Mad Men and Breaking Bad are back. So are PBS’ Downton Abbey, HBO’s Game Of Thrones and, of course, 2012’s winner, Showtime’s Homeland. But also included among the frontrunners this year — as if the broadcast networks didn’t have a hard enough time getting any noms! — is Netflix’s first entry, House Of Cards. How will the wildcard fare against the cablers? »
- THE DEADLINE TEAM
‘Glee’ Quartet No Longer Regulars
28 June 2013 4:11 PM, PDT
After expanding the cast significantly last season with several new New Directions additions, Fox dramedy Glee is doing some contraction. Heather Morris (Brittany), Mark Salling (Puck), Amber Riley (Mercedes) and Harry Shum Jr (Mike) will no longer be billed as regulars on the show. Salling and Riley join fellow original cast members Dianna Agron and Jayma Mays, who transitioned from a regular to a guest star status at the end of last season. Morris and Shum were promoted in Season 2 and 3, respectively. Riley and Shum already had low episode guarantees last season and only appeared in a handful. Salling had an arc, which came to an end, and Morris’ character graduated and went to MIT, with the actress’ season cut a bit short by her pregnancy. The five will likely still return for occasional guest stints, per TVLine, which had the news of the foursome’s departure, as is the tradition with all Glee alums. »
- NELLIE ANDREEVA
Brian Malarkey Exits ‘The Taste’ As Judge, ABC Seeking Replacement
28 June 2013 3:59 PM, PDT
The Taste will be returning with one less judge next season. While Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson and Ludo Lefebvre are set to come back for another bite, ABC has decided not renew Brian Malarkey’s contract for the cooking competition show, sources tell me. Not that The Taste will be slimming down to a trio. “They are looking to find a new judge to replace him,” an insider says. Said Malarkey in a statement to food blog Eater. “Being a part of ABC’s The Taste was a great experience, especially mentoring one of my chefs all the way to the finish line and taking home the win. I am of course disappointed to part ways and not return for Season 2, but onward and upward! I’m looking forward to pursuing future television projects and continuing to grow our restaurant group, which has had its most successful year to date. »
- DOMINIC PATTEN
No ‘Happy Endings’: Series Over After Three Seasons
28 June 2013 3:43 PM, PDT
ABC‘s comedy Happy Endings is not going to live up to its name but has cemented its cult status with an untimely death. I hear series’ leading studio Sony Pictures TV has ended its efforts to find a new home for the underrated series as it faces the expiration of the cast’s options on Monday. Sony did try hard, starting to explore a possible future for Happy Endings well in advance of ABC’s May decision not to order a fourth season. Cable network USA, which is re-entering the half-hour comedy space this fall with off-network acquisition Modern Family, originally expressed interest in early April. It entered talks with Sony immediately after ABC made the cancellation decision the Friday before upfronts but, three weeks later, the network opted not to proceed with the pickup to focus on its original comedy series. While USA was considered the only real play for Happy Endings, »
- NELLIE ANDREEVA
Deadline Big Media With David Lieberman, Episode 41
28 June 2013 3:40 PM, PDT
Listen to (and share) Episode 41 of our audio podcast Deadline Big Media, With David Lieberman. This week, Deadline’s executive editor talks with host David Bloom about those red-hot cable TV stocks amid speculation about an imminent John Malone mega-deal; what next for Paula Deen’s crumbling media and endorsement empire; continued experiments in premium VOD; and whether broadcasters really should worry about the latest expansions of would-be competitors Aereo and FilmOn. Deadline Big Media, Episode 41 (MP3 format) Deadline Big Media, Episode 41 (MP4a format) The M4A version of this podcast is designed to run on any device using Apple’s iTunes software, and includes enhanced graphics and links to stories and other resources. The MP3 version of this podcast is designed to play on virtually any device capable of playing digital audio. To hear past episodes of Deadline Big Media, go here. You can also hear the podcast »
- DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
Update: Jon Stewart Skype Appearance Gooses ‘Daily Show’ Ratings: Video
28 June 2013 3:33 PM, PDT
Update, 3:33 Pm: The Daily Show got a much-needed goose in its ratings with host Jon Stewart’s Skype appearance last night. More than 1.5 million tuned in — the show’s biggest crowd since June 10, which was the day the show’s Senior British Correspondent John Oliver jumped in to keep the anchor chair warm while Stewart went off to film his flick Rosewater. In between, Daily Show has dipped as low as 908,000 viewers, and as low as 202,000 viewers in the 18-34 demo who are the crack of Madison Avenue. “You’re doing an incredible job,” Stewart told Oliver during his cameo. Previous, Friday Am: Has Jon Stewart been hanging out with Edward Snowden in an underground bunker while he’s on hiatus from The Daily Show? Find out below in the video of Stewart’s Skype chat with John Oliver from Thursday night. The Daily Show got a mini-spike in »
- THE DEADLINE TEAM
Murdoch Vows To Promote Creativity, And Profits, As News Corp Split Becomes Official
28 June 2013 3:12 PM, PDT
Rupert Murdoch‘s business empire started a new chapter at 4:30 Pm Et. The corporate entity that used to house all of his biggest assets became 21st Century Fox. It keeps the main movie and TV properties. Murdoch, who will remain its CEO, calls Fox “a unique force” that will have “a commitment to empowering creative minds and entrepreneurs around the world” — and pay off for shareholders. His newspaper and publishing operations, and several Australian businesses, are part of a new company that inherits the News Corp name. Murdoch — who controls about 40% of the voting shares of both companies — is the chairman. The new CEO, Robert Thomson, says News Corp has “a robust balance sheet and a team of creative, energetic and passionate employees who are determined to make the company a resounding success and to make a positive difference in their communities.” Beginning on Monday, Fox’s two classes »
- DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
Sony And TV Stations See Biggest Gains Among Media Stocks In Q2
28 June 2013 2:15 PM, PDT
Investors who bet on media should have warm memories from Q2. The Dow Jones U.S. Media Index rose 6.0% in the quarter vs. the Standard and Poor’s 500 which was +2.4%. Sony led the Big Media pack with its share price rising 21.8% in the quarter. It was followed by Disney (+11.2%), Viacom (+10.7%), News Corp (+6.8%), CBS (+4.7%), Time Warner (+0.3%), and Comcast (-0.5%). More broadly in media, TV station owners were among the biggest winners led by Sinclair (+44.8%) and Lin (+39.2%). Others that paid off in the quarter include DreamWorks Animation (+35.3%), Pandora (+29.9%), E.W. Scripps (+29.6%), Live Nation (+25.3%), and Best Buy (+23.4%). While most gained, the sector had a hodgepodge of losers including newspaper publisher McClatchy Co (-21.4%), TiVo (-10.8%), Apple (-10.5%), IMAX (-7.0%), AOL (-5.3%), Cinemark (-5.2%), and Discovery (-1.9%). »
- DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
Emmy Q&A With ‘Game Of Thrones’ David Benioff And D.B. Weiss
28 June 2013 12:30 PM, PDT
Taking the reins of a book series with a devoted following can be daunting for any producer. But for Game of Thrones executive producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, the solution to adapting George R.R. Martin’s fantasy bestsellers was to be diehard fans of the source material. Weiss and Benioff also enjoy a fruitful open dialogue with the author, who Weiss says “ultimately understands that we live and breathe this show. Our devotion to it is total. It’s like a cult.” Their ambition also shows in the scope of the HBO series, which Benioff reveals has a budget of “more than $5 million” an episode, making it among the most expensive epic series produced. Deadline: Last time we spoke was when we first revealed you were doing Game Of Thrones for HBO. D.B. Weiss: Yeah, and you remember that whole Sopranos and Middle Earth thing we first said to you, »
- MIKE FLEMING JR
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