A+E Networks said programming executives Elaine Frontain Bryant and Eli Lehrer are getting expanded roles as Amy Winter and Tanya Lopez leave the company.

Winter was head of programming for Lifetime. In a memo to staff, Winter said that after taking “some time to think about my personal goals,” she decided to look for other opportunities to build businesses and develop content.

Lopez was head of scripted programming for Lifetime. She is getting a production deal with A+E and will continue to package and produce Lifetime Original Movies.

Frontain Bryant, who had been in charge of programming at A&E Network, becomes executive VP and head of programming genres for A&E, Lifetime and LMN. 

Lehrer becomes executive VP and head of The History Channel programming genres and music services.

“Elaine and Eli are proven leaders with unparalleled track records of developing hit franchises and first-in-class content that resonates with viewers and drives the success of our industry-leading brands,” Rob Sharenow, president of programming for A+E Networks, said. “Both executives possess a unique mix of creative prowess, deep relationships in the creative community and an exceptional understanding of the type of content viewers crave. 

“I’m confident Elaine and Eli will continue to elevate these storied brands and drive our future success,“ he added. “Lifetime is fortunate to have Tanya continuing to produce original movies for the brand that she has been instrumental in building through the years.”

Frontain Bryant and Lehrer will report to Sharenow.

“Lifetime has an enviable legacy of powerful storytelling for women and I’m honored to be trusted with spearheading content for one of the most iconic brands in entertainment,” Frontain Bryant said. “I look forward to working with the incredibly talented Lifetime and LMN programming teams to create new, buzz-worthy programming that resonates with our passionate fan base and brings in new audiences.” 

“I look forward to continuing to grow the premium History brand while working to streamline A+E’s music services businesses to better position the company for future growth,” Lehrer said. “I continue to be proud of the success of the History team and look forward to working across the company to drive our music services division.”

A&E Network is coming over the top rope with new seasons of Biography: WWE Legends and WWE Rivals starting February 19.

The shows will run back-to-back on what the network is promoting as “WWE Superstar Sunday.”

The shows are being created as part of an ongoing partnership between A&E and WWE.

In its third season, two-hour episodes of Biography: WWE :Legends will tell the personal stories of some of wrestling’s biggest characters using interviews and archival footage.

The season premiere will feature NWO. Later this season Jake the Snake Roberts, Chyna, Dusty Rhodes, Kane and the Iron Sheik will be among the wrestlers profiled.

Also: A&E, WWE Team for New 'Biography' Specials

Season 2 of WWE Rivals returns with former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. One hour episodes will feature adversaries starting with Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant. Other pairings this season include “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart, Undertaker vs. Mankind, The Rock vs. John Cena, Triple H vs. Batista, Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels.

Biography: WWE Legends and WWE Rivals are produced by WWE for A&E Network. Executive producers for WWE are Kevin Dunn and Chris Kaiser. Executive producers for A&E Network are Elaine Frontain Bryant, Brad Abramson and Jonathan Partridge.

A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights. ■

A&E Network said it will launch Court Night Live, a new series from Big Fish Entertainment that gives viewers a chance to weigh in on the cases being decided, on August 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

The show is hosted by Vinnie Politan of Court TV and Judge Greg Mathis, who has had his own courtroom shows. Retired Judge Vonda Evan will offer analysis.

Also: ViacomCBS Unit Drops 'Live PD' Producer Big Fish

The show will feature live civil cases being tried in pop up courts presided over by judges in Philadelphia, Tampa and Chicago. People agree to have cases heard in these pop up trials because the wait to have civil cases hear can be more than a year.

During the show, the home audience will get a chance to have their voices heard, weighing in on the proceedings in some cases by voting on the verdict via text message.

“Court Night Live will combine the inherent drama of live civil court proceedings with context and expert legal analysis, elevating the traditional court shows that have been a staple of the television landscape for decades,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive VP and head of programming for A&E. “Court Night Live gives viewers a chance to experience public trials live in the virtual courtroom gallery on air.” 

Big Fish is the company behind Live PD and Live Rescue, among other programs. It is owned by MGM. 

Court Night Live is produced for A&E by Big Fish Entertainment. Dan Cesareo, Lucilla D’Agostino and John Zito are executive producers for Big Fish Entertainment. Elaine Frontain Bryant, Shelly Tatro, and Sean Gottlieb are executive producers for A&E. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for Court Night Live.■

A&E and WWE said they will produce more than 130 new hours of WWE-themed programming that will appear exclusively on A&E platforms and be distributed worldwide by A+E Networks under an expanded multi-year deal.

The deal includes 35 new episodes of Biography featuring legendary WWE wrestlers and 24 new episodes of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures. 

A&E has also ordered 40 hours of the new series with the working title WWE Rivals that will tell the story of some of wrestling's most high-profile feuds.

Other program ideas are also in development.

“The collaboration between these two powerhouse brands has already proven to resonate with audiences and we look forward to working together to create premium content with broad appeal,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive VP and head of programming for A&E. “WWE’s incredible fanbase and talent roster are a great complement to A&E’s unique brand of in-depth storytelling that take fans behind the curtain and we are thankful to the entire WWE team for their partnership.” 

The first season of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures was A&E’s most-watched new series of last year.

WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures takes viewers on a journey to find some of WWE’s most iconic, lost memorabilia. In each episode, WWE personalities investigate, negotiate, bid and travel across the country to unearth rare items tied to memorable moments in WWE history.

WWE Legends episodes drove Biography to become A&E’s most-watched series in 2021. 

“A&E is an amazing partner with an impressive lineup of signature series across its networks,” said WWE president Nick Khan. “The expansion of our partnership will allow us to continue creating a massive slate of new content with a trusted partner, while further establishing A&E as a destination for WWE fans for years to come.” ■

A&E Network said it will premiere its documentary series Secrets of Playboy on Jan. 24.

Four years after founder Hugh Hefner’s death, the 10-hour series take an inside look at life inside the Playboy empire, based on interviews with insiders, colleagues, Playmates and employees from all levels of the company.

Director Alexandra Dean also uses archival footage to tell the tale of Hefner’s role in the sexual revolution and dig into stories about sexual assualt, drug abuse, prostitution, suicide and murder that swirled around Playboy.

Among those featured in the series are former Hefner girlfriends Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Sondra Theodore; former Playmates Rebekka Armstrong, Susie Krabacher, Dona Spier, Tylyn John and Cristy Thom and Hefners executive assistant Lisa Loving Barrett, butler Mitch Rosen and valet Stefan Tetenbaum.

Also: Frndly TV Adds A+E Channels to Streaming Video Service

Episodes of Secrets of Playboy will be available on demand on the A&E app and at aetv.com.

Secrets of Playboy is produced by Industrial Media’s The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC) for A&E Network. IPC’s Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Matt Shanfield, and Erin Gamble serve as executive producers along with Alexandra Dean who is the showrunner and director of the series. The series is co-directed by Arlene Nelson. Elaine Frontain Bryant, Brad Abramson, and Dolores Gavin serve as executive producers for A&E. 

A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for Secrets of Playboy. ■

A&E Network said it is bringing back its classic series Cold Case Files and American Justice with new episodes, starting Aug. 20.

Both series are produced by Category 6 Media.

Also Read: A+E Networks Leans Into Linear

“A&E has long been a leader in true crime programming and we are thrilled to bring back two of our original series that defined and shaped the genre,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive VP and head of programming for A&E. “Both Cold Case Files and American Justice were beloved when they first premiered, and with more stories to tell, these new iterations continue their legacy of riveting and powerful storytelling at its finest.” 

Cold Case Files appeared on A&E from 1999 through 2011. A season ran on Netflix in 2017. Bill Kurtis returns as narrator of the show, which investigates unsolved murders.

Also Read: A+E Pitch to Upfront Buyers: Count Older Viewers Too

American Justice ran from 1992 to 2005, also hosted by Kurtis. The new version is narrated by Dennis Haysbert and looks at the criminal justice system.

Cold Case Files is produced by Category 6 Media group for A&E Network with Sharon Scott and Laura Fleury serving as executive producers. Hillary Heath serves as showrunner and executive producer, Grace Miller is co-EP. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Peter Tarshis serve as executive producers for A&E Network. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for Cold Case Files.

American Justice is produced for A&E Network by Category 6 Media group with Sharon Scott, Laura Fleury and Tiff Winton serving as executive producers. Anne Garofalo Paterno serves as showrunner and executive producer, Mary Lively is co-EP. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Peter Tarshis are Executive Producers for A&E. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for American Justice.

A&E Network will produce a new Biography special revolving around female musical group TLC, the network said Thursday. 

The documentary special, Biography: TLC, will chronicle the journey of the top-selling female American female group of all-time, said network executives. The special, which will air in 2021, will document the Atlanta-based TLC group members Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes' journey and survival against all odds, said A&E. 

Roger Ross Williams (The Apollo) will serve as executive producer of the series, said the network. 

“The Biography banner has always focused on telling the stories of remarkable people who have had a major impact on our collective culture,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and Head of Programming, A&E Network in a statement. “As a revolutionary group that broke boundaries and influenced an entire generation, TLC falls directly into that category and we are honored to tell their incredible story as it has never been told before.”

Fox News continued its strong February ratings performance last week, sweeping cable’s primetime and total day charts, according to Nielsen.

Fox News, led by its Feb. 22 coverage of the Nevada caucuses, averaged 3 million viewers in primetime during the week of Feb. 17 to Feb. 23, besting competing cable news network MSNBC which finished second with 2.2 million viewers, said Nielsen. Discovery Communications -owned networks rounded out the top five with HGTV and TLC (tied with 1.1 million viewers) and Discovery Channel (1 million viewers.)

A&E Network (1 million viewers), History (994,000), Hallmark Channel (977,000), CNN (971,000), and TBS Network (966,000), rounded out the top 10 most watched networks for the week.

Fox News’ average 1.7 million viewers on a total day basis for the week was enough to defeat MSNBC, HGTV, CNN, Nickelodeon and A&E Network, according to Nielsen. 

Fox News decimated the cable network field last week with its best weekly primetime ratings performance since the 2016 Elections, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 4.4 million viewers during the week of Feb. 3 to Feb. 9 to blow away its nearest competitor MSNBC, which averaged 1.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen. Fox News also represented the top 35 most-watched shows of the week, led by its Feb. 4 coverage of the State of The Union address, which drew 11 million viewers, said Nielsen.

HGTV, CNN and TLC finished in a tie for third place in primetime with 1.1 million viewers. TNT, Hallmark Channel, A&E Network, and Discovery Channel (all tied with 1 million viewers) along with History (994,000) rounded out the week’s top 10 most watched cable networks in primetime, according to Nielsen.  

On the total day front, Fox News generated its best performance since 2017 with 2.2 million viewers. MSNBC, CNN, HGTV and Hallmark Channel all ranked among the top five most watched networks for the week, said Nielsen.

Fox News kept up its ratings momentum Tuesday, averaging 3.2 million viewers from 6 pm to 1 am for its coverage of the New Hampshire primary. The network’s primetime coverage of the primary drew a record 4.4 million viewers, easily beating out CNN and MSNBC, said Nielsen. 

Fox News finished the first full week of December as the most watched network in primetime and total day, Nielsen said Tuesday.

The news network averaged 2.8 million viewers during the week of Dec. 2 to Dec. 8, besting ESPN’s 2.7 million viewers, reported Nielsen. Fox News was aided by its coverage of the Dec. 4 House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment hearing, for which the network topped all cable coverage during the 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. time period.

Hallmark Channel finished in a tie for third with MSNBC with 1.8 million viewers, followed by A&E Network and TBS with 1 million viewers each. HGTV (981,000 viewers), History (936,000), Discovery Channel (922,000) and Freeform (903,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched cable networks in primetime.

Fox News topped all cable networks on a total day basis for the 48th consecutive week, besting MSNBC, Hallmark Channel, ESPN and CNN, according to Nielsen.

TNT rode its coverage of the NBA Playoffs to a first place primetime ratings finish among cable networks during the month of May, according to Nielsen.

TNT averaged 2.5 million total viewers in primetime during the period of April 29 through May 26 to top all cable networks, said Nielsen. Fox News finished second with 2.3 million, followed by NBA Playoffs-infused ESPN with 1.8 million viewers.

MSNBC fourth with 1.6 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 1.1 million watchers.

USA Network (1.0 million viewers) Hallmark Channel and TBS (tied with 949,000), History (948,000) and A&E (917,000) all finished among the top 10 most watched networks for the month.

Fox News extended its dominance of the monthly total day cable ratings chart to 35 straight wins, according to Nielsen. MSNBC, TNT, ESPN and HGTV also finished among the top five-rated networks in the category. 

Fox News continued its domination of the cable weekly ratings charts, winning both the primetime and total day races for the week of Aug. 13-19, according to Nielsen.

Fox news averaged 2.2 million viewers in primetime last week, easily besting MSNBC’s 1.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen. HGTV and USA Network finished third with 1.3 million viewers, followed by ESPN’s 1.2 million watchers.

History (1.1 million viewers), Discovery Channel and CNN (1 million viewers each), Investigation Discovery (987,000) and A&E network (974,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks in primetime.

Fox News 1.3 million viewers on a total day basis was the most for any cable network for the 32 consecutive week. MSNBC, Nickelodeon, HGTV and Investigation Discovery followed closely behind, according to Nielsen. 

Fox News topped cable’s weekly primetime and total day ratings races during the last week of June, according to Nielsen.

Fox News garnered 2.6 million viewers in primetime for the week of June 25 to July 1, besting second place MSNBC’s 1.5 million viewers, said Nielsen. HGTV finished third with 1.4 million viewers, followed by ESPN’s 1.2 million and TBS And Discovery Channel, which tied for fifth with 1 million viewers.

Investigation Discovery (972,000), Food Network (915,000), History (903,000), and A&E Network (871,000) rounded out the top 10.

Fox News was the most watched cable network on a 24-hour basis for the 25 consecutive week, beating out Nickelodeon, MSNBC, HGTV and Investigation Discovery, said Nielsen. 

Fox News Channel remained in the top spot on the weekly cable ratings front in both primetime and on a total day basis, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 2.9 million viewers in primetime during the week of June 11-17, topping all cable networks for the third straight week, The network’s programming secured the top four telecasts during the week and 17 of the top 25 cable telecasts for the week, according to Nielsen.

MSNBC finished second with 1.7 million viewers, flowed by HGTV (1.4 million), USA Network (1.2 million) and TBS (1.1 million).

CNN and History (tied with 1 million), Investigation Discovery (987,000), Food Network (946,000), Discovery Channel (945,000) and A&E Network (905,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched shows for the week.

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News dominated the field for the 23 consecutive week, topping Nickelodeon, MSNBC, HGTV and Investigation Discovery, according to Nielsen. 

Fox News is heating up cable's weekly summer ratings wars, finishing as the most watched cable network in primetime and total day for the second straight week in the period, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 2.4 million viewers to finish first among all cable networks for the week of June 4 to June 10, according to Nielsen. MSNBC finished second with 1.6 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 1.4 million viewers; USA’s 1.3 million watchers and TBS’s 1.1 million viewers.

CNN, ID and History (1 million); A&E Network (952,000) and Discovery Channel (949,000), rounded out the top 10.

Fox News extended its total day winning streak to 22 weeks averaging 1.3 million viewers for the week. Nickelodeon, MSNBC, HGTV and Investigation Discovery followed closely behind, according to Nielsen. 

After a six-week absence, Fox News returned to the top spot of the weekly cable primetime ratings charts, according to Nielsen.

Fox News averaged 2.2 million viewers for the week of May 28-June 3 to top all cable networks, including last week’s winner ESPN, according to Nielsen.

TNT, who along with ESPN finished as the most watched cable networks in primetime for the last six weeks – mostly due to their respective NBA Playoffs coverage – came in second last week with 2.1 million viewers. HGTV was third with 1.5 million, followed by MSNBC with 1.4 million and USA Network with 1.2 million.

A&E Network, TBS and NBC Sports Network (all tied with 1.1 million viewers), Investigation Discovery (1 million) and Hallmark Channel (931,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks for the week.

Fox News topped the charts on a 24-hour basis for the 21 consecutive week, followed by Nickelodeon, TNT, HGTV and MSNBC, according to Nielsen.

A&E Network will delve into O.J. Simpson’s Las Vegas conviction in a new documentary special premiering Sept. 21.

The special, O.J.: Guilty in Vegas, reveals new details about Simpson’s arrest in 2007 that led to his conviction for armed robbery, according to A&E. The special features previously unreleased tapes including interrogation audio from the case and voicemails from O.J. himself as well as never-before-seen files and exclusive interviews.

This past July Simpson was granted parole and is expected to be released from prison in October. 

O.J.: Guilty in Vegas is produced for A&E Network by Outpost Entertainment in association with Martin Literary Management. Executive producers for the special are  Jodi Flynn, David George, Simon Thomas, Brent Jacoby, Michael Maloy and Sharlene Martin.

Outdoor Channel has purchased the syndication rights to A&E Network hit Duck Dynasty, securing the first six seasons (71 episodes) of the long-running saga of the Robertson family.

Outdoor Channel will begin airing episodes of the show beginning Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. ET.

The deal marks a bit of a return for the Robertsons – they got their television start on Outdoor Channel with the show Duck Commander, and brother Wilie Robertson currently stars on the channel’s Buck CommanderProtectedby Under Armour.

The Robertsons – brothers Phil and Si, along with Phil's sons Willie, Jase and Jep – own and operate the Louisiana-based duck calling business “Duck Commander.” With Willie serving as CEO, the family has turned their signature beards and idiosyncratic personalities into a multimillion dollar business brand and iconic television series. Established in 1973, the company has grown from a “mom-and-pop” operation that creates fabricated duck calls and decoys out of salvaged swamp wood to a multimillion dollar sporting empire.

“We are excited about acquiring the first-run cable syndicated rights for the first six seasons of Duck Dynasty for Outdoor Channel and can’t wait to bring those episodes to our viewers,” said Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks CEO and President Jim Liberatore in a statement. “As with any hugely popular television show that has been syndicated, we know fans of Duck Dynasty will flock to Outdoor Channel to relive the fun that started America’s love of the Robertson family.”

Duck Dynasty is produced for A&E Network by Gurney Productions. Executive producers for Gurney Productions are Deirdre Gurney and Scott Gurney. Executive producers for A&E are Brad Holcman and Laurie Sharpe.

A&E Network will air a reimagining of the Frankenstein myth as part of a six-episode series, the network said Wednesday.

The crime drama series, The Frankenstein Chronicles, takes place in 19th century London and follows a detective on the trail of a killer who assembles human body parts in an effort to bring back the dead, said network officials.

The drama, which stars Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, Legends) is produced by Rainmark Films and distributed by Endemol Shine International.

“The Frankenstein Chronicles uniquely merges classic elements from both the crime and horror genres which pairs perfectly with A&E’s growing scripted slate,” said Elain Frontain Bryant, executive vice president of programming for A&E in a statement.  “We’re excited to be partnering with Endemol Shine to bring this intriguing and sophisticated series to American audiences.”

Dogs of War, a new docuseries where veterans suffering from PTSD are paired with shelter dogs trained to aid in their recoveries, will air this Veterans Day, Nov. 11 at 10 p.m, A&E announced today.

“This series is full of raw, real and intensely emotional moments that don’t often get a spotlight in mainstream media,” said General Manager and Executive Vice President of A&E, David McKillop in a release. “Each veterans’ story of survival is humbling and we are proud to create a series that captures the light at the end of the tunnel for these heroes.”

After the premiere event, the show will then move to Sundays at 10 p.m., starting Nov. 16.

Each hour, a soldier is paired with an adopted shelter dog trained in rehabilitation, to encapture their individual life journeys after combat.

The show is produced by Custom Productions, Inc. and Redtail Media, LLC for A&E. For Custom/Redtail Partners, the executive producers are Steve Stockman, Jared Cotton, Chris Burke and
Peter Logreco. For A&E, Brad Abramson, Fred Grinstein and Laurie Sharpe serve as executive producers.