AMC will debut the Orphan Black: Echoes drama/thriller series on June 23, with Krysten Ritter in the starring role.

The spinoff series from Emmy Award-winning BBC America series Orphan Black — which starred Tatiana Maslany and aired from 2013-2017 — follows a group of women as they weave their way into other's lives as it takes a deep dive into the exploration of the scientific manipulation of human existence, according to AMC.

Ritter plays a woman with an unimaginable origin story, trying to find her place in the world, AMC said. 

Along with Ritter, Orphan Black: Echoes stars Keeley Hawes, Amanda Fix, Avan Jogia, Rya Kihlstedt and James Hiroyuki Liao.

The series is executive produced by Ritter, Anna Fishko, John Fawcett, David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, Nick Nantell, Kerry Appleyard and Katie O'Connell Marsh.

BBC America gave travel advertisers the biggest bang for the buck last year, according to a report from EDO, which measures the results of ad campaigns.

TV viewers who saw a travel ad during primetime on BBC America were 73% more likely to engage with the brands advertised than the average primetime network, EDO said.

Following BBC America were ESPNU, Fox Business Network, TLC and Lifetime.

The top-performing show was The Food That Built America on the History Channel, delivering more than twice the engagement of the average primetime shows. 

Also providing above-average levels of engagement were Married at First Sight U.K. on Lifetime, Below Deck Adventures on Bravo, Fixer Upper: Welcome Home on HGTV and Homestead Rescue on the Discovery Channel.

EDO also ranked advertisers in the travel industry by ad engagement.

The top airline was Southwest. Southwest’s ads were 50% more effective than the average air travel advertiser in the last year, EDO Said.

Among travel services and websites, Vrbo was the top performer. Vrbo ads were 209% more effective than the category average.

American Cruise Lines had the most effective ads among cruise lines, coming in 400% above average.

Great Wolf Resorts let hotels and resorts, according to EDO. Its ads were eight time more effective than the average ad in the category.

In the car rental and sharing category, Turo’s ads were 3 time more effective than average.

EDO uses share of search as a way to evaluate and predict the effectiveness of advertising for the cruise line category, EDO Found a 90% correlation between a brand’s share of search and its share of market.

Travel was one of the categories hurt most by the COVID pandemic. By the fourth quarter of 2022, EDO noted, ad spending by the travel category had surged past pre-pandemic levels, up 44% compared to the previous year.

“This resurgence coincided with consumer travel reaching pandemic highs in the fall of 2022, signaling a strong return of travel activity after years of depressed or slowly recovering demand,” EDO said in its report.

Peacock’s new mystery series Poker Face and Apple TV Plus’s comedy series Shrinking lead the list of new original series debuting during the last full week of January.

Poker Face, from Knives Out producer Rian Johnson, debuts January 26 and stars Natasha Lyonne as a fugitive card shark who travels the country and solves murders with her unique ability to tell if a person is lying. Also starring in the 10-episode series are Benjamin Bratt, Adrien Brody and Stephanie Hsu. 

Shrinking, produced by Ted Lasso creators Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein, stars Jason Segal as a therapist who takes an unusual approach in treating his patients while dealing with his own grief. Also starring in the Apple TV Plus series, which debuts January 27,  are Harrison Ford — in his first comedy TV series role — as well as Jessica Williams and Christa Miller.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of January 23 to January 29 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

 January 24: How I Met Your Father (returning series) — Hulu

January 25: Extraordinary (comedy) — Hulu

January 26: The 1619 Project (documentary) – Hulu

January 26: Teen Wolf: The Movie (drama) — Paramount Plus

January 27: Lockwood & Co. (fantasy) — Netflix

January 27: Shrinking (comedy) — Apple TV Plus

January 27: You People (comedy) — Netflix

January 28: Frozen Planet II (documentary) — BBC America

Netflix's premiere of former NBC series Manifest and Starz's debut of the classic period drama Dangerous Liaisons highlights the list of show premieres during the first week of November.

Netflix on November 4 will debut the fourth and final season of the supernatural drama series Manifest, which originally aired on NBC. The series, which follows the exploits of passengers on a presumed crashed plane who re-appear after five and a half years, returns for the first of two parts on the streaming service.

Starz on November 6 will launch Dangerous Liaisons, the latest takeoff on the famous 18th century French novel of the same name by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The eight-episode series stars Alice Englert, Lesley Manville, Carice van Houten and Paloma Faith.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of October 31 to November 6 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

October 31 – Inside Man (drama) – Netflix

November 2 – The Independent (drama) – Peacock

November 3 – Blockbuster (comedy) – Netflix

November 3 – The Capture (returning series) – Peacock

November 3 – The Suspect (drama) – Sundance Now

November 4 – Causeway (movie) – Apple TV Plus

November 4 – Enola Holmes 2 (movie) – Netflix

November 4 – The Mosquito Coast (returning series) – Apple TV Plus

November 4 – My Policeman (movie) – Prime Video

November 4 – Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me (documentary) – Apple TV Plus

November 4 – Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (movie) – The Roku Channel

November 5 – Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste (documentary) – Netflix

November 6 – Spector (documentary) –Showtime

Mood (drama) -- BBC America 

The fourth and final season of Killing Eve gets underway Sunday (February 27) on BBC America. Critics have long adored the edgy spy drama about a bored M15 agent, a ruthless assassin and the peculiar attraction they have to one another. 

All eyes are now on Eve to see if it can pull off a fittingly stylish finale. 

Dan McDermott, AMC Networks president of entertainment and AMC Studios, called the final season “a real thrill ride.” The hard part of successfully wrapping, he said, “is really figuring out how to appropriately service both the roles and the actresses and the narratives, to finish with the gigantic thunderclap the show deserves.”

“I feel really positive that the show does it,” McDermott added.

It’s been an eventful lifespan for Killing Eve. The show was created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and has two female characters as the heart of the series — Sandra Oh’s Eve, an intelligence agent, bored behind a desk, and Jodie Comer’s Villanelle, a mercurial assassin. 

An odd thing happened in season one. The premiere on BBC America drew 669,000 total viewers in Nielsen live-plus-three-day ratings and 240,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo. The show grew each week with the finale tallying
1.2 million total viewers, 545,000 in the demo. 

Killing Eve took several bold leaps. For starters, it was created by a woman, run by women and had two female characters sharing center stage. It was a spy drama with a pair of unforgettable characters. “It really flipped the script on suspense-thriller shows and spy shows,” said McDermott, who came on board at AMC Networks in 2020. “It’s such a strong, character-centric approach to telling these stories. So many shows like this are really plot-heavy.”

McDermott describes both Eve and Villanelle as “lightning-in-a-bottle characters.”

The show also cast an Asian actor, Oh, as Eve. Linda Ong, founder and CEO of consultancy Cultique, called it “a maverick move,” as the Eve in the Luke Jennings novellas that inspired the show is not Asian. 

The maverick move went beyond casting. “Eve was presented as an equal opponent to the white Villanelle, rather than the meek, subservient Asian trope we’ve seen for — literally — centuries, juxtaposing their enmity with all of the drama and intrigue of a traditional romantic relationship,” Ong said.

The Eve buzz continued in the second season. Airing on AMC in addition to BBC America, season two averaged 1.7 million total viewers and 675,000 in the 25-54 demo. Season three averaged 1.5 million and 573,000.

Finding the Show’s Voice

Killing Eve also made its mark by featuring a new lead writer each season, and a female one to boot. Season one had Waller-Bridge in that role. Emerald Fennell and Suzanne Heathcote followed, and Laura Neal has the key role for season four. 

The quirky lead-writer approach came to be because Waller-Bridge had to focus on a new season of Fleabag after Killing Eve premiered. “Rather foolishly, we decided to go with a different lead writer every season,” executive producer and showrunner Sally Woodward Gentle said. That amounted to “holding dear the DNA of the show,” she said, “while bringing a slightly different perspective on it.”

The approach has been “refreshing” for the series, Woodward Gentle said. 

Unlike her predecessors, Neal worked on the previous season of Killing Eve and knows the series intimately. “She’s very invested in where we’d left those characters and very excited about where we are moving them off to,” Woodward Gentle said. “She’s brilliant, very bold, takes no prisoners, and understands the particular humor of the show.”

As season four begins, Eve seeks revenge and Villanelle has found a new community to break from her killer past. Woodward Gentle said both are “really trying to take stock of what their lives mean and what they want to do with them.”

So why end the hit show after four seasons? The critical raves have subsided a bit — season one posted a 96% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, season two a 92% and season three an 80% — but the reviews have remained mostly positive. McDermott said AMC Networks would love to keep it going, but the storylines
in season four bring it to what he called “a fitting conclusion.”

“You kind of know when you know,” he said. 

Woodward Gentle said a “continual cat-and-mouse game,” even a clever one, loses its allure over time. 

Making a Killing

Killing Eve’s value to BBC America is hard to quantify. A hit show brings eyeballs to the network’s other programs, elicits honors and awards and entices top-shelf producers and their projects. McDermott said Eve and Villanelle have earned their spot in the AMC Networks hall of fame, alongside the likes of Don Draper and Walter White. 

Breakout shows have those lightning-in-a-bottle characters who take audiences into unique subcultures, McDermott said. They say something about the world we live in. “Killing Eve checks all three boxes,” he said. 

What from AMC Networks has a chance to be the next show to shake up popular culture? McDermott mentioned Dark Winds, about a pair of Navajo police officers on the hunt in 1971, and Moonhaven, about a utopian community on the moon, along with the Anne Rice projects Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches. “In the next 12-18 months, those can put us in the awards conversation all over again,” he said. 

In the meantime, viewers have unseen Eve episodes to enjoy. There are eight in season four, which run on BBC America, AMC and AMC Plus. Ong described the show as “one of the first highly stylized thrillers that defied traditional gender and racial norms.” On top of that, she added, “infusing the male-led spy genre with female and queer desire and sexuality lent a deliciously exoticized take on the ‘cat and mouse’ plot.” ■

Killing Eve stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer face off in the official trailer for the final season of BBC America's Emmy-winning drama series.

The eight-part, fourth and final season of the series, which debuts on February 27, picks up after season three with Oh's character Eve, Comer's character Villanelle and Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) in  very different places, according to the network. Following Eve and Villanelle’s exchange on the bridge, Eve is on a revenge mission, while Villanelle has found a brand-new community in an attempt to prove she’s not a “monster," added BBC America. 

Killing Eve is executive produced by Sally Woodward Gentle, Lee Morris, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Gina Mingacci, Damon Thomas, Laura Neal and Oh.

The fourth and final season of drama Killing Eve begins on BBC America on Sunday, February 27. New episodes stream a week early on AMC Plus and air a day after their BBC America premiere on AMC. Two episodes air on premiere day. 

Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer star. 

Following their exchange on the bridge, Oh’s Eve is on a revenge mission, while Comer’s Villanelle has found a new community in an attempt to prove she’s not a “monster.” Having killed Paul, Carolyn goes to extraordinary lengths to continue to chase down The Twelve and the person that ordered Kenny's hit. “This season follows our extraordinary women, each driven by passion, revenge and obsession, building towards a messy, nuanced and totally glorious series finale,” said BBC America. 

BBC America, AMC and AMC Plus are all part of AMC Networks. 

The show taps a new lead writer every season, with Laura Neal on board for season four. She’s also an executive producer. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emerald Fennell and Suzanne Heathcote previously were lead writers. 

Besides Neal, exec producers are Sally Woodward Gentle, Lee Morris, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Gina Mingacci, Damon Thomas and Sandra Oh.

Killing Eve is produced by Sid Gentle Films Ltd. for BBC America. ■

Top Gear returns to BBC America and AMC Plus Nov. 23, airing in the 10 p.m. ET slot. Hosts Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness are set for their fifth seasons in the roles. 

The trailer shows the trio at the British Grand Prix, has them electric caravanning and going on an international expedition to Iceland. Flintoff tries zorbing, as rolling down a hill inside of a plastic orb is known, and McGuinness pays tribute to legendary stunt performer Eddie Kidd, who was paralyzed in a 1996 accident. 

Top Gear launched in 2002. 

Cars featured in the new season include the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm, McLaren 765LT, Aston Martin V8 Vantage F1 Edition, Chevrolet Corvette, DMC DeLorean, Lamborghini Huracan, Rolls Royce Dawn and Vauxhall Chevette. 

Top Gear is produced by BBC Studios. Clare Pizey and Alex Renton are the executive producers.

BBC America is a joint venture between AMC Networks and BBC Studios. ■

Cable and streaming services will look to scare up viewers during the week leading up to Halloween with several new original horror and sci-fi movies and shows.

Paramount Plus on Oct. 29 will debut a new horror film, Paranormal Activity: Next Of Kin -- the seventh installment in the popular Paranormal Activity movie franchise.

On the sci-fi side, Paramount Plus on Oct. 28 debuts its youth-targeted, animated Star Trek:Prodigy series, the latest project from the storied franchise. 

 Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Oct. 25-Oct. 31 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Oct. 26 -- The Last O.G. (returning series) -- TBS

Oct. 27 -- Hypnotic (psychological horror film) -- Netflix

Oct. 28 -- Hitmen (returning series) -- Peacock

Oct. 28 -- Love Life (returning series) -- HBO Max

Oct. 28 -- Selena + Chef (returning series) -- HBO Max

Oct. 29 -- Army Of Thieves (movie) -- Netflix

Oct. 29 -- Colin In Black & White (drama) -- Netflix

Oct. 29 -- Fairfax (animation) -- Prime Video

Oct. 29 -- Swagger (sports drama) -- Apple TV Plus

Oct. 31 -- Doctor Who (returning series) -- BBC America

BBC America and AMC will take viewers to the far corners of the planet in a new documentary series, Eden: Untamed Planet, debuting July 24.

The six-part series, narrated by Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown) takes a look at the secrets of Earth’s few remaining untouched lands. Isolated from the rest of the world, these areas offer life as nature truly intended, said BBC America.

Read Also: AMC Greenlights 'Dark Winds' Series

AMC and BBC America will simulcast the series, with episodes streaming on AMC Plus after they air, according to AMC.

The series, executive produced by Mark Brownlow, will also reflect on the survival of these rare, precious and unique environments amid the perils of the modern world, said the network.

AMC’s BBC America network is being refreshed with new graphics and proper promos that tell viewers that the channel isn’t British, but "Brit-ish."

The new look launches Sunday, when BBC America will premiere Season 30 of Top Gear.

“We’re excited for BBC America to stand out in a bold new way through our new refreshed brand design” said Kevin Vitale, senior VP, creative and campaign marketing, AMC Networks. “Our acclaimed programming and entire slate will get the wonderfully brilliant, bold, and sharp-witted benefits of being Brit-ish that our audiences have come to know and love.”

A joint venture between AMC Networks and BBC Studio, BBC America features Doctor Who and Killing Eve. Upcoming on June 5 is a new Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty narrated by Bill Nighy. On Saturdays, the network has a Wonderstruck natural history block that will include Attenborough’s Journey and China: Nature’s Ancient Kingdom in May.

“This new refreshed work around our BBC America brand recognizes a British sensibility given a distinctly American twist that allows our unique ‘Brit-ish-ness’ to shine through,” said Blake Callaway, general manager of BBC America. 

Agencies involved in the campaign’s development include strategy work by BigSmall and design by BigStar.

BBC America has set a June day for its Meerkat Manor series reboot, part of the network's spring nature programming lineup, the network said Thursday.

The series, Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty, chronicles the tale of survival revolving around three families of meerkats first revealed in Animal Planet’s Meerkat Manor series, which ran from 2005-2008. AMC Plus will debut the first episode on May 29, one week ahead of its linear premiere.

Also Read: Courtney Thomasma, Matt Graham To Head Streaming Services at AMC

Other series premiering on BBC America include the April 17 premiere of One Wild Day, which follows some of the world’s most extraordinary animals at different moments in the day; Attenborough’s Journey (debuting May 8), which presents a portrait of the famed David Attenborough's broadcasting career; and China: Nature’s Ancient Kingdom (premiering May 15), which looks at the wildlife hidden inside China’s national parks. 

The network will also air a three-day marathon of the network’s celebrated award-winning content beginning April 22 as part of its Earth Day network takeover.

AMC Networks shifted two executives to give its streaming services more management attention as the company pivots its focus  towards its growing direct-to-consumer businesses.

Also Read: AMC Turns a Profit as Streaming Subs Top Targets

Courtney Thomasma was named general manager of AMC Plus, its commercial-free original content product, and Matt Graham was named general manager of AMC’s Sundance Now streaming service. Thomasma is assuming a new post, the Sundance Now position had been vacant.

At the same time, Blake Callaway is adding oversight of the BBC America  his cable network. He continues as executive director of the IFC and Sundance TV. Thomasma had been executive director of BBC America.

Like other programmers, AMC has been building a streaming business as cord-cutting puts financial pressure on the cable TV business. During its fourth-quarter earnings call in February, AMC said it has more than 6 million subscribers to its streaming services, which are targeted to specific genres, and don’t compete with the bigger, broader services like Netflix or Disney Plus. It said it expects to have 9 million paid subscribers by year end.

Also Read: AMC Upfront: Scripted Hits Reach Fans on Linear, Digital

Meanwhile operating income at AMC’s national cable networks fell 7.9% to $143.8 million in the fourth quarter, as revenue dropped 3% to $571.2 million.

Last year, AMC streamlined its network management and downsized its staff by 10% overall, incurring severance costs of $20 million to $30 million.

AMC said Thomasma will report to MIguel Penella, AMC Networks’ president of SVOD, who added oversight of AMC Plus last September. She has been with AMC Networks since 2013. As executive director of BBC America, she oversaw programming including Killing Eve and launched Wonderstruck, a 24-hour block of nature programming on Saturdays.

In addition to being responsible for Acorn TV, Graham will continue as general manager of Acorn TV, another AMC streaming service. He has been GM of Acorn TV since 2014. He will also report to Penella.

With his new responsibilities for BBC America, Callaway will work closely with BBC Studios. Callaway has been with AMC since 2011 and will continue to report to COO Ed Carroll.

“Courtney, Matt and Blake are accomplished leaders who have all made meaningful contributions to the success of our company, particularly through their dynamic oversight of many of our most important brands and businesses,” Carroll said. “We are pleased to recognize their contributions with these expanded roles, as we continue to reorient our company around our targeted streaming services and delivering our high-quality original content to viewers on an expanding array of platforms.”

AMC Networks said it launched AMC Plus on YouTube TV Tuesday, adding to a list of distributors for the premium subscription bundle that includes Comcast, AT&T/DirecTV, Dish Network, Amazon, Apple TV and Roku.

AMC Plus debuted in June with carriage on Comcast and offers new and library content across the company’s networks including all seven seasons of Mad Men, as well as Hell on Wheels, NOS4A2, The Little Drummer Girl, McMafia, Rubicon and Dispatches from Elsewhere. across AMC Network properties including  AMC, BBC America, Shudder, WeTV,  IFC and others. 

In addition to original programming, the subscription service offers network and SVOD content from AMC (including current series from AMC and BBC America, IFC and Sundance anytime) Shudder (original and classic horror uncut and commercial free); IFC Film Unlimited (theatrically released and award-winning titles from IFC Film); Sundance Now (original and exclusive series) and the AMC Plus linear premium channel. AMC Plus will be an add-on to the standard YouTube TV subscription and priced at about $6.99 per month.   

“We are thrilled to make AMC Plus available to YouTube TV subscribers,” AMC Plus general manager Courtney Thomasma said in a press release. “Especially as we head into April, which is one of the biggest months of the year for Shudder as it marks ‘Halfway to Halloween’ with the return of Creepshow and its huge celebration of horror, thriller and supernatural programming, we know new and existing subscribers will appreciate everything AMC Plus has to offer.”

Killing Eve will conclude after its next season, which is its fourth, AMC Networks said. Production is scheduled to start in early summer for the BBC America show, filming in the U.K. and locations across Europe. The eight episodes will air next year. 

AMC Networks and Sid Gentle Films are considering “a number of potential spinoff ideas to extend the show’s iconic universe,” said AMC Networks.  

“Killing Eve exploded in popular culture and attracted a dedicated and committed fan base from its very first episode. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s brilliant adaptation of the source material, the unforgettable characters given life by Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, and the entire cast, along with our partners at Sid Gentle Films, have delivered a one-of-a-kind roller-coaster ride that has taken our breath away,” said Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks. “We could not be more thankful for the extraordinary talents and efforts of everyone involved, particularly Sandra and Jodie, who made Killing Eve much more than a television show. We look forward to what is sure to be an unforgettable final season and to exploring potential extensions of this compelling universe.”

Laura Neal continues the Killing Eve tradition of a new lead writer every season, following Waller-Bridge, Emerald Fennell and Suzanne Heathcote. Neal is also an executive producer on season four.

Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, Fiona Shaw and Kim Bodnia are in the cast. 

“We have been unbelievably blessed to work with extraordinary human beings throughout the life of Killing Eve,” said executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle. “From the magical Phoebe, to the delectable Emerald, Suzanne and now Laura, headed by the superpowers of Sandra, Jodie, Fiona and Kim, and with brilliantly talented directors and crew. No one knew what an adventure we were embarking on and there’s so much more to come. Buckle up!”

Executive producers for the upcoming season are Sally Woodward Gentle, Lee Morris, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Gina Mingacci, Damon Thomas, Laura Neal and Sandra Oh.

“Killing Eve has been one of my greatest experiences and I look forward to diving back into Eve’s remarkable mind soon,” Oh said. “I’m so grateful for all cast and crew who have brought our story to life and to the fans who have joined us and will be back for our exciting and unpredictable fourth and final season.”

“Killing Eve has been the most extraordinary journey and one that I will be forever grateful for,” Comer said. “Thank you to all the fans who’ve supported us throughout and come along for the ride. Although all good things come to an end, it’s not over yet. We aim to make this one to remember!”

Killing Eve is produced by Sid Gentle Films Ltd. for BBC America. ■

Cable networks and streaming services will ring in the new year with several Emmy-winning and nominated returning series. 

On New Year’s Day VH1 will bring back its 2020 Emmy-winning competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race for a 13th season, while Emmy-nominated series Cobra Kai will make its third-season debut on Netflix. The first two seasons of the drama series, based off of The Karate Kid movie franchise, streamed on YouTube.

Also Read: Season 13 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ on VH1 New Year’s Day

History's Vikings series will shift to Prime Video for the drama series' 10 episodes on Dec. 30.

Also Read: Amazon Prime Gets Final Ten Episodes of ‘Vikings’ First

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Dec. 28 to Jan. 3 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Dec. 30 -- Yearly Departed (comedy) -- Prime Video

Dec. 31 -- Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (returning series) -- Netflix

Jan. 1 -- Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (special) -- BBC America

Jan. 1 -- Insomnia (sci-fi) -- Crackle

Jan. 3 -- The Watch (sci-fi/comedy) -- BBC America

The first week of November will feature a relatively light schedule of new scripted and reality shows.

Leading the new scripted show premieres is Showtime's Moonbase 8. The series, premiering Nov. 8, stars Fred Armisen and follows several astronauts as they attempt to qualify for their first lunar mission, said the network.

On the unscripted front, WeTV on Nov. 5 premieres the seventh season of its hit series, Braxton Family Values, which continues to follow the exploits of the musical Braxton sisters.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Nov. 2 to Nov. 8 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Nov. 4 -- The A Word (returning series) -- Sundance

Nov. 5 -- Riviera (returning series) -- Sundance Now

Nov. 5 -- Save Me Too (returning series) -- Peacock

Nov. 5 -- Two Weeks to Live (drama/comedy) -- HBO Max

Nov. 7 -- Behind Every Man (reality) -- OWN

Nov. 7 -- Earth’s Great Seasons (documentary) -- BBC America

Nov. 7 -- Gemusetto (animation) -- Adult Swim

BBC America revealed its premiere plans as part of AMC Networks’ virtual TCA event. Planet Earth: A Celebration begins Aug. 31, airing in BBC America, AMC, IFC and SundanceTV. It highlights eight of the most extraordinary sequences, said BBC America, from the network’s Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II projects. Sir David Attenborough narrates.

Top Gear returns Aug. 30 on BBC America. The team takes a high-altitude voyage from to the Forbidden City of Lo Manthang. Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris host. 

Wonderstruck--Animal Babies begins Sept. 12, offering three films about baby animals growing up in challenging conditions. 

Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones starts Oct. 7. BBC America calls it “the mostly missing eighth serial of the fourth season of Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from April to May 1967, starring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor.”

BBC America will air a holiday special Doctor Who Festive Special: Revolution of the Daleks later this year. 

The Graham Norton Show debuts in the fall, though BBC America did not share a date. 

The Watch begins in January. “The comedic yet thrilling series pits trolls, werewolves, wizards and other improbable heroes against an evil plot to resurrect a great dragon which would lead to the destruction of life as they know it,” said BBC America. 

Simon Allen is behind that original series.

On IFC, season five of Baroness von Sketch Show begins October 14. It will be the final season of the Canadian sketch comedy series.  Baroness von Sketch is created by, written and starring Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne and Jennifer Whalen.

On SundanceTV, season three of The A Word begins November 4. Set in both the Lake District and Manchester, the series looks at a boy with autism and dealing with the divorce of his parents. 

Season three of Deutschland 89, about a spy after the Berlin Wall falls, premieres October 29 on SundanceTV. 

AMC and BBC America veteran Sarah Barnett is stepping down from her position as AMC Networks Entertainment Group president, the company said Thursday.

Barnett, who was named to the position in 2018, will depart after Labor Day, according to AMC. AMC Networks COO Ed Carroll will assume the position on an interim basis.

Barnett joined AMC Networks in 2008 as senior VP of marketing for the Sundance Channel (now SundanceTV) before being named president and general manager of BBC America in 2014.

“This is a year that has confronted us with radical change on multiple fronts,” said Barnett in a statement. “After a lot of consideration – and with a slightly breaking heart – I have decided that it is the right time for me to follow my curiosity and leave things in the very capable hands of the outstanding team at AMC Networks.”

Added Carroll. “Sarah came to AMC Networks more than a decade ago, when we acquired Sundance Channel. She immediately put her stamp on Sundance with fresh, impactful storytelling like Rectify and Top of the Lake which continued when she took the reins of BBC America, growing Orphan Black, the network’s natural history franchises and developing the critical and audience hit Killing Eve. At AMC, she expanded the growing franchise of The Walking Dead while greenlighting new shows including Kevin Can F*** Himself and 61st Street, and she built a strong team to meet the shifting nature of our business. Sarah is one of the most versatile executives I have had the pleasure of working with – expert at programming, branding and team building, all with an eye toward the business of a rapidly changing entertainment landscape. She is also a truly progressive leader. We will miss her at AMC Networks.”

Season three of buzzy drama Killing Eve launched April 12 on BBC America and AMC. The premiere was initially slated for April 26, but the networks moved it up, with Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group, saying “we know how keen people are for great content right now.”

With Phoebe Waller-Bridge as an executive producer, Killing Eve was nominated for the best drama Emmy last year. Season three sees Villanelle, the assassin played by Jodie Comer, and Eve, the former MI6 operative, trying to work past their obsession with each other.

Executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle spoke with Multichannel News senior content producer Michael Malone in late March about the new season, and how the show has made its mark on pop culture. An edited transcript follows.

How has coronavirus complicated things for Killing Eve? The premiere parties haven’t happened. None of the events have happened. They were all meant to happen in New York last week, and some were on hand for April, which aren’t going to happen.

Luckily, we were not filming. We’re in post. I’ve never encountered people working so hard and with such dedication to get something out. It’s extraordinary. I know television isn’t saving lives, but it’s been quite stressful!

Are you surprised by the impact the show has made on pop culture? It’s always surprised me. You always set out to make something that’s good, something that feels original. We’ve always had such strong backing from Sarah Barnett and Nena [Rodrigue, former BBC America executive VP of programming and production] and Gina [Mingacci, former senior VP at BBC America] to really just go for it. I think we all thought it might fly in under the radar — that we’d all love it and it might have a small but passionate audience. We had no idea it would become as popular as it is.

What about the show sets it apart? I really don’t know. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than something that’s really entertaining. Yet it’s got real attitude about it and that started off when Phoebe wrote that first season. She really was engaged by the genre nature of it, as well as the fact that it had women at its core. I don’t think we ever set out to be radical. We just wrote what felt exciting and appropriate and truthful.

Do most viewers connect with Eve or with Villanelle? I think everybody would really like to be Villanelle. They’d like to wake up every morning and not feel fear and see how liberating that is. She just seems to have so much more fun than Eve.

What we really wanted to do with Eve is for her to discover, or rediscover, the brilliance that she had when she was a younger person. All of that sense of opportunity that for most of us gets bashed out of us through disappointment and poor choices — to have that opportunity to rediscover your brilliance is something we wanted to look at with Eve.

Phoebe is being pulled in a million directions. What does she bring to the show these days? She’s always there. She’s always incredibly supporting to the writers if they need a touchstone. Maybe they’re struggling with a certain relationship or how Villanelle would respond or what Eve might do, and she’s there on the end of the phone if they ever need it.

BONUS FIVE

TV shows in your queue? I’m trying to find Succession to finish it as my husband finished it on a flight (remember those?) without me.
All-time top TV shows?Brideshead Revisited, Girls, Succession, Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Destination on your bucket list? If it wasn’t unenvironmentally sound I’d love to visit orangutans. If not, I’m a home girl and am happiest in West Penwith, Cornwall.
Book on your nightstand? Daphne du Maurier’s Vanishing Cornwall.
Favorite podcast? Rather partial to Off Menu.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of April 6 to April 12 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

April 6 -- The Big Show (comedy) -- Netflix

April 6 -- Deadwater Fell (drama) -- Acorn TV

April 7 -- The Last O.G. (returning series) -- TBS

April 8 -- Liar (returning series) -- Sundance

April 9 -- The Good Fight (returning series) -- CBS All Access

April 9 -- Shaq Life (reality series) -- TNT

April 10 -- Brews Brothers (comedy) -- Netflix

April 11 -- The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel (movie) -- Lifetime

April 12 -- Belgravia (drama) -- Epix

April 12 -- Insecure (returning series) -- HBO

April 12 -- Killing Eve (returning series) -- BBC America/AMC

April 12 -- Run (dramedy) -- HBO (RELATED: 'Run' Review)

April 12 -- Willie Nelson: American Outlaw (documentary) --A&E

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of April 6 to April 12 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

April 6 -- The Big Show (comedy) -- Netflix

April 6 -- Deadwater Fell (drama) -- Acorn TV

April 7 -- The Last O.G. (returning series) -- TBS

April 8 -- Liar (returning series) -- Sundance

April 9 -- The Good Fight (returning series) -- CBS All Access

April 9 -- Shaq Life (reality series) -- TNT

April 10 -- Brews Brothers (comedy) -- Netflix

April 11 -- The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel (movie) -- Lifetime

April 12 -- Belgravia (drama) -- Epix

April 12 -- Insecure (returning series) -- HBO

April 12 -- Killing Eve (returning series) -- BBC America/AMC

April 12 -- Run (dramedy) -- HBO

April 12 -- Willie Nelson: American Outlaw (documentary) --A&E

BBC- and ITV-backed SVOD service BritBox has announced that it now has an app for Amazon Fire TV. 

BritBox recently touted 15 million subscribers in the UK, where it competes directly with Netflix. The streaming platform offers shows including Downton Abbey, Top Gear, Happy Valley and Gavin & Stacey. Originals to BritBox include Classic Doctor Who, Cold Feet, Only Fools and Horses, and Shetland. 

Amazon said in early January that it has 40 million active users for its Fire TV worldwide, making it the leading OTT device ecosystem globally. Amazon Fire TV ranks second to Roku in market share in the U.S. 

BritBox was already available on Roku, Apple TV and Google Chromecast OTT devices, as well as a range of smart TVs, PC and Mac computers at britbox.co.uk, and Apple and Android mobile devices.

BBC America has released a Valentine's Day trailer for the third season of its Emmy Award-winning drama series Killing Eve, which debuts April 26. 

The series, which stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, has already been renewed for a fourth season. Season two of the series finished with the highest rate of growth of any returning TV drama since the final season of AMC's Breaking Bad, according to the network. 

 “These two blindingly good actors return for a season that finds both characters somewhere new," said Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios. "What remains the same is that Killing Eve will continue to pull fans along for a ferociously original and heart-pounding ride.”

HBO's Succession was a surprise winner in the best drama series category at the Golden Globes awards Sunday night.

The sophomore series, which stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin, beat out such favorites as Netflix's The Crown, BBC America's Killing Eve and HBO's Big Little Lies, as well as freshman series The Morning Show from Apple TV+. 

Cox also took home the Golden Globe award for best actor in a drama series, topping Kit Harington (Game of Thrones), Rami Malek (Mr. Robot), Tobias Menzies (The Crown) and Billy Porter (Pose) for the statuette. 

BBC America Friday renewed its Emmy-winning drama series Killing Eve for a fourth season in advance of the show's third season debut later this year.

The series, which stars Emmy winner Jodie Comer and Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh, will debut season three later this Spring. New cast members set to appear in the show's third season include Dame Harriet Walter (Succession), Danny Sapani (Harlots), Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones) and Camille Cottin (Call My Agent).

“How could we not have massive confidence in Killing Eve?,” said Sarah Barnett, President, AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios in a statement. “Season three lead writer Suzanne Heathcote takes Eve, Villanelle and Carolyn to places more thrilling, twisted and surprising than ever. Our addicted fans will not be disappointed.”

Killing Eve, based on the on the Codename Villanelle novellas by Luke Jennings, is produced by Sid Gentle Films Ltd. for BBC America. 

Cable networks and streaming services will kick off 2020 with a number of new and returning series.

On tap for New Year’s Day is the return of BBC America’s iconic sci-fi series Doctor Who, while Netflix debuts two original series Messiah and Spinning Out.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting this week on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Jan. 2 -- Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning (documentary) -- Lifetime

Jan. 3 -- Anne With an E (returning series) -- Netflix

Jan. 4 -- Dracula (horror) -- Netflix

Jan. 5 -- Power (returning series) -- Starz

BBC America will kick off the New Year with the return of its action-adventure series, Doctor Who.

Jodie Whittaker returns as Doctor Who, resuming her time-and-space travels with friends Ryan (Tosin Cole), Yasmin (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh), according to the network. 

HBO drew the most 2019 TCA Award nominations while FX’s Pose and Netflix’s Russian Doll topped nominations for individual shows, according to the Television Critics Association.

HBO picked up 15 nominations to lead all cable, broadcast and streaming services, with Netflix following close behind with 14, according to the TCA. FX finished third with eight nods, with Amazon, CBS, PBS, NBC, Showtime, BBC America and Pop TV all garnering multiple nominations.

Dramas Russian Doll and Pose (pictured) each drew four TCA Awards nominations, according to the organization.

The 35th annual TCA Awards will be held Aug. 3 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The full list of TCA nominations is as follows:

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA

Amy Adams, "Sharp Objects" - HBO

Patricia Arquette, "Escape at Dannemora" - Showtime

Christine Baranski, "The Good Fight" - CBS All Access

Jodie Comer, "Killing Eve" - BBC America

Billy Porter, "Pose" - FX

Michelle Williams, "Fosse/Verdon" - FX

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY

Pamela Adlon, "Better Things" - FX

Bill Hader, "Barry" - HBO

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep" - HBO (2014 Winner in Category)

Natasha Lyonne, "Russian Doll" - Netflix

Catherine O'Hara, "Schitt's Creek" - Pop TV

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, "Fleabag" - Amazon

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS AND INFORMATION

"60 Minutes" - CBS 

"America To Me" - Starz

"Leaving Neverland" - HBO

"Our Planet" - Netflix

"The Rachel Maddow Show" - MSNBC

"Surviving R. Kelly" - Lifetime

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY

"The Great British Baking Show" - PBS

"Making It" - NBC

"Nailed It!" - Netflix

"Queer Eye" - Netflix

"Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" - Netflix

"Tidying Up with Marie Kondo" - Netflix

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING

"Arthur" - PBS Kids

"Carmen Sandiego" - Netflix

"Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" - PBS Kids (2016 Winner in Category)

"Muppet Babies" - Disney Junior

"Odd Squad" - PBS Kids

"Sesame Street" - HBO (2018, 2011, 2001 Winner in Category)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN SKETCH/VARIETY SHOWS

"Desus & Mero" - Showtime

"Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" -TBS

"I Think You Should Leave" - Netflix

"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" - HBO (2018 Winner in Category)

"Late Night with Seth Meyers" - NBC

"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" - CBS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIE OR MINISERIES

"Chernobyl" - HBO

"Deadwood: The Movie" - HBO

"Escape at Dannemora" - Showtime

"Fosse/Verdon" - FX

"Sharp Objects" - HBO

"When They See Us" - Netflix

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM

"Dead to Me" - Netflix

"The Other Two" - Comedy Central

"Pose" - FX

"Russian Doll" - Netflix

"Succession" - HBO

"What We Do in the Shadows" - FX

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA

"Better Call Saul" - AMC

"The Good Fight" - CBS All Access

"Homecoming" - Amazon

"Killing Eve" - BBC America

"Pose" - FX

"Succession" - HBO

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY

"Barry" - HBO

"Fleabag" - Amazon

"The Good Place" - NBC (2018 Winner in Category)

"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" - Amazon

"Russian Doll" - Netflix

"Schitt's Creek" - Pop TV

"Veep" - HBO 

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR

"Chernobyl" - HBO

"Fleabag" - Amazon

"Game of Thrones" - HBO 

"Pose" - FX

"Russian Doll" - Netflix

"When They See Us" - Netflix

The Peabody Board of Jurors today named nine entertainment shows and one children's program released during 2018 as award winners, and said Sesame Street would be honored for 50 years of entertaining and educating kids. They will be celebrated as part of the May 18 awards ceremony, as will documentaries that were named earlier. 

Rita Moreno will receive the Peabody Career Achievement Award, and winners in News/Radio & Podcast/Web/Public Service programming will be announced on April 23, completing the Peabody 30. 

The programs announced as Peabody Award winners Thursday are:

Steven Universe from Cartoon Network Studios (Cartoon Network). "On its surface, Rebecca Sugar’s animated series develops a complex mythology centering around the Crystal Gems—“polymorphic sentient rocks” who protect young Steven and his human friends from cosmic threats. But in this earnest fantasy epic and superhero saga, empathy is perhaps the most important superpower, something our real-world human society needs now more than ever."

Barry from HBO Entertainment in association with Alec Berg and Hanarply (HBO). "Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader has built a dark comedy off the unlikely premise of a hitman who really wants to be an actor and earnestly pursues his dream under the guidance of his has-been acting teacher played by Henry Winkler. Even as one of the quirkiest and entertaining series on TV, “Barry” asks serious questions about emotional connection, the nature of violence, and the cost of doing whatever it takes to keep a secret."

Hannah Gadsby: Nanette from Netflix (Netflix). "Comedian Hannah Gadsby makes a major statement about the social costs of laughing at someone, and about what it means to be the brunt of a joke. She brilliantly finds the tragedy in comedy, in the process breaking apart and reconstructing the standup comedy special format. Throughout, she delivers the thunderous message of the destructive power of heteronormativity, toxic masculinity and male sexual violence, and how easily society tolerates each."

Killing Eve, by Sid Gentle Films Ltd. for BBC America (BBC America). "The tense cat-and-mouse spy thriller—serving as a vehicle for amazing performances by Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer—is also a masterful, playful recalibration of the genre, creating room not just for two women at the helm, but also for women’s interests and circumstances in almost every inch of the plot. Like its psychopathic assassin, Villanelle, it is equal parts terrifying, hilarious, slick, playful, and surprisingly soulful."

Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, by Netflix (Netflix). "Hasan Minhaj has created the perfect model for engaging his fellow millennials in contemporary politics and public life. With his trademark high-octane energy, the first Indian-American and Muslim late-night host brings a welcome voice to political entertainment television. He’s also bold and fearless, taking on the ruthless Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman just weeks after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi."

Pose, Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions (FX Networks). "Set in 1980s New York, Pose follows the ongoing rivalry between the established House of Abundance and the upstart House of Evangelista in an honest telling of trans and gay people of color at a critical time in history. Presided over by Billy Porter’s Pray Tell, the competition and its delicious melodrama serves as backdrop for the burgeoning LGBTQ community and family, doing important representational work and storytelling both on and off the ballroom floor."

Random Acts of Flyness, HBO Entertainment in association with A24 and MVMT (HBO). "Breaking the mold of what we think television is and can be, Random Acts of Flyness ponders what it means to be young and black in America and produces a layered, complex experience of wonder, joy, and insight. The series brilliantly assembles black sonic, visual, and literary worlds into a 21st century cut ‘n’ mix of black aesthetic of absurdity, critique, affirmation, and fun. Most importantly, it does so without a preoccupation with white gaze or desire, centering blackness as a complex, productive historical fact and contemporary lived experience rather than a phobic-obsessed reaction to whiteness."

The Americans, Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions (FX Networks). "If a great drama series is judged—at least, in part—by the way its story ends, then The Americans can easily be counted among the best TV shows in history. Over six seasons, the 1980s-set thriller centered on two Soviet spies deeply undercover as middle-class American parents in a Virginia suburb. In 2018, creators brought the acclaimed story to a masterful conclusion, forcing spies Elizabeth and Philip Jennings to make impossible choices as their carefully constructed lives imploded on multiple fronts."

The End of the F***ing World, Clerkenwell Films/Dominic Buchanan Productions for Channel 4 Television and Netflix (Netflix). "Teenage angst collides with dark British humor in this series about a self-identified psychopath and a wily high school rebel who seek adventure outside their boring suburban town. Based on a graphic novel by Charles Forsman, the British-American co-production features deeply funny and moving performances by Jessica Lawther and Alex Barden that capture the confusion of adolescence with intelligence and depth. A wonderfully unorthodox coming-of-age story for 21st century realists and hopeless romantics alike."

The Good Place, Universal Television, Fremulon and 3 Arts Entertainment (NBC). "A Peabody nominee last year, Michael Schur’s fantasy-comedy about the afterlife keeps refusing to follow the formulas of broadcast network sitcoms, constantly renegotiating its format as our favorite contemporary morality play. The energies of Kristin Bell, Ted Danson, Jameela Jamil, and D’Arcy Carden, in particular, keep the show moving with virtuosity in every unexpected laboratory from the Good Place to the Bad Place, the afterlife to the Medium Place, and of course, to Earth."

Of HBO and PBS trailblazing children's show Sesame Street, the Peabody Award organization said: "Conceived by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, Sesame Street premiered in 1969 with wide-eyed optimism and determination to make a difference. Structured on the belief that a children’s TV show could help close an achievement gap in preparation for school, while also teaching about the values of diversity, mutual respect, and empathy, it remains one of the 1960s greatest offerings. Its central messages are about appreciating locality, accepting and valuing difference, and learning how to be a massive bird’s friend when you’re a green trash monster. And yet it teaches these lessons, day in and day out, alongside functional lessons about basic math, spelling, logic, patterns, and a love of music, art, and dance. Sesame Street is also honored for its advocacy role in reminding citizens and politicians why public broadcasting is necessary and valuable, challenging us to make a difference and to be good, caring people while we do so."

Pictured: Bill Hader and Henry Winkler in HBO's Barry.

BBC America will offer a weekly 24-hour block of nature-themed programming on Saturdays beginning in the fourth quarter, the network said during its upfront presentation Monday. 

The “micro network,” dubbed Project Awe, will feature premium nature and wildlife content, including such franchises as Frozen Planet, and Planet Earth, according to network officials. BBC America will transform the look and feel of the channel to reflect the Project Awe brand, which will run every Saturday beginning at 6 am. The block will also serve as the premiere destination for upcoming nature projects One Planet: Seven Worlds, Frozen Planet II and Planet Earth III, according to BBC America.

RELATED: AMC To Launch Third 'Walking Dead' Series 

“As the past, present and future U.S. home to this iconic BBC nature and wildlife programming, we know that epic documentaries about this spellbinding blue planet we all share pulls people from all backgrounds and all ages together in a transcendent way that’s unlike anything else, which is why we have been ‘all in,’ on this groundbreaking programming for many years, and will continue to be for many more to come,” said Sarah Barnett, president of the entertainment networks group for AMC Networks in a statement. “It is a privilege to be a home for experiences that make us feel part of something bigger than ourselves and remind us of our profound connectedness. BBC America's Project Awe is created as a place for audiences to gather together and feel something bigger than themselves.”

In other AMC Networks upfront news, IFC has renewed its original series Documentary Now! for a 53rd season, according to the network. 

AMC also announced a Aug. 12 premiere date for its anthology series The Terror: Infamy, which centers on a series of bizarre deaths that haunt a Japanese-American community, and a young man's journey to understand and combat the malevolent entity responsible. 

Also that day, the network will also return its drama series Lodge 49 for a second season, the network announced. 

IFC will debut its musical sketch comedy show Sherman's Showcase on July 31, while SundanceTV premieres limited original series The Name Of the Rose May 23, season three of comedy Rosehaven June 20; non-fiction series Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter on June 23, and new true crime documentary series No One Saw A Thing on July 31.

AMC has green-lighted a third series in its The Walking Dead universe and is promising advertisers high-rated zombie dramas that will run from the Super Bowl through Thanksgiving.

At its upfront event Monday morning (April 8), AMC Networks also is expected to announce an expansion of its new “The Best Christmas Ever” franchise, which will spill over from AMC to its four other networks — BBC America, SundanceTV, IFC and WE tv — in 2019.

BBC America is reinforcing its status as the exclusive first-window linear home of high-profile BBC nature programming. Discovery has acquired streaming video rights to BBC nature shows and announced plans to start a new direct-to-consumer streaming service. Not to be outdone, BBC America announced Project Awe, which turns the channel on Saturdays for 24 hours into a micro-net dedicated to BBC nature programming including the Planet Earth collection. Project Awe is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter with more than 2,000 hours of programming available.

IFC also said it renewed Documentary Now! for a fourth season.

Shows With Buzz

At its upfront, AMC is aiming to remind advertisers that its networks still offer the kind of buzzy, high-quality programming that brands want to be associated with — something that is getting to be in shorter supply as more original shows shift to streaming services.

The new Walking Dead show is unnamed and few details are available. Sarah Barnett, president of the entertainment networks group for AMC Networks, said the series is being co-created by Scott Gimple, chief content officer for The Walking Dead universe, and Matt Negrete, a longtime Walking Dead writer. Negrete will be the showrunner.

The series will focus on a pair of young women who are coming of age amidst the zombie apocalypse that has turned the world upside down. Barnett said female characters have proved popular as the cast for The Walking Dead has turned over.

Production of 10 episodes of the show will begin this summer in Virginia, with the premiere on AMC expected in 2020.

“On the heels of an incredible ninth season of The Walking Dead and as we approach an anticipated new season of Fear this summer, this is an exciting moment for the Dead franchise, which continues to thrive in a highly competitive environment,” Barnett said. “We are thankful to be working with some of the best creatives in the business to expand this Universe in new and exciting ways for our fans.”

The new zombie program follows the phenomenon of The Walking Dead. Having just completed its ninth season, ratings have been falling for The Walking Dead, but the show remains the most-watched scripted program on cable and second to only NBC’s This is Us in all of TV.

The second zombie show, Fear the Walking Dead, will start its fifth season in June.

With its huge, loyal and engaged audience, The Walking Dead commands premium pricing for AMC. When the show is on the air, AMC generates strong ad sales; in between seasons, revenue drops. Advertisers use the high-rated franchise to launch products and open movies. With the third show available, AMC will be able to meet that demand nearly year-round.

When The Walking Dead wraps up in November, AMC’s Best Christmas Ever stunt will kick in.

Holiday themed programming will air wall to wall on AMC, and the company’s other networks will also present seasonal movies and specials.

Stunting for the Holidays

AMC hopped on the trend of running holiday-themed programming during Christmas season, which has been very successful for Hallmark Channel and Freeform.

In 2018, Best Christmas Ever boosted AMC’s primetime audience among adults 25 to 54 by 86% compared to the previous December. Total-day ratings were up 34%. In addition to generating good ratings, advertisers like being able to put their holiday messages in holiday themed shows.

This year, Best Christmas Ever will begin on Nov. 25 and run through Dec. 25. It will feature films including Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Polar Express and classic specials like The Year Without a Santa Claus, Rudolph’s Shiny New Year and ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.

“Best Christmas Ever was a huge success for AMC. It brought something special to fans of holiday programming and to our advertising partners looking for a safe and family-friendly place to deliver brand and buying messages in December,” Tom Halleen, executive vice president of programming strategy, acquisitions and scheduling for AMC Networks, said.

BBC America will bring back its award-winning drama series Killing Eve on April 7.

Golden Globes award winner Sandra Oh, along with Jodie Comer, return as Eve and Villanelle in this story of two women, bound by a mutual obsession and one brutal act. Killing Eve season two picks up just 30 seconds after the end of season one, according to BBC America

Killing Eve's season two premiere will be simulcast on BBC America and AMC. 

AMC will launch the final episodes for two of its original scripted series Into the Badlands and The Son later this spring, the network said Saturday during its Television Critics Association winter press tour session.

The network’s martial-arts drama Into The Badlands will end its three-season run with its final eight episodes beginning March 24 -- following an episode of The Walking Dead -- before moving into its regular time slot on March 25, said network officials.

The Son, starring Pierce Brosnan, will end after its second season, which launches on April 27, said the network. The Son is produced by AMC Studios and Sonar Entertainment.

The network also announced that it has opened up a writers’ room for a potential new series 61st Street, from Peter Moffat (Criminal Justice, The Night Of,) and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society (David Makes Man).

In other AMC Networks news, BBC America set premiere dates for season 26 of Top Gear (April 25) and Luther (June 2); while IFC will bring back Brockmire for a third season April 3.

BBC America will produce sequels for two of its successful nature-themed franchises, Planet Earth and Frozen Planet.

The eight-episode Planet Earth III, set to air in 2022, will feature new technology -- including robotic cameras, stabilized rigs and deep submersibles -- to take viewers from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, from the darkest caves to the hottest deserts, according to the network.

In Frozen Planet II, the six-part series will continue to explore snowy forests and frozen Arctic oceans around the world and the animals that live there, the network said.

“One of the things we’re most proud of at BBC America is that we’ve established the network as the U.S. destination for the very best nature programming on the planet, from the BBC’s award-winning natural history unit,” said Sarah Barnett, President, Entertainment Networks, for AMC Networks in a statement. “We are delighted to renew our successful partnership with BBC Studios, and to continue to co-produce these groundbreaking series. To bring together audiences for this kind of transcendent event television is a true privilege, we couldn’t be happier to continue to do this for the next five years.” 

Streaming video service Amazon dominated the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday night on the strength of its comedy series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Amazon garnered three SAG Awards in the television category, the most of any cable, broadcast network or streaming service, according to the Screen Actors Guild. Streaming video service Netflix was the only other outlet to notch multiple wins with two.

Amazon was led by comedy series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which swept the comedy category with wins for best comedy ensemble; best female actor (Rachel Brosnahan) and best male actor (Tony Shalhoub).

For Brosnahan, it’s the third award she’s won in the past month for her performance as the lead character in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, following her Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards in the category.

NBC’s drama series This Is Us repeated as the SAG winner in the outstanding ensemble for a drama series category, while Sandra Oh took home the SAG Award for best female actor in a drama series, following her Critics Choice and Golden Globes wins in the same category for her performance in BBC America’s Killing Eve.

The winners of The 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards in the television category:

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel— Amazon 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — Amazon 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:

Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — Amazon 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:

This Is Us — NBC

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:

Sandra Oh, Killing Eve — BBC America

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:

Jason Bateman, Ozark — Netflix

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:

Darren Criss, Assassination of Gianni Versace — FX

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:

Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora — Showtime

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series:

Glow — Netflix 

The Golden Globes highlighted cable and streaming service shows Sunday night, with FX and Netflix leading the way with the most award wins, according to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. 

FX and Netflix tied with three awards apiece during NBC’s live Golden Globes telecast in which the broadcast networks were shut out of winners circle. Amazon was the only other service winning multiple awards with two.

FX’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace won two awards, including best limited TV series or movie. Netflix’s The Kominsky Method also won two awards, including best comedy series, while FX’s The Americans won the best drama television series statuette in its last year of eligibility.

Other Golden Globes highlights include Sandra Oh --who co-hosted the awards telecast with Andy Samberg --winning the best actress in a drama series award for her role in BBC America's Killing Eve.

Also, Darren Criss became the first Filipino American to win a Golden Globe with his starring role in FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace, which won the best performance by an actor in a limited series or motion picture made for television award. 

The Golden Globes winners in the television category are as follows:

Best Television Series, Drama: The Americans

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama: Sandra Oh, Killing Eve

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama: Richard Madden, Bodyguard

Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy: The Kominsky Method

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy: Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy: Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: The Assassination of Gianni Versace

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television: Patricia Arquette, Escape from Dannemora

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television: Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Ben Wishaw, A Very English Scandal

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects

Golden Globes co-host Sandra Oh was the big winner in the best actress in a drama series category.

Oh, who played MI5 officer Eve Polastri in BBC America’s Killing Eve, bested last year’s winner Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) as well as Caitriona Balfe (Outlander), Julia Roberts (Homecoming) and Keri Russell (The Americans) for the coveted statuette. 

BBC America released the official trailer for Doctor Who's upcoming New Year’s special, Resolution.

The special will chronicle the exploits of Doctor Who (Jodie Whittaker), Ryan (Tosin Cole), Graham (Bradley Walsh) and Yaz (Mandip Gill) as they try to thwart a terrifying evil is stirring from across the centuries of Earth’s history, according to BBC America. 

Following the New Year’s special, Doctor Who returns with season twelve in early 2020 on BBC America. Chris Chibnall is showrunner of the hit series from BBC Studios and co-produced by BBC America. 

Complete Coverage: TCA 2018 Summer Press Tour 

PBS has named TV programming veteran Perry Simon as its chief programming executive and general manager, the organization announced Monday (July 30) at the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

Simon, who will begin his new role in September, will oversee all non-children’s programming for PBS, according to Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO.

Most recently Simon served as managing director at Vulcan Productions. Prior to that Simon served as general manager of BBC America, overseeing the channel’s cable and digital platforms.

Simon has also held executive positions at Viacom Productions and broadcast network NBC.

"We had alot of people interested in this job, and we looked for someone who had vision and a leader that understood the changing media environment," Kerger said during the session. "For someone to work at PBS, you have to truly believe in what we do, and we saw that in Perry."

The annual Comic-Con International show commenced July 19 with cable networks and streaming services offering first-look trailers of upcoming series and specials.

Along with executive and talent-based panels, an estimated 100,000 Comic-Con attendees will also be treated to trailers for some of TV’s most popular and successful shows.

A sampling of those videos appear below and will be updated throughout Comic Con International’s four-day run.

Amazon's 'The Man In The High Castle'

IFC's 'Stan Against Evil' 

CBS All-Access -- Star Trek Discovery

Nickelodeon's 'Invader ZIM'

Syfy’s 'Nightflyers'

Nickelodeon’s 'Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'

AMC's 'Better Call Saul'

BBC America’s 'Doctor Who'

AMC’s 'Fear The Walking Dead'

AMC’s 'The Walking Dead'

Jersey Shore Family Vacation has its debut on MTV April 5. Some five-and-a-half years since we last saw the Jersey Shore crew doing their GTL thing — gym, tan, laundry, we know it’s been a while — they are back. Pauly D, JWOWW, Vinny, Snooki and The Situation are among those reuniting in Miami for a dozen episodes.

Wait, they won’t be in Jersey?

“They are Jersey,” said Jacqueline Parkes, chief marketing officer at MTV, VH1 and Logo. “They’re bringing Jersey to Miami.”

Parkes promised a “completely evolved show,” where it depicts the cast “at a new stage of life.” Some have kids. Some have stepped boldly into adulthood.

Some have not. Parkes also promises plenty of the shenanigans that defined Jersey Shore. “The antics are louder and funnier than ever before,” said Parkes.

Reboots have been a mixed bag on television, but Parkes said viewers are ready for the Jersey Shore redo. MTV’s record for trailer views was 7.8 million, she said, with Teen Wolf in 2015, until a Jersey Shore video did 24.4 million. She promises a “global launch,” as the show goes out to 180 countries. “It’s the largest campaign we’ve ever done,” Parkes said.

Striking a decidedly different note, drama Killing Eve, offering “an epic game of cat and mouse” for viewers, premieres on BBC America April 8. Sandra Oh plays a security officer who wants to be a spy. Jodie Comer plays a killer. When a Russian politician is murdered, Oh’s Eve character is tasked with protecting the only witness and finds herself on a collision course with a violent assassin, in Comer’s Villanelle.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, star of Amazon comedy Fleabag, wrote the scripts and is showrunner.

What drew Waller-Bridge to the project? The two women leads, for starters.

“It’s very provocative, gutsy, edgy,” said Sally Woodward Gentle, who executive produces Killing Eve alongside Waller-Bridge. “And it has great clothes.”

Woodward Gentle also noted the “crackling charisma” when Oh and Comer’s characters share the screen.

And it’s got “oodles of humor,” she added, despite Killing Eve’s dark undertones. “Like Fleabag, it’s got these gorgeous vignettes of comedy, where the journey is painfully funny because it is truthful.”

Woodward Gentle said she was drawn to the project after a colleague had dinner with Luke Jennings, who wrote the novellas the series is based on. Jennings’s approach to the stories, she said, felt unique.

What does Woodward Gentle have planned for premiere night? Not a heckuva lot, in fact.

“We’ll be in the U.K.,” she said. “Tucked up in bed.”

AMC Networks reported higher fourth-quarter earnings as benefits from the new tax law helped offset lower income and revenue at its U.S. cable networks.

Net income was $146 million, or $2.33 per share, up from $14 million, or 20 cents a share. The earnings included a $67.9 million benefit from the new corporate tax law. The programmer also gained $11 million by repatriating foreign earnings.

Related: AMC Networks Offers to Buy RLJ Entertainment for $60M

Revenue fell 0.4% to $727 million.

At AMC’s national networks, including AMC, WE tv, Sundance, IFC and BBC America, operating income was down 6.5% to $176 million.

Revenue fell 1.3% to $606 million at the national networks. Distribution revenue was up 6.8% but advertising revenue was down 9.9% to $269 million because of lower delivery of viewers.

Programming and other expenses were up, including a $38 million writeoff for programming assets.

"AMC Networks delivered record financial results in 2017, increasing net revenues and adjusted operating income for the seventh consecutive year since becoming a public company, and generating significant free cash flow that we are using to invest in key strategic initiatives and our networks," said CEO Josh Sapan.

Related: BritBox Crosses 250K Sub Mark

"Our recent distribution deals with the streaming services fuboTV and Philo make AMC Networks available on more virtual MVPDS than any other independent programmer, proving the value of our discrete brands and our desirable, high-quality content,” Sapan said.

“Our owned streaming services Sundance Now and Shudder are seeing healthy subscriber growth and their momentum, coupled with the growth of the other streaming services we have invested in, including Acorn TV, Urban Movie Channel, and the BBC and ITV's Britbox, highlights consumer demand for subscription streaming services with specialized content," he added. "As we continue to evolve and adapt in a world of changing viewer consumption habits, we believe AMC Networks occupies a position of unique strength and are confident that our size, our focus, and our portfolio of assets will enable us to continue to deliver strong financial results to our shareholders."

The most engaging primetime show in the fourth quarter was BBC America’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, according to a new report from research company TVision Insights.

TVision employs computer-vision technology to measure real 24/7 eyes-on-screen attention by its opt-in panel of viewers.

Following Dirk Gently, which recorded a 189.5 attention index, were Travel Channel’s Food Paradise (181.3) and Lifetime’s Dance Moms (179.6).

Related: ESPN Most Valuable Net to Cable Operators: Survey

The most attention-getting shows on broadcast were NBC’s The Wall, with a 138.2 attention index; Fox’s The Mick (134); and CBS’s 9JKL (131.4).

TVision noted that cable shows get higher attention index scores because their audiences are more likely to be composed of viewers who have intentionally sought out niche programming that aligns with their personal interests.

Related: Fox News Leads Cable’s Weekly Ratings Charts

For the full year, the most engaging broadcast shows were NBC's Running Wild With Bear Grylls and Emerald City, CBS’s Me, Myself and I, Fox’s SuperHuman and CBS’s 9JKL.

The top cable shows for the full year were Travel’s Food Paradise, E!’s Botched, AMC’s Turn: Washington’s Spies; Discovery’s Alaskan Bush People: Off the Grid and TLC’s My Big Fat Fabulous Life.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

BBC America will roll out its new original scripted series Killing Eve April 8, the network said during its Television Critics Association winter tour presentation.

The series, based on the Villanelle novellas by Luke Jennings, stars Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy) an Jodie Comer (The White Princess) as two fiercely intelligent women -- a psychopathic assassin and the woman charged with hunting her down.

Read More: MCN's Complete Coverage of #TCA18

Series executive producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge said the Killing Eve offers a rare portrayal of two strong, female leads within a thriller series. “There is something glorious about a woman existing without fear or consequences of her actions," Waller-Bridge said.

The network also previewed its upcoming series Planet Earth: Blue Planet II, which debuts Jan. 20 and will be simulcast across BBC America, AMC, IFC, WE tv and SundanceTV. Blue Planet II narrator Sir David Attenborough said that the series provides an opportunity to show the beauty and majesty of the planet as well as the perils that it faces.

BBC America will step into the professional darts arena this month, airing the first of two worldwide darts tournamentsit has lined up, the network said Tuesday (Dec. 12). 

The World Darts Championship will debut on BBC America Dec. 14, with weekly tournament coverage airing on Dec. 16, 23, and 30. The largest darts tournament in the sport, the championship draws 72 players representing 24 countries, the network said. 

The network will also air the 16-week Premier League Darts beginning Feb. 1. BBCA's coverage will include a combination of live shows and highlights featuring the tournament’s latest action, according to network officials.

“Darts is a fringe sport like no other — it appeals to the obsessive soccer fan, requires the skill of poker and has some of the high entertainment quota of wrestling,” said BBC president Sarah Barnett in a statement. “As home to some of the world’s largest global franchises, adding a unique, world-class sport to BBCA’s fresh and entertaining.”

AMC Networks said Planet Earth: Blue Planet II, the latest installment to the David Attenborough-hosted Planet Earth series, will premiere on Saturday, Jan. 20 (9/8c), on BBC America, AMC, IFC, WE tv and SundanceTV before settling into Saturday nights on BBCA. The simulcast plan was previously announced.

RELATED:The 'Planet Earth: Blue Planet II' Trailer

The nature saga, which has already aired to mass audiences in the United Kingdom, China and other countries, also will premiere day-and-date in Canada on the BBC Earth Channel. This installment of the series will consist of seven episodes plus a making-of episode. 

RELATED: 'Planet Earth II' brings in 2.7 million viewers

Says BBCA: Planet Earth: Blue Planet II takes viewers on a revelatory and magical journey into the mesmerizing world of our oceans – the most undiscovered place on our planet. Our oceans are by turn tempestuous and serene, exquisitely beautiful and bleakly forbidding. They cover 70% of the Earth’s surface and hold 97% of all the water in the world. There is more life in the deep sea than anywhere else on Earth. It is said we know more about the surface of Mars than the depths of our own planet. Our final frontier is the deep ocean – Earth's ‘inner space.’

AMC Networks COO Ed Carroll said in a release: “Planet Earth: Blue Planet II is rare, event television, an extraordinary series we are so proud to launch as a premiere simulcast across all five of our national networks. AMC Networks prides itself on being a premiere destination for extraordinary storytelling in all of its forms, and this remarkable exploration of our natural world from the BBC is storytelling at its finest.”

RELATED: Dish to offer live broadcast of 'Planet Earth II' in 4K

BBC America president Sarah Barnett said in the release: “This next chapter in BBC America’s nature programming franchise is more incredible than anything yet seen, complete with heart-pounding exploration and incredible cinematography. The experience is a magical and transcendent trip into unexplored worlds.”

More than four years in production, the Planet Earth: Blue Planet II teams mounted 125 expeditions, visited 39 countries, and filmed on every continent and across every ocean. They spent over 6,000 hours diving underwater, filming everywhere from familiar shores to the deepest seas, per BBCA. Presented by Attenborough, the series is made by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, co-produced with BBC America, Tencent, WDR, France Télévisions and CCTV9 in partnership with The Open University. 

AMC Networks reported higher profits in the second quarter as revenue rose at its domestic cable networks.

Second-quarter net income rose 34% to $103 million, or $1.54 a share, from $77 million, or $1.05 a share. Revenue rose 3.8% to $711 million.

While revenue was lower than expected, the earnings topped Wall Street forecasts.

“Our financial and operating performance in the second quarter and for the year, thus far, has been strong, and we remain on track to deliver on our full-year total company outlook,” CEO Josh Sapan said.

“The success of our long-term focus on investing in marquee content and in distinctive, vibrant brands that attract passionate and engaged fans is reinforced by our wide distribution on new virtual MVPDs, including most recently YouTube TV,” Sapan said. “We continue to partner with our traditional distributors on innovative initiatives that support the cable ecosystem, including our new AMC Premiere offering to Comcast Xfinity TV customers and our AMC Studios co-production partnership with Charter.”

Operating income at the company’s national networks, including AMC, SundanceTV, IFC and BBC America, was up 11.9% to $211.6 million. Revenue rose 5.6% to $605 million. Distribution revenue rose 7.8% to $359 million. Advertising revenue was up 2.6% to $245 million.

Losses at the company’ s international operations grew to $31 million from $8 million a year ago.

The second-quarter results include the impact of impairment charges of $17 million related to AMCNI-DMC, the company’s Amsterdam-based media-logistics facility.

BBC America has launched an app for Roku players and integrated Roku TVs, a move that comes a few days ahead of the July 30 premiere of Top Gear America.

The authenticated app also provides access to other network series such as Orphan Black,  Doctor Who, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, and upcoming series such as Killing Eve.

Per the app description, users will need their TV Everywhere credentials to gain access, though BBC America does offer some season premieres without a login.

BBC America said it will partner with actress Elisabeth Moss to develop a period mini-series drama Fever, the network said Tuesday.

The series, based on Mary Beth Keane’s novel of the same name, tells the story of the first known carrier of typhoid fever who became known as "Typhoid Mary" as she spread typhoid across the burgeoning metropolis of early twentieth century New York.

Moss, who will star in the Annapurna Television-produced series, will also serve as an executive producer on the project along with Phil Morrison, Robin Veith, Sue Naegle and Megan Ellison, said the network. 

Moss said in a statement: “I look forward to telling this story about one of the most infamous women in America, ‘Typhoid Mary,’ a woman whose true tale has never been told. She was an immigrant in turn of the century New York, a time of huge change and progress in America.  She was incredibly unique, stubborn, ambitious and in fierce denial of any wrongdoing until her death where she lived out her days imprisoned on an island just off of the Bronx in NY. She is incredibly complicated, something I seem to enjoy playing.”