Lifetime will look to court Black women with the debut Saturday (August 17) of its romantic-themed film, Tempted by Love — part of the network’s new “Terry McMillan Presents” lineup of romance-themed films. 

The female-skewing network’s partnership with the best-selling author McMillan, whose novels How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting To Exhale became hit films, will also debut the Taye Diggs/Meagan Good-produced film Forever on August 21, according to Lifetime executives.   

Lifetime, LMN and A&E executive VP, head of programming Elaine Frontain Bryant spoke to Multichannel News about the Terry McMillan Presents banner and the network’s overall outreach to Black female viewers, who represented 32% of Lifetime’s original movie audience over the past 12 months, according to Nielsen live-plus-3-day ratings. Here’s an edited transcript of that conversation.  

MCN: What prompted Lifetime to create a movie partnership with author Terry McMillan? 

Elaine Frontain Bryant: Terry just has a way of telling stories about women that we know will resonate with our audience. When you look at Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, we thought she would be the best partner to help us get into the Black romance movie genre. We had previously made a movie from a book of hers called A Day Late and a Dollar Short, starring Whoopi Goldberg, so we thought it was an incredible opportunity to work with her. There aren’t that many writers whose biggest books turned into big movies. It’s really fitting the romantic vibe Lifetime is trying to create.

MCN: How much input does Terry McMillian have in the creation and development of the movies under the partnership?

EFB: While these are not her original stories, we definitely collaborated with her about what movies would fit the partnership. She had to sign off on all of them to make sure that it felt correct for her and with her brand. 

MCN: You mentioned the Black romance movie genre. Why is that a focus for Lifetime? 

EFB: We know that we have a strong, passionate, Black female audience that comes to a lot of our movies. Oftentimes, those movies are thrillers, so with this franchise we're really just trying to make sure that we expand our offerings. Also, our biopics are super strong and we had some real success with our Mary J. Blige-inspired romance-themed films a year ago. When you put a Terry McMillan on the top of that, it’s just icing on the cake. We just thought it was just a perfect time to try to do this, and we're going to give this audience more of what they want from us.

MCN: Do you have a sense as to how many movies you want to create under the “Terry McMillian Presents” banner over the next year? 

EFB: We don’t have that yet. We have a few things in development and we’re hopeful, but we’re waiting to see how this goes to make more of a plan. Certainly, if this goes gangbusters, we’ll have much more rapid conversations. 

Lifetime this year marks its 40th anniversary with a continued focus on operating as the premier programming destination for women. Leading the network’s charge is senior VP of unscripted development and programming Brie Miranda Bryant, who has developed several successful and buzzworthy documentaries showcasing high-profile personalities while shining a light on important, women-centric social issues. 

Since joining Lifetime in 2017, Bryant has served as executive producer of such culturally-defining documentaries as the 2019 Emmy Award-nominated series Surviving R. Kelly, exposing violence against women and reaching more than 26 million viewers, and Where Is Wendy Williams?, this year’s docuseries about the controversial former talk-show host’s attempted return to TV amid physical and mental obstacles. 

This month, Bryant will oversee the launch of The Life & Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, in recognition of the 30th anniversary of her infamous death and in collaboration with the National Domestic Abuse Hotline. The network also plans several public service announcements for its “Stop Violence Against Women” initiative during the two-night event. 

As Lifetime celebrates four decades on the air, Bryant spoke to B+C Multichannel News senior content producer, programming R. Thomas Umstead about the A+E Networks-owned network’s commitment to serving its target audience amid a crowded television marketplace. An edited transcript follows.  

Why is it significant for you and the Lifetime brand to profile the stories of high-profile women? It’s always an honor to feature real stories about high-profile women. At Lifetime, we also make a concerted effort to amplify the voices of lesser-known women, as we find their stories to be equal in value.

Are you surprised that Lifetime shows such as Where Is Wendy Williams? and Surviving R. Kelly have become such cultural touchpoints that extend beyond the subjects that are profiled? I am floored. It’s completely unimaginable how many people both projects have affected and inspired. It’s a privilege to have worked on them. 

How important is it to you for Lifetime to support organizations dealing with such women’s issues as domestic violence, mental health and breast cancer? We try to be a genuine reflection of the everyday challenges women encounter. As most of our stories are rooted in the real lives of real women, all of these issues are a natural reflection of what women face every day. Inspiring change through entertainment is very powerful.

How does inclusion in front of and behind the camera factor into Lifetime’s overall programming strategy? It is paramount. Diversity in our subjects, their stories and our approach — in front and behind the camera — are paramount to our programming strategy. We cannot be successful otherwise.

How does Lifetime continue to remain relevant in a very crowded television marketplace?  Our team continues to look for really remarkable women with extremely compelling stories to tell. When we find them, we work on creating the most authentic vehicles with which to tell those stories. We’re sticking to that — and it’s been working well. 

Lifetime will mark the 30th anniversary of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson with a two-night documentary set to air in June. 

The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson will air June 1 and June 2 and will look to give a voice to the ex-wife of football star/actor O.J. Simpson in an effort to shed new light on her life and tragic death, according to Lifetime.

The documentary will feature 50 participants as well as exclusive home videos and interviews as it reveals "shocking" new details in the tragic story, said Lifetime. Brown, along with friend Ron Goldman, was murdered in 1994. O.J. Simpson, her ex-husband, was arrested, tried and eventually acquitted for the crimes in what has been referred to as “the trial of the century.” 

Simpson died in April at age 76.

As part of the documentary, Lifetime is collaborating with National Domestic Abuse Hotline, and providing vital assistance to the organization to take on even more calls, according to the network.

The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson is produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, with Jesse Daniels, Melissa Moore, Rit Saraswat, Brie Miranda Bryant, Kim Chessler, and Julie Pizzi serving as executive producers.

Lifetime’s two-night documentary special Where Is Wendy Williams? Drew 1.2 million viewers on the network in Nielsen live-plus- 3-day ratings and more than 6 million viewers across linear and digital platforms, according to Nielsen numbers provided by Lifetime.

The controversial documentary, which debuted on February 24 and focused on the troubled life of the television personality during the period after her iconic talk show ended and she was placed under financial guardianship, was its most-watched nonfiction program in two years since The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Lifetime said.

Where is Wendy Williams? averaged 6.2 million viewers across linear and digital services to date, and was the top trending TV program in total social interactions on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube during its February 24 premiere, said Lifetime. 

Lifetime’s airing of the documentary came after a New York appeals court on February 23 ruled against a temporary restraining order the Williams’ legal guardian filed against Lifetime the day prior in an attempt to stop the documentary from airing. 

Lifetime tomorrow (February 24) will go ahead with its premiere of the Where is Wendy Williams?” documentary series after a New York Appeals Court Friday ruled against a lawsuit filed by Williams’ guardian attempting to stop the show from airing, according to published reports. 

“Lifetime appeared in court today, and the documentary Where is Wendy Williams? will air this weekend as planned,” the network said in a statement.

The legal guardian for Williams Thursday filed suit against A+E Networks, the parent company of Lifetime, in New York State court asking for a temporary restraining order stopping Lifetime from airing the documentary. The documents revolving around the lawsuit were under seal and did not reveal further details, according to reports. 

The lawsuit was filed hours after Williams' medical team announced in a press release that Williams was diagnosed with progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, which affects her language, communication abilities and cognitive functions. 

The two-night documentary series, executive produced by Williams, follows the former talk show host over the past two years as she sought to reclaim her life and legacy despite facing health issues and personal turbulence, according to the network. The Wendy Williams talk show ended in 2022.

Lifetime will look to celebrate its 40th year anniversary with original series, specials and documentaries that will be undeniably and unabashedly female-focused, according to the network’s executive VP and head of programming Elaine Frontian Bryant. 

Bryant, who took over Lifetime programming duties this past summer, said the network in 2024 will build on its diverse lineup of original programming, which includes bio-movies and unscripted content as well as drama and true-crime films. She said the network’s recently announced partnership with acclaimed author Terry McMillian to produce movies from McMillian’s collection of well-known romance novels will add another element to the network’s content portfolio. 

Lifetime previously worked with McMillian — best known for her novels turned hit films How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting to Exhale — on a 2014 original movie A Day Late and a Dollar Short, which starred Whoopi Goldberg, Mekhi Phifer, Anika Noni Rose, Kimberly Elise, Tichina Arnold and Ving Rhames.

“Lifetime offers amazing, undeniable stories told through access-driven storytelling by and about women,” Bryant told Multichannel News in an interview at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, California. “There’s not just one facet to storytelling for women, and I think at Lifetime we’re tackling them all.”

The McMillian partnership comes on the heels of the network’s announcement of a two-night original docu-series, Where is Wendy Williams?, focusing on the former talk show host’s comeback journey to reclaim her life and legacy despite facing health issues and personal turbulence, said the network. The four-and-a-half-hour series debuts February 24 and 25, the network said. 

“We want to continue to tell our stories with our own voices,” Bryant said. “We want to make sure we have authentic storytelling from a women’s point of view.”

A+E Networks’ Lifetime this year gave 11 military spouses this year’s “Gift of a Lifetime,” treating them to a day of pampering and glamor.

Gift of a Lifetime is the network’s annual initiative that picks a single deserving woman and thanks her for her selflessness during the year.

This year, working with the nonprofit Blue Star Families and DirecTV, a whole squad was honored.

On their special day, the women were treated to a festive tea, got their hair and makeup done and put on designer gowns to hit a red carpet staffed with stars of Lifetime’s “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” holiday movies.

At the end of the day, each Blue Star spouse got a gift basket to thank them for their dedication and resiliency.

Hairroin Salon provided hair services. LuxAnthropy provided outfits for the spouses. Gifts were provided by Ninth House Films, Bag Smart, Cameron Hughes Wines, Dearfoams, Dine Brands, In Good Taste, Kendra Scott, Rumpl, Sephora, Simple Modern, Target and WanderFull. 

The event at the Maybourne in Beverly Hills was produced by Rheefined Company.

The event was filmed and will be shown on Lifetime and across the network’s social and digital platforms.

BET Plus leads the list of networks and streaming services delivering holiday TV movie cheer to viewers during the 12 days before Christmas as programmers tie a bow around a robust lineup of original holiday programming that launched in October. 

BET Plus over the next two weeks will distribute the final three movies of its slate of 12 original holiday films and specials that featured several high-profile celebrities and producers, including Jasmine Guy, Tamar Braxton, Vivica A. Fox, Debbie Allen, Tichina Arnold, Jackee Harry, and Michael Colyar, according to BET Plus officials. 

BET Plus VP of content programming, strategy and original movies Marvin Neil said holiday programming has become a yearly staple for the four-year-old African American-targeted streaming service as it looks to offer more family fare.

“The holiday season is about families and togetherness, and I feel like that’s an opportunity that’s been taken up by major networks for decades,” Neil said. “The problem is major networks weren’t really showcasing the black holiday experience the way we felt we deserved, so we were very intentional about really targeting the holiday season as a moment to tell relatable stories for our viewers and for a broader audience.” 

Neil said the appeal of original holiday content attracted actors, directors and writers of color to the streaming service. On the docket for BET Plus holiday films premiering through Christmas are films starring actress/producer Robin Givens (Christmas Rescue); musicians MC Lyte and Tank (Favorite Son Christmas); and actress/singer Kandi Burruss (Whatever It Takes).

Holiday Movie Sampler

A partial list of remaining holiday-themed movies debuting on linear networks and streaming services, along with their premiere dates:

December 14

• Heaven Down Here (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
• Christmas Rescue (BET Plus)
• Favorite Son Christmas (BET Plus)

December 15

• The Secret Gift of Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

December 16

• Designing Christmas With You (Great American Family)
• Sealed With a List (Hallmark Channel)
• The Holiday Proposal Plan (Lifetime)
• The Christmas Detective (OWN)
• A Christmas Intern (Lifetime)

December 17

• Dial S for Santa (UPtv)
• Merry Magic Christmas (Lifetime)
• 12 Games of Christmas (Great American Family)
• Friends and Family Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

December 21

• Miracle in Bethlehem, PA (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
• Whatever It Takes (BET Plus)
• The Christmas Break (Fox)

December 23

• A Royal Christmas Holiday (Great American Family)
• Mom’s Christmas Boyfriend (Lifetime)
• Christmas Revisited (OWN)

December 24

• A Christmas Letter (UPtv)

A+E Networks is looking to liven up its traditional cable TV channels with live cut-ins during primetime.

Last month, A+E’s A&E Network started airing live Thursday night cut-ins during Crack the Case featuring Tony Harris, the journalist and host of History’s The Proof Is Out There. The segments are designed to appeal to fans of A&E’s crime and investigative programming.

This week, Harris will also begin appearing in UnXplained Now segments on Fridays that tie into History Channel’s programming about paranormal phenomena.

Starting October 4, Keshia Knight Pulliam will appear in special segments with live polling Wednesday nights tied to Lifetime’s Married at First Sight, a show with a devoted following. Knight Pulliam has already been appearing in Married at First Sight: After Party, which recaps the series and returns next month (October 18) after the season premiere of Married at First Sight on October 11.

“We really value the linear platform and we want to keep it as fresh and healthy as possible,” Rob Sharenow, president of programming at A+E Networks, told Broadcasting+Cable.

“We were looking for creative ways to engage the audience,” Sharenow said. “We all kind of fell in love with this as a way to super-serve fans and really differentiate us in the marketplace by doing something that others aren’t.”

 The segments are shot at A+E’s studios by its production unit, which enabled the company to get the segments up and running quickly. Most are televised live, but some of Knight Pulliam’s segments are recorded when she has other commitments.

The segments air live to give viewers a reason to tune in real time rather than watching on-demand or playing the show back on a DVR, creating an experience that you’ll have to be there for or you’ll miss it.

“That’s one of the things that has been challenging for all broadcast platforms and this is one of the ways we’re sweetening the pot for our core fans,” he said.

The segments are also designed to boost length of tune, keep viewers during commercial breaks and build community among A+E audiences.

“People have responded to it right out of the gate,” Sharehow said. “We’ve seen great retention and growth out of the segments on A&E, something we weren’t expecting to see so quickly.”

Tailored for Each Network

Each network has its own unique approach to the live cut-in idea, tailored to genres in which their viewers are already interested.

“It’s making our linear unique and fresh,“ Sharenow said. ”It’s also a great fan engagement tool.” 

The segments can be interactive. They have polls, ask viewers to help solve cases and urge them to send in evidence of supernatural activity to UnXplained Now.

“The timing couldn’t be better because there are so many stories breaking about UFO investigations,” Sharenow said. “The segments keep the viewer and lover of that content current while they’re consumer the shows they love in and around that subject.”

The timing also couldn’t be better for A+E’s distributor partners, who have watched most programmers remove their best content from their linear channels in order to grow their direct-to-consumer streaming services.

“We’re very careful about making sure that our premier content is first and foremost for our linear audiences,” Sharenow said. ”That’s where we are all very aligned with our affiliate and advertising partners in this mission.

“Making this kind of effort harmonizes with what they want to see,” he said. “We want to make sure they’re valuing our platform and this is viewed a positive, something that is really unique to their environment.”

Eventually, the live segments could be sponsored, but A+E hasn’t gone down that road yet. “We see this as content and I wouldn't shut the door on them becoming their own pieces of content,” Sharenow said.

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.”

Lifetime will continue its Seven Deadly Sins movie anthology franchise Saturday (April 8) with its latest film, Pride.

The film, produced by Bishop T.D. Jakes, stars Grammy-winning R&B singer Stephanie Mills as an aging bakery owner and reality TV star whose pride and past secrets threaten the enormous success she has achieved, according to Lifetime. 

Along with Mills, Pride: A Seven Deadly Sins Story stars Thomas Miles, Erica Atkins and Keeya King.  

Pride is the fifth movie of Lifetime's Seven Deadly Sins franchise – inspired by novels from author Victoria Christopher Murray – following Lust, Envy, Wrath and Greed. Thus far the franchise has attracted nearly 7 million viewers since its launch in 2022, according to the network.

“From a performance perspective the Seven Deadly Sins franchise has been extremely successful, and Pride is a continuation of the anthology,” Jakes told Multichannel News. “The Seven Deadly Sins concept fits very well with the network – they do not shy away from complicated, dramatic stories. It really fits their brand and our brand as well.” 

For Mills, best known in an acting role for her performance as Dorothy in 1970s Broadway musical The Wiz, the movie and the Seven Deadly Sins franchise offers value-themed content not regularly seen on the small screen. “We live in a content, fast food world and not a substance world, especially with social media ... so I hope that Pride captivates the audience,” she said.  

Pride co-executive producer Shaun Robinson added that the series reflects an opportunity to create content that not only entertains but also carries a message for viewers. Robinson, who also hosts TLC's reality series 90-Day Fiancé, added she hopes to finish the franchise with the final two sins, gluttony and sloth.

“When you put movies together like this you first want them to be entertaining, but also with the films being tied to the morality tales of the Seven Deadly Sins, at the end of the movie we would like people to be able to really think about and examine the effects of certain behavior,” she said. 

Jakes, who has also produced such theatrical films as Jumping The Broom, Sparkle and A Dog’s Way Home, also said he hopes to continue to work with Lifetime to produce content that showcases Black characters and storylines. 

“There is a great affinity in the Black community to produce content where we can tell our own stories and narratives, and we’re grateful that Lifetime has created the platform to allow African-American actors and producers to have a stage to share our talents not only for the Black community but with the rest of the world,” he said. 

Lifetime and A&E will chronicle the career of 1990’s top-selling female R&B trio TLC in a new documentary airing June 3.

Lifetime and A&E will simulcast the premiere of the two-hour documentary, TLC Forever, which looks at the lives and careers of the Atlanta-based group’s members, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes as they broke boundaries, influenced an entire generation and survived against all odds, according to network officials.

Surviving group members Watkins and Thomas will discuss the group’s journey along with other music industry colleagues. TLC sold more than 85 million records worldwide and won more than 35 major awards including four Grammy Awards, according to the network.

The TLC Forever documentary is the latest music project for Lifetime, which last month announced a Janet Jackson: Family First documentary following the Grammy-winning singer debuting later this year.

The A+E Networks will team with a bevy of top celebrities including Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Janet Jackson and Anthony Anderson for major television projects, the company announced Wednesday during its upfront presentation.

History Channel will partner with Costner on a new eight-episode series The West, which will capture the diverse, complex character and untold stories that defined the “Wild West” and that continue to shape our country today, according to the network.

Also: A+E Promises Advertisers at Upfront It Will Deliver Peak Content 

Freeman will helm the upcoming documentary Black Patriots: The 761st Battalion, which will tell the true story of the 761st Tank Battalion, the first Black tank unit to serve in combat during WWII. Bradley Cooper will executive produce FDR, a three-night documentary debuting on Memorial Day that will provide a portrait of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The network is also developing projects with Dan Aykroyd and Michael Imperioli.

Lifetime will again partner with Janet Jackson on a new documentary airing on both Lifetime and A&E that focus on her new concert tour and reunion with the Jacksons, said the network. Also simulcasting on both networks is TLC Forever, a documentary celebrating one of the top-selling female groups of all time. 

A&E will follow actors Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer on a new 10-episode documentary series, Kings of BBQ, in which the two actors will work together to build their own barbeque product empire.

"Our goal within this media evolution is to meet audiences wherever and however  they consumer content, by working with great worldwide storytellers to develop and execute their vision," A+E Networks Group President and Chairman Paul Buccieri said in a statement. "Over the last four years, we have been on a journey to expand our production capabilities in both scripted and factual, and we've established key relationships in the talent management space as well as continued creating compelling content across our brands to further meet the needs of our valued partners and viewers." ■ 

Lifetime will conclude its Emmy-nominated documentary series Surviving R. Kelly with a two-night event debuting in January.

Surviving R: Kelly: The Final Chapter will air on consecutive nights beginning January 2,  and will focus on the fall out of the R&B singer’s crimes as he faces multiple federal and state trials, according to the network. The original 2019 documentary series Surviving R. Kelly series – and a second series, Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning which debuted in 2020 – chronicled sexual abuse allegations against singer.

Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter will feature over 60 voices and testimonials as it brings the saga to a conclusion, said network officials. The last episode features the survivors sharing their victim impact statements as they hear the final verdict against R. Kelly.

The Lifetime series is produced by Joel Karsberg, Tamra Simmons, Jesse Daniels, Maria Pepin and Brie Miranda Bryant.■ 

Content Spotlight is a podcast from Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable that looks at new and returning television series through the eyes of the show’s stars and creators.

Multichannel News’ Senior Content Producer, Programming R. Thomas Umstead recently spoke to multiple Grammy Award-winning Gospel music artist Kirk Franklin about Lifetime’s December 10 holiday film Kirk Franklin's The Night Before Christmas, in which he serves as executive producer and writer/producer of several original songs in the film.

Franklin talks about the movie -- which stars Naturi Naughton (Power) and follows an estranged mother and daughter who find the Christmas spirit while stranded in a church on Christmas Eve -- as well as his future television aspirations.

Also: Cable Nets, Streamers Ramp Up Holiday Films Lineup Leading Into Christmas

Cable networks and streaming services are entering the last phase of its nearly three-month run of original holiday films, with more than 50 movies scheduled to debut over the next 25 days from such cable services as Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, VH1, Great American Family and UPtv as well as streaming services BET Plus, HBO Max and Shudder.

Below is a partial list of remaining holiday-themed movies debuting on cable and streaming services, along with their premiere dates.

December 1 

Rolling into Christmas (BET Plus)

Serving Up the Holidays (Lifetime)

A Hollywood Christmas (HBO Max)

December 2 

Christmas with the Campbells (AMC Plus)

A Big Fat Family Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

Cloudy With a Chance of Christmas (Lifetime)

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (Netflix)

Christmas in the Wilds (Uptv)

December 3

Christmas on Candy Cane Lane (Great American Family)

A Fabled Holiday (Hallmark Channel)

A New Orleans Noel (Lifetime)

The Great Holiday Bake War (OWN)

The Holiday Stocking (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)

Christmas on the Slopes (UpTV)

December 4

B&B Merry (Great American Family)

Undercover Holiday (Hallmark Channel)

Merry Textmas (Lifetime)

Christmas on the Rocks (UPtv)

December 8

A Miracle Before Christmas (BET Plus)

Scentsational Christmas (Lifetime)

December 9

Aisle Be Home For Christmas (Great American Family)

The Most Colorful Time of the Year (Hallmark Channel)

A Recipe for Joy (Lifetime)

Something From Tiffany’s (Prime Video)

Christmas Bloody Christmas (Shudder)

December 10

Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas (Lifetime)

A Prince For the Holidays (Great American Family)

Christmas Class Reunion (Hallmark Channel)

The Gift of Peace (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)

A Christmas Fumble (OWN)

A Royal Christmas Match (UPtv)

December 11

The Holiday Sitter (Hallmark Channel) 

Single and Ready To Jingle (Lifetime)

Santa’s Got Style (UPtv)

A Christmas Prayer (TV One)

December 12

A Nashville Country Christmas (Paramount Network)

December 15

A Blackjack Christmas (BET Plus)

Record Breaking Christmas (Lifetime)

December 16

Holiday Heritage (Hallmark Channel)

A Christmas to Treasure (Lifetime)

The Apology (Shudder)

December 17

A Brush With Christmas Romance (Great American Family)

Five More Minutes: Moments Like These (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)

The Holiday Dating Guide (Lifetime)

Sappy Holiday (UPtv)

December 18

The Art of Christmas (Great American Family)

Hanukkah on Rye (Hallmark Channel)

Wrapped Up in Love (Lifetime)

A Vintage Christmas (UPtv)

December 19

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

December 21

Fuhgeddabout Christmas (VH1)

December 22

A Christmas Gift (BET Plus)

December 24

The Snowball Effect (UPtv)

December 25

Christmas in Wolf Creek (UPtv)

 The much-anticipated debut of Prime Video's The Lord of Rings: The Rings of Power original series leads a light schedule of show premieres for the Labor Day holiday week.

The series, which premieres September 1 at 9 pm (ET) on the streaming service, is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films, and  follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth, according to Prime Video. 

The streaming service will debut the first two episodes of  the series, with the remaining episodes streaming on a weekly basis.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of August 29 to September 5 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Aug. 29 – Keep This Between Us (reality series) – Freeform

Aug. 30 – The Patient (drama) – Hulu

Sept. 1 – Pantheon (Sci-Fi) – AMC Plus

Sept. 2 – Honk for Jesus: Save Your Soul (comedy) – Peacock

Sept. 2 – House of Hammer (reality) – Discovery Plus

Sept. 4 – McEnroe (sports documentary) – Showtime

Sept. 5 – The Murders Before the Marathon (reality) – Hulu

Sept. 5 – Out of Office (comedy movie) – Comedy Central

Sept. 5 – The Bad Seed Returns (drama movie) – Lifetime

The first week in July offers a number of original show debuts, including a new Lifetime addition to the Flowers in the Attic franchise.

The four-part Flowers in the Attic: The Origin miniseries debuts July 9 and is a prequel to the original V.C. Andrews-created book and film. The series stars Max Irons, Jemima Rooper, Max Irons, Kelsey Grammer, Harry Hamlin, Kate Mulgrew and T'Shan Williams.  

Also: Five Spot: Tanya Lopez, Executive VP Scripted Content, Lifetime

On July 8, Apple TV Plus will debut crime thriller Black Bird. The series stars Taron Egerton as a criminal facing 10 years in jail who is given an option to enter a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane in an effort to gain a confession from a suspected serial killer. 

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of July 5-10 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

July 6 — Maggie (comedy) — Hulu

July 7 — Moonhaven (sci-fi drama) — AMC Plus

July 8 — Boo, Bitch (comedy) — Netflix

July 8 — Modern Love: Hyderabad (drama) — Prime Video

July 8 — Trigger Point (drama) — Peacock

July 8 — The Sea Beast (animated movie) — Netflix

July 10 — Bridge and Tunnel (returning series) — Epix

July 10 — Supreme Team (documentary) — Showtime

July 10 — Women Who Rock (documentary) — Epix

 July 10 — Biography: WWE Legends (returning series) — A&E

HBO/HBO Max once again earned top honors for NAMIC Vision Awards, leading all distributors in total awards wins.

HBO/HBO Max led the industry for the sixth straight year by winning five NAMIC Vision Awards, which celebrates original, multiplatform television programming that reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of the viewing audience. ESPN was the only other distributor earning multiple award wins with two. 

HBO’s Insecure was a repeat winner in the best comedy category, while Showtime's The Chi topped all competitors for the best drama award. Lifetime’s biopic on the life of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson – Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia – was the top choice in the Original Movie or Special category. 

“As our industry’s consumer base becomes increasingly diverse, culturally relevant content is central to our industry’s sustainability,” said NAMIC president and CEO A. Shuanise Washington in a statement. “The NAMIC Vision Awards importantly shines a light on programming that sets bold, new standards for inclusion by  reflecting the myriad culture, stories, and contributions of people from diverse backgrounds and walks  of life.”  

The 2022 Vision Awards winners were announced April 27 at the Walter Kaitz Foundation’s Hollywood Creative Forum event in Los Angeles. The complete list of NAMIC Vision Awards winners appears below: 

Animation

Molly of Denali – GBH Kids | PBS KIDS

Best Performance – Comedy

Tracy Morgan: The Last O.G. – TBS 

Best Performance – Drama 

Zendaya: Euphoria – HBO/HBO Max

Children’s

See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special – Sesame Workshop

Comedy

Insecure – HBO/HBO Max

Digital Media – Long Form

Equality, Identity & Hope: The Asian American Experience – Comcast

Digital Media – Short Form

Voices of the Civil Rights Movement – Elaine Brown: Creating the Conditions for Revolutionary Change – Comcast NBCUniversal

Documentary

Homeroom – Hulu

Drama

The Chi – Showtime

Foreign Language

Somos Afro-Latinos – ESPN

Lifestyle

Luda Can’t Cook – Discovery+

News/Informational

VICE News’s Black Lives Matter: A Global Reckoning – VICE News

Original Movie or Special

Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia – Lifetime 

Reality

We’re Here – HBO/HBO Max

Reality – Social Issues

Darren Waller: Gratitude – ESPN 

Sports

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel – HBO/HBO Max

Variety/Talk Show

PAUSE with Sam Jay – HBO/HBO Max

Lifetime will look to draw true crime fans with a slate of new unscripted content that will anchor a new Monday primetime programming block beginning in June. 

The Life & Crime Mondays block of shows will launch June 6 with the premiere of two new shows,  #TextMeWhenYouGetHome and Sleeping with a Killer. Two additional shows, Phrogging: Hider in My House and Meet Marry Murder will debut later this summer, according to the network. 

#TextMeWhenYouGetHome follows cases of innocent women who has been abducted, harmed or even murdered by someone on what was an otherwise average day in her life, while Sleeping with a Killer examines real-life cases where jealousy pushes individuals to do the unthinkable, according to the network. 

Two additional shows, Phrogging: Hider in My House, which explores the phenomenon of people secretly living inside someone else’s home, and Meet Marry Murder – which reveals the gripping true stories of marriages gone terribly wrong – will debut later this summer, according to the network. 

“True crime has proven to be addictive, and people cannot get enough,” said Amy Winter, Executive VP and Head of Programming for Lifetime and LMN in a statement. “Our Ripped From the Headlines movies have really struck a chord with our audiences and we are excited to expand our crime offerings with these new unscripted series joining the network. Lifetime is the perfect home for these cautionary, fascinating and stranger-than-fiction programs.”

Lifetime and LMN executive VP of scripted content Tanya Lopez is not afraid to experiment with industry programming models. While traditional one-hour episode scripted series and limited miniseries continue to dominate the lineups of many cable, broadcast and streaming services, Lopez is looking to blend the programmer’s core of two-hour original movies into a miniseries format she believes will appeal to its loyal and passionate female audience.  

From the upcoming Fallen Angels Murder Club series of movies debuting in April to the Flowers in the Attic: The Origin four-part limited series premiering this summer, Lifetime under Lopez’s tutelage is looking to rewrite the script for the traditional miniseries genre.

If successful, this will add another feather to the cap of Lopez, who has guided the A+E Networks-owned outlets’ programming fortunes since 2007. During that time, she has overseen the development of such Emmy-nominated projects as Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia, Flint and The Trip to Bountiful while attracting some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry to star in and helm Lifetime projects, including Roberts, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Janet Jackson and Queen Latifah. 

Lopez outlined Lifetime’s strategy for serving its core female audience in today’s ever-changing TV landscape and shared her thoughts on the industry’s diversity and inclusion efforts in an interview edited for space and clarity.  

Where does Lifetime’s female-targeted brand fit in a very crowded TV marketplace? I think what's happened in all this craziness is that we've become an even stronger brand. I think as people look to see what they can count on and what they know is true, signature brands like Lifetime, History, Disney and A&E give viewers some comfort in knowing that when they turn it on they know what they’re going to get. In that sense, we are still the highest-producing network for movies on television, and our viewers know they can come to us for that. 

What is Lifetime’s strategy behind focusing on original movie franchises rather than traditional scripted series? What we are doing are limited scripted series broken out in two-hour blocks. For instance, we have coming up Flowers in the Attic: The Origin, which is going to tell you all about how Flowers in the Attic started, but we're doing it in two-hour blocks over four nights. If we were a streamer or even a network, you would call that eight episodes. We're calling it a limited series of movies. Our scripted content is flexing — we probably do more scripted television than anyone. We’re doing this with [April’s] The Fallen Angels Murder Club, where we’ll air one movie one week and then another in the franchise the next weekend. That's going to feel, in quotation marks, like a series. Later this year we’re doing another with Angie Harmon starring in Buried in Barstow. That's what we’re calling our scripted anthology of movies: It’s a series of movies that feature continuing characters, but in a two-hour format. 

What’s been your secret to attracting major talent to your original movies both within the television space and from other entertainment media? We go to them and say, we want to tell the story you want to tell and we want to hear what your point of view is on whatever subject matter we’ve decided to tell. What we really want is their passion for the material they’re in to come through. We also depend on them to partner with us to promote these projects — we’re not Marvel, so we need to know that our talent is passionate enough about their projects to get out there and scream about it from the rooftops. 

How important is inclusivity to you in terms of your programming decision-making, and how do you view the industry’s overall diversity efforts? It’s always been part of the Lifetime DNA because we were always trying to be inclusive of all kinds of women. If you think of Strong Medicine and other past Lifetime shows, it's always been a big deal. As we all have become more aware, our company decided that it should be a bigger initiative. It really empowered us to say it's not just what Lifetime should be doing, but what we all should be doing. There’s not a person in this company that doesn’t put it on their priority list. For the industry I think it's like turning around a cruise ship: it’s happening, but not as fast as everyone wants or can do. I do feel positive and optimistic, but it’s not without intent every day.  

How do you see the industry trending in terms of the quality and quantity of content creation and distribution? I think we're all going to have to be more creative, innovative, patient and aggressive — all these things need to come into play. What I've already noticed within our own company is every day you‘re pivoting, because it's moving so fast that in order to be successful, you really have to be open. Those that survive are going to be the ones who are the most flexible and the most willing to give up some things that worked for a long time but that just don’t work now. ■

Disney Plus this week debuts yet another Marvel Studios-produced action series, leading all new show premieres as the calendar rolls into April.

Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight debuts March 30 and stars Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant, a gift shop employee who suffers from dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. The series is the sixth Marvel Studios-produced series, following WandaVision, Hawkeye, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, What If … and Loki.

Among the new shows premiering on April Fools Day are Prime Video’s action dramedy series The Outlaws, and Apple TV Plus’s British-based spy drama Slow Horses.

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

March 28 – Warrior Women With Lupita Nyong’o (documentary) – Smithsonian Channel

March 29 – The Girl From Plainville (drama) – Hulu

March 29 –How to Survive a Pandemic (documentary) – HBO

March 31 – The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder (comedy) – Paramount Plus

March 31 – Julia (comedy) – HBO Max

March 31 – Moonshot (sci-fi movie) – HBO Max

April 1 – Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood (animation) – Netflix

April 1 – Better Nate Than Ever (musical movie) – Disney Plus

April 1 – The Bubble (comedy) – Netflix

April 2 – Fallen Angels Murder Club: Friends to Die For (drama) – Lifetime

Cable programmers and streaming services are commemorating Black History Month with numerous African American-themed original scripted series, movies, documentaries and specials. 

Here's a sampling of what's on tap for the first half of February (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):  

Feb. 4 – Phat Tuesdays

(documentary)

Prime Video

Feb. 5 - Single Black Female

(movie)

Lifetime

Feb. 6 -- Power Book IV: Force

(drama)

Starz 

Feb. 7 -- One Thousand Years of Slavery – The Untold Story

(documentary)

Smithsonian Channel

Feb. 8 -- The Loyola Project

(documentary)

CBS Sports Network

Feb. 10 -- Real Husbands of Hollywood More Kevin, More Problems

(special)

BET Plus

Feb. 11 -- Everything’s Gonna Be All White

(docuseries)

Showtime

Feb. 11 -- Clotilda: Last American Slave Ship

(documentary)

National Geographic

Feb. 12 -- Profiled: The Black Man

(documentary)

Discovery Plus

Feb. 13 -- Bel-Air

(drama)

Peacock

Feb. 14 -- Special Black History Month Roundtable

(special)

MSG Network 

Fox News ended January with easy wins in both the primetime and total day categories, according to Nielsen. 

Fox News averaged 2.4 million viewers in primetime during the week of January 24 to January 30, winning its second straight week in the category by doubling the 1.2 million viewers generated by both MSNBC and HGTV, reported Nielsen. TNT finished fourth with 963,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel with 949,000 million watchers.

ESPN finished sixth with 936,000 viewers, followed by Lifetime (922,000 viewers), TLC (882,000), INSP (842,000) and History (831,000).

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News averaged 1.5 million viewers, beating out MSNBC (675,000 viewers), HGTV (645,000), ESPN (579,000), and Hallmark Channel (529,000). 

HBO's costume drama The Gilded Age and Lifetime's documentary series on the Playboy empire highlight an otherwise light week for show premieres on cable and streaming services this week. 

The Gilded Age, from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, debuts January 24 and follows events and characters surrounding the American Gilded Age in the late 19th century, according to the network. Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector star in the series.

Also premiering on January 24 is A&E's documentary series Secrets of Playboy. The 10-episode examines the Playboy empire and the far-reaching consequences it had on our culture’s view of power and sexuality, said the network. 

Also: What A&E Wants You to Know About 'Secrets of Playboy'

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of January 24 to January 30 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Jan. 24 – Snowpiercer (returning series) – TNT

Jan. 26 – Astrid & Lilly Save The World (comedy) – Syfy

Jan. 26 – Resident Alien (returning series) – Syfy

Jan. 27 – The Fallout (movie) – HBO Max

Jan 27 – Gomorrah (returning series) – HBO Max

Jan. 27 – grown-ish (returning series) – Freeform

Jan. 28 – The Afterparty (comedy) – Apple TV Plus

Jan. 28 – Home Team (family) – Netflix

Jan. 28 – Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild (animation) – Netflix

Jan. 28 – Janet Jackson (documentary series) – Lifetime

Jan. 28 – The Woman in the House Across The Street from the Girl in the Window (comedy) – Netflix

Jan 30 – We Need to Talk About Cosby (documentary series) – Showtime

Thriller Safe Room, a movie directed by Boris Kodjoe, debuts on Lifetime January 15. Nicole Ari Parker plays widow Lila and Nik Sanchez her autistic son Ian. Kodjoe, who plays Robert Sullivan in Station 19, portrays their kindly neighbor Neil. Ian witnesses a break-in and records a murder, and intruders played by Mackenzie Astin and Drea de Matteo are intent on retrieving the video evidence. 

“Hiding and trapped in a makeshift panic room created by her late husband, Lila and Ian must use all of their strength and intelligence to outsmart the intruders to save themselves,” according to Lifetime. 

“The mother/son relationship is what attracted me to the script,” Kodjoe said at a Lifetime press event. “Obviously, there are circumstances that are high stakes and dangerous and suspenseful, which lent itself to heighten the stakes to the point where it’s life or death. But, to me, at the core was the mother and son relationship, because when you have a child on the spectrum, as a parent, you constantly put out fires. You deal with and you manage your child, and there’s a whole lot of things we project on our children. But throughout the movie the relationship between the mother and the son changes, and she really sees him in a different light, because he steps up and at the end, I can’t give it away, but really comes into his own.” 

Kodjoe and Parker are married. 

De Matteo, who played Adriana on The Sopranos, said her villain role was a welcome change. “I’m used to playing a victim, so it was nice to victimize somebody else,” she said. “There’s a real freedom that comes with being a psychopath. You’re just not careful about anything, nothing is calculated. Everything is just … it just all hangs out.” 

Safe Room is produced by Astute Films for Lifetime. Executive producers include Dominique Telson and Karen Kaufman Wilson. Kodjoe directs from a script by Nneka Gerstle. ■

With 12 days left before Christmas, cable networks are rolling out the last of this season's long list of holiday-themed films. Networks such as Lifetime, Hallmark Channel and OWN, along with streaming service Paramount Plus, continue to offer original movies through Christmas Day.

Below is a partial list of remaining holiday-themed movies debuting on cable and streaming services, and their premiere dates: 

Dec. 13 

Let’s Get Merried (VH1)

Maps and Mistletoe (Lifetime)

Dec. 14

Ghosts of Christmas Past (Lifetime)

A Christmas Stray (OWN)

Dec. 15

The Enchanted Christmas Cake (Lifetime)

Dec. 16

Christmas by Chance (Lifetime)

A Christmas Wish (BET Plus) 

Dec. 15

The Enchanted Christmas Cake (Lifetime)

Mistletoe in Montana (Lifetime)

Dec. 18

Toying With the Holidays (Lifetime)

The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls (Hallmark Channel)

Christmas for Keeps (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)

Dec. 19

Under The Christmas Tree (Lifetime)

‘Tis the Season to be Merry (Hallmark Channel)

Joy for Christmas (GAC Family)

Christmas Takes Flight (Paramount Plus)

Dec. 20

Miracles Across 125th Street (VH1)

Candy Cane Candidate (Lifetime)

Dec. 21

The Christmas Ball (Lifetime)

Song & Story: Amazing Grace (OWN)

Dec. 22

It Takes a Christmas Village (Lifetime)

Dec. 23

Rebuilding a Dream Christmas (Lifetime)

Dec. 24

Hot Chocolate Holiday (Lifetime)

Dec. 25

Writing Around the Christmas Tree (Lifetime)

Also: 'A Christmas Proposal' Sees CBS Back in Holiday Movie Game

 The premieres of three high-profile cable TV franchises help usher in the month of November.

On Sunday (Nov. 7) Paramount Network brings back its top-rated series Yellowstone for a fourth season. The western-themed series stars Kevin Costner.

Also on Sunday, Showtime revives its classic drama series Dexter. The miniseries, Dexter: New Blood, finds former forensic technician/serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) returning as a shopkeeper in a small upstate New York town, trying hard to keep his former identity and murderous impulses in check.

Lifetime on Nov. 6 resurrects NBC's classic inspirational-themed show Highway to Heaven as a series of movies. Actress Jill Scott takes over the role of an angel who helps troubled people that was originally played by Michael Landon in the original 1980s version of the series.

Read Also: Programmers Put Their Faith in Faith-Friendly Shows 

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):

Nov. 1 -- Temple (returning series) -- Spectrum

Nov. 3 -- The Harder They Fall (western movie) -- Netflix

Nov. 4 -- Dr. Brain (foreign sci-fi) -- Apple TV Plus

Nov. 4 -- Frayed (dramedy) -- HBO Max

Nov. 4 -- Head of The Class (comedy) -- HBO Max

Nov. 4 -- Gen:Lock (returning series) -- HBO Max

Nov. 4 -- Sacrifice (drama) -- BET Plus

Nov. 5 -- Animaniacs (returning series) -- Hulu

Nov. 5 -- Big Mouth (returning series) -- Netflix

Nov. 5 -- Dickinson (returning series) -- Apple TV Plus

Nov. 5 -- Tampa Baes (reality) -- Prime Video

Nov. 5 -- Finch (drama movie) -- Apple TV Plus

Nov. 6 -- Arcane (animation) -- Netflix

Nov. 6 -- Attica (documentary) -- Showtime

Nov. 7 -- Condor (drama) -- Epix

Several cable networks are putting their faith in spiritual and gospel music-themed shows to reach viewers looking for uplifting and positive television content to help through difficult times. 

From new scripted series including streaming service ALLBLK’s Covenant to  original movies like Lifetime’s Emmy-nominated Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia, faith-based shows are finding an audience with viewers who are looking for more spiritual-themed shows in the midst of everyday struggles, including the ongoing pandemic, executives said. 

“We want our audience, which has a strong spiritual side, to see the relevance, but what we really want to do is tap into the need for hope and community,” Lifetime executive VP of scripted programming Tonya Lopez said. 

Many recent faith-themed shows from cable and streaming services have been unscripted, Bible-focused programs such as History’s 2013 The Bible and 2019’s Jesus: His Life, as well as National Geographic Channel’s 2016 The Story of God with Morgan Freeman. Now, with networks looking for new, diverse content that appeals to both general and niche audiences, faith-based scripted shows are attempting to gain traction on programming lineups.

Executives said creating a successful scripted content series based on religious and spiritual themes can be daunting. Writers must navigate telling, but not necessarily preaching, the Good News and make the content compelling enough to compete against traditional drama shows. 

“It is a little hard trying to figure out how faith-based [programming] is going to look and feel in this secular world,” Kay Singleton, creator of ALLBLK’s Covenant, said in August at the service’s Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour session.

Covenant will reimagine classic Bible-themed stories as they might take place in the modern world to show how sacred lessons of faith and love fit into today’s society, according to the streaming service. The show is not overtly religious but brings spiritual themes into a contemporary environment that’s more familiar to today’s viewer, Singleton said.  

“It’s not scripture heavy on the surface, but rather welcoming and not polarizing,” she said. “It’ll appeal to all different kinds of crowds.” 

Back on the ‘Highway’

Lifetime will look to reboot Highway to Heaven as part of a series of movie specials, VP and head of programming Amy Winter said. A reimagining of the 1984-89 NBC series starring Michael Landon and Victor French, it stars singer/actress Jill Scott as an angel on earth sent to help people through their everyday problems and situations. 

Lifetime hopes viewers will be receptive to a faith-based show given the travails many people are going through, particularly with the ongoing pandemic. “Everybody needs something that I think that can lift them up and maybe help them move beyond … being stuck in the past,” Highway to Heaven co-star Barry Watson said during the TCA tour. 

Highway to Heaven doesn’t speak specifically to any particular religion or faith, Scott said, but offers spiritual messages to tackle contemporary issues. “It’s for everybody who is looking for light in the dark or … for a reminder that faith still exists, and that the creator — my boss, your boss, our boss — is still very much present,” she said
at TCA.

Industry executives say shows such as OWN’s Greenleaf have helped pave the way for viewers to see the issues surrounding church, religion and faith through the lens of a dramatic, scripted series. Greenleaf creator Craig Wright said the series found an audience, particularly Black women, who wanted to experience the church and faith from a different perspective. 

Greenleaf ended its five-year run in 2020 as OWN’s most-watched scripted series. The network is planning to launch a spinoff show based on Greenleaf star Lynn Whitfield’s character Lady Mae, Wright said.  

“Spirituality is hard to depict on camera,” he said. “Our intention with Greenleaf was to start a conversation about the black church, and from the way the audience came along, obviously that was a conversation that was waiting to happen.” 

In Tune with Music

Programmers have also turned to gospel music-themed originals to deliver powerful notes to viewers. BET Plus has teamed with gospel music icon Kirk Franklin and producer DeVon Franklin to create a new drama series, Kingdom Business, which will follow the life of a gospel singing star determined to guard her family and its many secrets to retain her place on the throne. 

Lifetime featured two of the most prominent names in gospel music in Mahalia Jackson and The Clark Sisters as the subjects of original movies that have generated strong viewership and industry accolades. 

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel debuted in April 2020 to 2.7 million viewers, the most watched Lifetime original movie since 2016, while Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia — which premiered in April 2021 — was nominated for a 2021 Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. 

“Mahalia and Clark Sisters are biopics about women who our audience had heard of but didn’t know their full story,” Lopez said. “Mahalia, Clark Sisters and Highway to Heaven offer hope and positivity in a world that so desperately needs that energy.” 

Lifetime will develop a prequel to the V.C. Andrews classic novel Flowers in the Attic, the network said Tuesday during its TCA Summer Press Tour presentation.

The four-part Flowers in the Attic: The Origin stars Jermina Rooper and Max Irons as Olivia Winfield and Malcolm Foxworth, parents to Corrine Foxworth and grandparents to Cathy and Chris Dollanganger, according to the network. After the two become involved in a whirlwind romance, Winfield soon discovers that the fairytale life she expected has quickly become a nightmare, said Lifetime officials. 

Also starring in the series are Harry Hamlin, Kelsey Grammer, Paul Wesley, Kate Mulgrew, Alana Boden, Hanna Dodd, T’Shan Williams and Callum Kerr. 

The project marks the latest Lifetime project based on the Flowers in the Attic franchise, following 2014’s Flowers In The Attic adaptation as well as sequel Petals on the Wind.

Read Also: A&E to Develop 'Secrets of Playboy' Series 

Lifetime is at work on its third movie in the Prince Harry/Meghan Markle franchise with Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace. Production is set to begin this spring and the premiere is lined up for later this year. 

In 2018, Lifetime premiered movie Harry & Meghan, and a year later it was Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal.

“Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace reveals what really happened inside the palace that drove Harry and Meghan to leave everything behind in order to make a future for themselves and their son Archie,” said Lifetime. “The movie will detail Meghan's growing isolation and sadness, their disappointment that ‘The Firm’ was not defending them against the press's attacks and Harry’s fear that history would repeat itself and he would not be able to protect his wife and son from the same forces that caused his mother’s untimely death.”

Lifetime said the movie will also reveal the feuds between Harry and brother Will, Meghan and Will’s wife Kate, and Harry and his father Charles, Prince of Wales.

Harry and Meghan drew a giant crowd when CBS aired their interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month. The couple departed the House of Windsor last year, freeing themselves of royal duties, and reside in California with Archie. 

Harry & Meghan: Escaping The Palace is executive produced by Merideth Finn and Michele Weiss. Menhaj Huda will direct from a script by Scarlett Lacey. 

 Lifetime in April will launch the latest spinoff series for its Married At First Sight franchise, which will provide a second chance to applicants of the original series.

Married at First Sight: Unmatchables debuts April 21 and will work to match 16 applicants from previous Married at First Sight seasons to help them discover another chance at love, according to network officials.  In each self-contained episode, Pastor Calvin Roberson and Dr. Viviana Coles will mentor two unlucky-in-love singles who have been hoping to find their perfect match.

The series will follow as the participants are guided through their physical and personal transformations, resulting in them being set up on a date, according to network officials. 

Married at First Sight: Unmatchables is the latest of several spinoffs for the series including Honeymoon Island, Couples' Cam and Happily Ever After.

This is a quick snapshot of TV by the numbers for the week of  Feb. 22-28, revealing the most-watched shows and networks using glass-level data from Vizio’s Inscape, and the top shows and networks by TV ad impressions with insights via iSpot.tv.

Most-Watched Shows and Networks

Via Inscape, Vizio’s TV data product with glass-level insights from a panel of more than 17 million active and opted-in smart TVs. Data is linear, live TV only and includes all episode types (new and reruns). Rankings are by percent share duration (i.e., time spent watching).

Sports continue to capture the most watch-time, led by college basketball (1.56% of all minutes watched), followed by NBA games (1.16%) and PGA Tour Golf (0.92%). SportsCenter also saw increased viewership (0.51%), up to No. 13 from No. 23 the previous week. Thanks in part to marathons, Home Town and The First 48 jumped up the ranking, to No. 10 and No. 23, respectively. Aside from college basketball, only three other programs maintained their ranking week-over-week: Good Morning America, Ridiculousness and ABC World News Tonight With David Muir.

Thanks in part to PGA Tour Golf and the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC rose into first place with 6.84% of minutes watched during the week. Hallmark had the biggest ranking jump compared to the previous week, up to No. 10 from No. 16, with help from marathons of The Golden Girls. Chart newcomers compared to the previous week included MTV and A&E, taking No. 24 and No. 25, respectively, fueled by marathons of their own (Ridiculousness and The First 48).

Top Shows and Networks by TV Ad Impressions

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only. 

College basketball squeezed past the NBA to take first place for TV ad impressions, with games generating over 1.44 billion impressions vs. 1.41 billion. PGA Tour Golf took third place with 778 million impressions, a 50.12% week-over-week increase. The 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards generated 346.8 million TV ad impressions while American Idol, which aired at the same time, generated 282 million impressions.

CBS maintained its first-place position, receiving slightly more TV ad impressions (5.2 billion) compared to the previous week (4.9 billion), driven in part by new episodes of The Price Is Right, The Young and the Restless and CBS This Morning — although college basketball also contributed 351 million TV ad impressions to the network’s total. Golf rose up the ranking to No. 12 with 511.1 million TV ad impressions, 67% of which came from PGA Tour broadcasts. HGTV also saw a week-over-week increase, up to 446.2 million impressions from the previous week’s 379.8 million, with Home Town delivering the top impression-count for the network (89.1 million).

This is a quick snapshot of TV by the numbers for the week of Feb. 15-21, revealing the most-watched shows and networks using glass-level data from Vizio’s Inscape, and the top shows and networks by TV ad impressions with insights via iSpot.tv.

Most-Watched Shows and Networks

Via Inscape, Vizio’s TV data product with glass-level insights from a panel of more than 17 million active and opted-in smart TVs. Data is linear, live TV only and includes all episode types (new and reruns). Rankings are by percent share duration (i.e., time spent watching).

Various sports marched up the ranking, led by college basketball which took first place for watch-time (1.19%). NBA games captured 1.15% of all minutes watched, putting it in third place, while PGA Tour golf grabbed 0.82%, securing it No. 5. NHL hockey squeaked into the ranking at No. 25 with 0.38% of all minutes watched. After a week off, Ridiculousness came back into the top 25 in seventh place, while Rizzoli & Isles jumped from No. 43 to No. 24 week-over-week.

On the network side of things, ABC and NBC both rose up the ranking, taking first and second places with 6.70% and 6.65% of watch-time, respectively, while CBS slipped to third (6.61%). Among the networks that maintained ranking positions: Fox (No. 4), ESPN (No. 9), the Discovery Channel (No. 22) and Lifetime (No. 23); Hallmark had the biggest week-over-week drop, down to No. 16 from No. 10. Bravo was the one newcomer compared to the previous week, at No. 24 with 1.07% of minutes watched.

Top Shows and Networks by TV Ad Impressions

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only. 

Impression-counts for both NBA and college basketball games stayed mostly steady week-over-week, and as such, they remained in first and second place, respectively. The Price Is Right jumped into third place with 734.1 million TV ad impressions, a 25.58% increase from the previous week. That show, along with The Young and the Restless, were the only non-sports or news programs in the top 10. Weather Channel’s live coverage of Winter Storm Shirley came in at No. 14 with 397.8 million TV ad impressions, while The Bachelor generated 330.6 million impressions, putting it at No. 22. American Idol just missed the ranking, coming in at No. 26 (292 million TV ad impressions).

Once again, CBS took first place on the network ranking with 5 billion TV ad impressions, followed by ABC (4.6 billion). Fox News was third with 4 billion, a 20.13% week-over-week increase. Bravo picked up steam, with a 16.43% increase in impressions from the previous week, thanks in part to Below Deck, while TNT rebounded compared to the week before, with 426.4 million of its 536 million TV ad impressions coming from NBA basketball games. MTV rounded out the ranking with 249.6 million TV ad impressions, fueled in part by The Challenge and Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.

The themes of diversity and inclusion resonated throughout several virtual panels during the opening week of CTAM’s portion of the Television Critics Association Winter Tour.

The first of a scheduled two weeks of virtual presentations from more than a dozen cable networks and streaming services showcased a number of new programs featuring diverse casts and producers. Network executives, producers and talent said the shows continue the industry’s efforts to offer more on-screen representation that reflects the diverse audiences that watch television.

The need to create more diverse on-air content for Hallmark Channel was the message conveyed during the network’s TCA executive panel, led by recently appointed Crown Media Family Networks president and CEO Wonya Lucas, as well as executive VP of programming and network publicity Michelle Vicary. Hallmark — which has been criticized for not featuring diverse characters in lead roles in its original movies — is now moving toward providing more diversity and inclusion in front of and behind the camera, according to Lucas. 

“The significant achievements made in the D&I space in 2020 laid the groundwork for us to branch out in our storytelling to approach the complexity of what it means to love and be a family in a more authentic, varied and inclusive way,” Lucas said. “We continue to strive to defy common stereotypes and give our characters more depth and dimension … to more broadly represent the human condition.”

Lucas took over in July after former Crown Media Family Networks president and CEO Bill Abbott stepped down last January, following the network’s controversial move to pull a commercial featuring a kissing scene involving a same-sex couple. She referenced as an example of the network’s increasingly diverse slate a 2020 original holiday film — Christmas Comes Twice — which featured a biracial female astrophysicist as a lead character. Vicary also cited the movie Mixed Up in the Mediterranean, debuting Feb. 20 and featuring Hallmark’s first gay lead character.

“I would say probably 25% of our movies had diversity in them,” Vicary said.

Lifetime, National Geographic, HBO, OWN  and other networks touted new shows with characters that defy stereotypes often associated with characters of color. HBO Max’s Genera+ion, which follows a diverse group of high schoolers testing the boundaries of race and sexual identity in a conservative community, looks to depict today’s teens in an authentic way, according to 19-year-old executive producer Zelda Barnz. 

“Something that’s real and authentic is intersectionality, and the people who identify across the gender and sexuality spectrum, and with different races and different ethnicities,” Barnz said of the show, which debuts March 11. “We drew a lot of inspiration from authenticity and real-world influence when we were writing and creating the show.”

OWN’s new legal drama Delilah provides a rare look at an African-American lawyer and the unique challenges she faces from a race and gender perspective, said lead actress Maahra Hill. The series, from Greenleaf producer Craig Wright, premieres later this year. 

“I think she reflects Black women and Black America in ways that we haven’t seen on a consistent basis,” Hill said. “I do think that she’s an accurate reflection of women who are trying to balance their lives, as well as fight for things that are meaningful to them in their life.”

HBO’s revival of In Treatment also features an African-American female lead in Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), in the role of the therapist originated by Gabriel Byrne. Executive producer Jennifer Schuur said the new series moves the original show — which ran from 2008-2010 — into the present day and deals with issues prevalent in today’s culture. 

“We have an opportunity to say some very important things about our particular time,” Schuur said. “We have racial justice movements and the Me Too movement happening; we talk about toxic masculinity and addiction. We cover a lot of topics all set in the present day.” 

HBO Max will bring Warner Bros.’ drama movie The Little Things to the small screen as one of several original movies scheduled to debut this week.

The Little Things, which premieres on HBO Max Jan. 29, stars Denzel Washington and Rami Malik as law enforcement officers embroiled in the search for a killer who is terrorizing Los Angeles.  The Little Things debuts on HBO Max day and date with the movie’s theatrical release -- one of several 2021 Warner Bros' films that will premiere side-by-side on the streaming service and in theaters. 

Read also: Five things to know about WarnerMedia’s new day-and-date movie release strategy

Other scripted movies debuting this week include Apple TV Plus’ Jan. 29 premiere of Palmer, starring Justin Timberlake, and Lifetime’s Jan. 30 premiere of its bio movie Wendy Williams: The Movie.

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

Jan. 27 -- Bonding (returning series) -- Netflix

Jan. 27 -- Resident Alien (sci-fi) -- Syfy

Jan. 29 -- The Great Escapists (reality) -- Prime Video

Jan. 29 -- We Are: The Brooklyn Saints (sports documentary) -- Netflix

Jan. 31 -- The Lady and the Dale (documentary) -- HBO

 A+E Networks says it continues to mine the traditional linear cable platform, bucking the trend of media companies diving into the emerging subscription video on demand (SVOD) pool.

With SVOD services such as Discovery Plus, Disney Plus, HBO Max and the soon to launch Paramount Plus (currently CBS All-Access) offering new, original programming in an effort to court a growing digital viewer base, A+E Networks is looking to super serve targeted cable viewers as well as to cultivate advertising revenue on the struggling but still formidable traditional linear cable platform, senior executives at the programmer say.

Also Read: Report: Pay-TV to Lose Most Subscribers Ever in 2020

“As more and more media companies put their resources behind their own streaming services, our number one priority is creating the best possible content pipeline and programming for consumers and partners across all platforms,” A+E Networks group president Paul Buccieri told Multichannel News. “This includes our linear networks which, of course, remain a huge priority.”

A+E Networks linear channels History, Lifetime and A&E in 2020 finished among the top 20 most-watched cable networks in primetime, propelled by several popular, unscripted series and scripted movies, including Lifetime's Married at First Sight and History’s The Curse of Oak Island, according to Nielsen.

On the scripted front, Lifetime continues to delve into original scripted fare with the rollout of new original movies, including bio films on the lives of television personality Wendy Williams and gospel legend Mahalia Jackson

“Every year, we create over 1,400 hours of fresh premium content for our portfolio and the ecosystem; and we remain laser-focused on adding more,” added Buccieri. “Our relationships with distribution partners are essential to us – and we are energized and inspired by the variety of ways we can collaborate to bring our shared consumers best-in-class content from the brands they love and trust.”

A+E Networks programming president Rob Sharenow spoke about the company’s linear business strategy to Multichannel News. An edited version of the interview appears below.

Why do you feel that the A+E Networks commitment to linear gives the company an advantage in reaching viewers?

I do think we distinguish ourselves as a portfolio because of our commitment to linear.  We have an incredible depth and breadth of upcoming stuff that is premiering on linear brands and have one of the most robust offerings of original content. We have 1,400 hours planned of original content between our brands that’s going to be premiering on linear, which is really something we take a lot of pride in.

Does it concern you that your networks' competitors are potentially reaching new viewers and cord cutters on the digital front with their respective SVOD services?

Clearly we're in a moment of disruption. For us, we really value our linear ecosystem -- that’s where a huge portion of our bread is buttered. We are really pleased with our linear audiences and our brands. As to what our competitors are doing in the streaming world, I do think there is obviously a shifting landscape, and clearly we have done library deals with some [streaming] companies. It really shows the strength of our content that it is so desired by a lot of our direct competitors and that they want to be in business with us in that way. 

Where do you see the upside in the linear business going forward?

I think broadcasting in general still works, and we have a big, ad-supported model that is very lucrative for us. A lot of our advertising clients like to have scale delivered at a certain time and in certain ways. That’s something that linear does do better than any other platform. Viewers binging content whenever they want doesn't serve the purposes of a lot of people in the advertising community. I also still believe there is incredible value in the communal experience for viewers. I think we have brands that feature must-watch shows that people like to watch live through a linear experience, like [History’s] The Curse of Oak Island and like [Lifetime’s] Married At First Sight. These are shows that are still getting big [ratings] numbers because there is something to the community of viewership that can't be replicated on another platform. There’s something very special about a show that everyone's watching at the same time.

How have you been able to maintain strong advertising revenue in a declining cable subscriber marketplace?

The market right now from what I hear is very good. I think COVID and the economy have affected everyone and everything including the ad market, but in general right now we're experiencing what I see to be a very strong market. I think there is something that linear provides advertisers that they really can't get anywhere else. It’s about audience scale and the sense of timing that’s really unique to the linear experience.

Would you consider a digital SVOD service in the future?

We have some really successful, direct to consumer products that are relatively new. We have Lifetime Movie Club (subscription price $3.99 per month), which super serves the Lifetime movie viewer. We have the History Vault ($4.99 per month), which has an incredible depth of the history library available, and we also have Crime Central ($4.99 per month.) So we do have products in that space that are doing very well and growing. I think we have to be very strategic and targeted about how we're approaching those businesses. Those are two examples of how we've managed to swim with the giants because those are the really targeted opportunities that are working for us.

Lifetime is sharing its formula for TV movies with sponsor KFC with a 15 minute mini movie starring Mario Lopez as Colonel Harland Sanders called A Recipe for Seduction.

The mini-movie will make its debut on Lifetime Sunday. 

Lopez plays Sanders as a chef with a secret recipe in a story with a beautiful heiress, a scorned suitor, a scheming mother, jealousy and a possible murder, all elements familiar to Lifetime movie viewers.

Lopez starred in the November Lifetime movie FelizNaviDAD, which will re-run after A Recipe for Seduction.

"We’re no stranger to heating things up for the holidays, just like our famous fried chicken scented Firelog. But let’s face it, we could all use a little distraction this holiday season, so why not fill some of your time at home with a suspenseful drama and the comfort of our world-famous fried chicken?” said Andrea Zahumensky, KFC U.S. CMO. “A Recipe for Seduction is a perfect excuse to curl up at home and escape to your own happily ever after.”

KFC is sweetening the bucket by offering consumers who make a purchase of $20 or more for delivery via Uber Eats six free extra crispy tenders. 

The collaboration marks the first time Lifetime and KFC have worked together on mid-form content and fit in with the network's “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime Movie" slate. After its premiere on the cable network, the mini-movie will be available on VOD, Lifetime apps and mylifetime.com/christmas-movies.

“Lifetime is the perfect holiday home to bring this spicy, unexpected tale to life,” said David DeSocio, executive VP, ad sales marketing & partnerships, A+E Networks. “Through a terrific cast, and with a wink to the unique sensibilities celebrated in Lifetime movies, this co-production spotlights each brand’s POV and marries them in a fun and authentic way. A+E Networks delivers custom creative that our audiences and clients love.”

Christmas is more than a month away, yet this year’s record crop of nearly 100 new, original holiday-themed films is already drawing big ratings from weary viewers looking for some holiday cheer amid the constant strain of weighty pandemic news, protests against social injustice and a contested presidential election. 

And as the 2020-21 television season’s new and returning scripted shows just now begin to hit network lineups, industry observers say this year’s crop of holiday movies help fill a void of original scripted fare. 

“In a year where we’re looking for any of the positives and traditions that are still possible, I think the holiday movies work in the favor of the networks scheduling them,” media analyst Bill Carroll said. “Everyone is looking for fantasy, and what better fantasy than the tradition of romance in the midst of the holiday season.”

Stay-at-Home Fare

Network executives said holiday films from networks such as Hallmark, Lifetime, OWN and UPtv — as well as streamers like Netflix and Hulu — are already comforting viewers with the promise of hope and optimism as reflected in holiday traditions emphasizing family and peace. Those sentiments echo loudly in a year where the country has suffered through the worst pandemic in 100 years, forcing a new dynamic of stay-at-home rules that have taken a toll on the country’s physical, mental and economic health. 

Add to that the contentious presidential election — results of the Nov. 3 vote are still being contested, further widening the gap in an already deeply divided nation — as well as the continued call for social justice in the wake of the May death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, and executives say holiday-themed content couldn’t come at a more opportune time for viewers. 

“Holiday films have always reminded viewers that family, in whatever form, is the priority regardless of the circumstances,” Lifetime executive VP of movies, limited series and original movie acquisitions Tanya Lopez said. “Those goals feel like they were the same in the beginning, when we started producing this year’s movies, but now I do feel like they’ve been amplified by what we’ve experienced.”

As in prior years, holiday-themed programming began dotting cable-network lineups weeks before Halloween-themed content finished haunting viewers. Networks, led by Lifetime, UPtv and Hallmark — along with its sister service, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries — have already aired more than 35 original Christmas-themed film premieres since mid-October, and have seen strong rating numbers against a blizzard of breaking news and live sports-themed content. 

Hallmark Channel’s Nov. 14 original holiday-themed film Christmas in
Vienna drew an impressive 3 million viewers, topping all non-news and sports content for the night and securing the top spot as the most-watched ad-supported cable entertainment show thus far in the fourth quarter. Its time at the top of the charts was short-lived, however, as the next night A Timeless Christmas, another holiday film from Hallmark, drew 3.3 million watchers.

And Hallmark has been the top-rated entertainment network in the weekly primetime cable ratings since its first 2020 holiday film, Jingle Bell Bride, debuted on
Oct. 24, according to Nielsen.

“Countdown to Christmas” typically does well during the holidays, Crown Media Family Networks executive VP of programming and network publicity Michelle Vicary said, but this season’s offerings are pacing above last year’s in the ratings, as television viewers flock to comfort fare. 

“We are already seeing [ratings] increases over last year,” Vicary said, adding that production on most of its movies was completed despite a
three-month stoppage due to the pandemic. “With all the things that have happened this year, we knew that what we provide to people was going to be more important than ever with positivity, optimism and making people feel better about their communities and their world.”

UP tv has already posted a 17% year-to-year ratings increase for the first three of its five original holiday movies, according to network officials. Network founder and CEO Charley Humbard said the network’s overarching holiday theme of “Christmas Together” further reflects the sentiments that he says viewers are feeling going into the holiday season.

“A lot of people aren’t going to be together this year, so there will be a lot of Zoom greetings,” he said. “We wanted our campaign to reflect the country, the community and individuals to show how Americans can come together this Christmas, and how important that is for all of us.”

UP tv also reported a 30% increase in sponsors for its lineup of holiday-themed programming compared to last year, highlighting the growing appeal of seasonal fare to advertisers looking for content with strong viewer appeal. 

“Advertisers are always looking for all the positive opportunities, and certainly if the early ratings are a reflection of where viewers are, advertisers go where the audience is,” Carroll said.

Season’s Streaming

The increases come as more networks and streaming services are flooding the TV environment with feel-good holiday fare across platforms. Netflix is serving up several new films, including the Forest Whitaker-starrer Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story, while Hulu rings in the holidays with The Happiest Season. Disney Plus is jingling the holiday bells with original programming including comedy
film Godmothered, starring Jillian Bell, while HBO Max is taking an unorthodox approach to holiday programing with a holiday-inspired dating series, 12 Dates of Christmas.

Other cable networks such as OWN, TV One and BET will slide into the holiday movie genre in 2020, bringing more diverse images and stories to cable’s holiday movie lineup. OWN president Tina Perry said that holiday programming resonates with its target audience of African-American women.  

“We’ve all been home during COVID and coping with the world that we’re in, and we want to bring happiness to our audiences’ lives,” Perry said. Along with its three original holiday movies, the network will also offer Our OWN Christmas, a Dec. 1 gospel music special that will feature such artists as Boyz II Men, Tasha Cobbs and The Clarke Sisters.

“We really expect our family movies to be a great way to bring our families together to celebrate this special time of year,” Perry added. 

Despite the growing ranks of holiday programming scheduled through the
rest of the year, Lifetime’s Lopez said she’s not concerned that an oversaturation of such fare will impact the ratings performance of the network’s more than 30 original holiday films. 

“It’s tough to predict what the audience will do but we are staying the course,” Lopez said. “I believe that this is what everyone is ordering now — good holiday comfort food.” 

Added Carroll: “Movies that are targeted to a specific segment of the audience have a certain appeal, and I think time and numbers will determine when you reach a saturation point. It wouldn’t appear that we’re there yet.” 

Lifetime has a bunch of friends in high programming places in a court fight that could have a major impact on the TV and movie biopic and docudrama genres.

Those friends include the Motion Picture Association, Netflix, Sony Pictures, Viacom, Warner Bros., NBCU and many others.

Lifetime was sued by the subject of its docudrama Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story. Chris Porco, who was convicted of killing his father and attempting to kill his mother, sued Lifetime alleging the program violated the New York right of publicity law. 

The law holds that "a person, firm or corporation that uses for advertising purposes, or for the purposes of trade, the name, portrait or picture of any living person without having first obtained the written consent of such person, or if a minor of his or her parent or guardian, is guilty of a misdemeanor."

There is a carveout for newsworthy events, but Porco argues it is not covered because it is substantially fictionalized. 

The New York State Supreme Court is allowing the case to go to trial--Lifetime had sought summary judgment in its favor--ruling that Porco's claim, even involving a "non-defamatory expressive work," can go to trial on the grounds there could be a claim under state civil rights law if the work proved to be "materially and substantially fictionalized."

In an amicus brief, Lifetime's court "friends" argue that "docudramas like the one here are outside the scope of right of publicity law and are fully protected by the First Amendment." The brief points to De Havilland v. FX Networks, in which a California appeals court affirmed the right of "storytellers to portray real people, even over their objections."

If the State Supreme Court ruling that the case can go to trial stands, says the brief, "it would significantly undermine the ability of filmmakers to create culturally significant works that are inspired by, or relate to, real people and events."

The De Haviland ruling is on point. In that case, Judge Anne Egerton held: 

"Authors write books. Filmmakers make films. Playwrights craft plays. And television writers, directors, and producers create television shows and put them on the air—or, in these modern times, online. The First Amendment protects these expressive works and the free speech rights of their creators. Some of these works are fiction. Some are factual. And some are a combination of fact and fiction. That these creative works generate income for their creators does not diminish their constitutional protection. The First Amendment does not require authors, filmmakers, playwrights, and television producers to provide their creations to the public at no charge.

"Books, films, plays, and television shows often portray real people. Some are famous and some are just ordinary folks. Whether a person portrayed in one of these expressive works is a world-renowned film star—'a living legend'—or a person no one knows, she or he does not own history. Nor does she or he have the legal right to control, dictate, approve, disapprove, or veto the creator's portrayal of actual people."

The brief does not argue that filmmakers are categorically immune from potential liability under defamation claims. But it said that making a claim under the publicity statute circumvents the constitutional requirements for defamation.

Allowing that, they said, "poses an unprecedented – and virtually insurmountable – hurdle to an entire genre of works, which would likely never be brought to fruition if creators have to fear potential lawsuits from anyone who might be portrayed in a 'substantially fictionalized' manner," it said.

Lifetime has extended its production partnership with Good Morning America host Robin Roberts to include four new movies, including a project on the life of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, the network announced Monday during its virtual TCA press tour presentation.

The movie, Robin Roberts Presents: The Mahalia Jackson Story will star Danielle Brooks (Orange is The New Black) and will be produced by Kenny Leon (Steel Magnolias), according to Lifetime.

“Having had the privilege of working with Kenny on Steel Magnolias and Robin Roberts on Stolen by my Mother, I am ecstatic to have them join forces to work together on this special project,” said Tanya Lopez, EVP of Movies, Limited Series & Original Movie Acquisitions, Lifetime and LMN in a statement. “Adding Danielle Brooks as Mahalia is icing on the cake. This team is committed in celebrating the legacy of Mahalia and reintroducing her to a world that needs her spirit more than ever.”

The network also announced that it will develop more than 30 new original holiday movies as part of Lifetime’s annual It’s a Wonderful Lifetime programming block, launching in mid-October and running through December.

Among the celebrities starring in the network’s original holiday movies are Betty White, Kelly Rowland, Mario Lopez, Tiffany Haddish and Robin Givens, according to the network. 

The first week of August offers the premieres of new scripted shows from streaming services Quibi and CBS All Access along with several new reality shows.

Quibi on Aug. 3 will debut a new series version of the classic television series The Fugitive starring Keifer Sutherland and Boyd Holbrook, while iconic sci-fi series Star Trek gets its first animated treatment as CBS Access debuts Star Trek: Lower Decks on Aug. 6. Peacock jumps into the comedy crime genre with its new series Hitmen, premiering Aug. 6. 

On the unscripted front, Lifetime debuts it’s anticipated docu series Surviving Jeffrey Epstein on Aug. 9.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several other shows debuting the week of Aug. 3 to Aug. 9 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Aug. 4 -- Extreme Unboxing (reality series) -- A&E

Aug. 5 -- True Life Presents: Quarantine Stories (reality) -- MTV

Aug. 6 -- An American Pickle (comedy) -- HBO Max

Aug. 7 -- Howard (documentary) -- Disney Plus

Aug. 7 -- Tales of Arcadia: Wizards (animation) -- Netflix

Aug. 9 -- YOLO: Crystal Fantasy (animation) -- Adult Swim 

From killer sharks to serial killers, cable networks are looking to slay viewers with highly promotable, multi-day programming stunts that they hope will both draw viewers and bring awareness and attention to the brand, especially as people continue to spend more time at home during the pandemic.

Usually relegated to major holidays and the doldrums of the summer when network shows are typically on hiatus, industry executives said stunts like this month’s SharkFest on National Geographic, Shark Week on Discovery Channel and Serial Killer Week on Investigative Discovery will become more prevalent on cable network lineups in the foreseeable future, given pandemic-related delays in the production of new and returning series.

“These [stunts] provide an opportunity for networks to focus audience attention on content that fits the brand and audience wants to see,” media consultant Bill Carroll said. “During this pandemic, it’s important to have viewers check out your brand, and any type of promotion that attracts viewers works to your advantage.”

RELATED: Cover Story: Summer of Sharks

Indeed, a number of cable networks are scheduling themed programming blocks around both original shows and popular acquired content in an effort to reach viewers looking for programming alternatives in a television environment void of original programming and limited sports programming due to the effects of the pandemic.

• Smithsonian Channel will devote its Wednesday-night schedule throughout August to its “Wild Wednesdays” lineup of animal-themed documentary programming, including Cave Crocs of Gabon (Aug. 5) and Hunt for Escobar’s Hippos (Aug. 26). The network will also feature an Aug. 23 daylong natural disaster-themed programming stunt leading into the primetime premiere of its V-Day: Volcanic Planet special.

• Investigation Discovery will roll out its week-long “Serial Killer Week” stunt Aug. 31, featuring such provocatively titled documentary specials as The Butcher Baker: Mind of a Monster, The Serial Killer Among Us: Phillip Jablonski and BTK: Chasing a Serial Killer.

• Lifetime will offer its annual “Ripped from the Headlines” two-week programming event beginning Aug. 1. The lineup will include such shows as the Aug. 9 premiere of the Surviving Jeffrey Epstein special and the Aug. 2 premiere of the Ann Rule-themed Murder to Remember movie, which marks the directorial debut of actress Robin Givens.

Lifetime and LMN executive VP and head of programming Amy Winter said the network has expanded its programming slate from years past as it looks to draw in viewers with escapist programming during an unusually busy and unique period in the country.

“Lifetime’s brand-defining ripped from the headlines movies deliver a much needed escape to our audience who crave compelling and contemporary story-telling based on real life events with all the twists and turns that prove that truth is stranger than fiction,” Winter said. “This summer, we expanded the slate to also include the real people that inspired these movies and extended the experience with a new show with Elizabeth Smart, digging deeper into Jodi Arias’s story with her prison cellmates and spotlighting the survivors in Surviving Jeffrey Epstein.”

RELATED: Sponsors Keep Biting at Discovery’s Shark Week

AMC and other networks will offer a mix of original and acquired film stunts to help build brand awareness and appeal with viewers. AMC has slated an Aug. 30 marathon of The Walking Dead’s first season including bonus content, plus two daylong film fests with the Jurassic Park (Aug.1- 2) and The Fast and the Furious (Aug. 8-9) franchises.

Carroll said networks will continue to lean on such programming stunts going forward as long as traditional programming schedules remain uncertain.

“Unless circumstances dramatically change in the next month or so we are looking at a substantial amount of new programming not coming back until late 2020 or early next year,” he said. “Anyone looking to entice viewers to watch their network now will look to add more of these offerings to their schedule.”

A biography series on the life and career of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, debuting this fall on National Geographic will build on other networks’ successes with scripted movies and limited series profiling African-American musical artists.

From Lifetime’s April biopic The Clark Sisters, chronicling the award-winning gospel group, to BET’s series American Soul, about Soul Train creator and host Don Cornelius, networks have drummed up big ratings for scripted programming content showcasing African-American performers.

“Music docupics are a real equalizer,” Lifetime executive VP of movies, limited series and original movie acquisitions Tanya Lopez said. “Music resonates on all levels to all cultures, so you really get a peek into how the music came to be.”

Lifetime has hit the right notes with a series of biopics tailored to its female-targeted audience. Its April 11 movie The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel averaged 2.7 million viewers, making it the network’s most-watched original movie of the year so far. It was Lifetime’s biggest audience for an original movie since 2016, when Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart, about the popular R&B singer, drew 3.6 million viewers.

“We’re super-serving an underserved audience,” Lopez said. “I don’t think the audience for these movies is strictly African-American, but that’s a huge component of its success, because these artists are known and revered in the African-American community but may not have the same exposure outside of it.”

TV One VP of original programming and production Robyn Greene Arrington said movies such as The Bobby DeBarge Story also offer content that features lead African-American actors and actresses playing artists that have created iconic and identifiable music that resonates with the African-American community. The 2019 film about the lead singer of 1970s funk and R&B band Switch was TV One’s most-watched original movie that year, averaging 1.2 million viewers.

“Black people have a certain affinity to music, and those artists are part of our life,” Arrington said. “Music is the soundtrack of the important events in our lives, so we almost see those people intimately in our world, even more so than an actor or an actress.”

The beat goes on for the genre as several new movies and series are in development. Along with Nat Geo’s Genius: Aretha — starring Harriet actress Cynthia Erivo, it was moved to the fall from May after the pandemic shut down production — Lifetime in 2021 will air a bio movie focusing on 1980s R&B rap group Salt-N-Pepa, according to Lopez.

On the series front, BET is in development on Uptown, a three-part miniseries about the 1986 R&B/rap record label founded by Andre Harrell. Uptown follows the network’s sophomore series American Soul.

“These biopics take a character that you may know and make them relatable in terms of their struggles and journeys,” BET executive VP of specials, music programming and music strategy Connie Orlando said. “The world is finally catching onto what we always knew, and that is that our stories are not only important but have mainstream appeal.” 

A+E has teamed with the NAACP and media company OZY to create a June 8 special focusing on race relations in America.

The special, The Time is Now: Race and Resolution, will air commercial free across A+E Networks-owned A&E, HISTORY, VICE TV, Lifetime, FYI and LMN, and will discuss issues regarding systemic racism, implicit bias, economic inequality, and cases of police brutality which have plagued our nation, according to the company.

Hosted by OZY CEO/co-founder Carlos Watson, the special will feature appearances from

NAACP president Derrick Johnson, NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar, actress Yvette Nicole Brown, activist and Until Freedom co-founder Tamika Mallory, The Atlantic writer Jemele Hill and Houston Police Department chief Art Acevedo.

“In times like these, it is our responsibility to use our powerful platforms to inform and inspire positive change, said Paul Buccieri, president, A+E Networks Group. “We are proud to partner with the NAACP and OZY to bring this important program to audiences around the country.”

Lifetime's original move The Clark Sisters: The First Family Of Gospel heads up a lineup of original programming entertainment-based cable networks are offering during the Easter holiday weekend.

The original movie, which premieres April 11, recounts the story of the highest selling female gospel group in history and their trailblazing mother, Mattie Moss Clark, played by Aunjanue Ellis, according to network officials.

Lifetime on Easter Sunday (April 12) will debut another faith-based film, A Question of Faith, said network officials.

Other Easter-themed programming include UpTV and Aspire TV's April 12 airing of The Stellar Awards: Music of Hope Special, which will feature songs of inspiration from previous Stellar Awards classic performances from such Gopsel artists as Tamela Mann, Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Sapp, Yolanda Adams, Bebe, and Cece Winans, Hezekiah Walker, Mary Mary, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and Pastor Shirley Caesar, said officials from the networks. Bounce TV will air the special on May 24, said the network.

TV One on Easter Sunday will air a day-long marathon of original, faith-based programming on Easter, including its most recent original movie, Sinners Wanted, the network said. 

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

Lifetime has redefined the docuseries for a new generation of viewers with its provocative, sometimes controversial focus on headline-grabbing topics and personalities. From limited series such as Surviving R. Kelly — which focused on singer R. Kelly’s history of alleged sexual abuse — to culture-challenging shows like Married at First Sight, the network continues to serve its targeted female audiences in authentic and innovative ways.

Leading the network’s programming charge is Gena McCarthy, executive VP and head of programming, Lifetime Unscripted & FYI, who recently spoke to R. Thomas Umstead, Multichannel News senior content producer, programming, about the basic cable network’s nonfiction programming strategy.

How is Lifetime’s heavy focus on docuseries helping to shape the network brand? We had tremendous success with tentpole documentaries. The gigantic headline that worked from a cultural and female empowerment point of view was Surviving R. Kelly. Because that one was so explosively strong on every possible level, we strategically expanded our approach to the genre, including literally expanding the Surviving franchise with Surviving R. Kelly Part 2: The Reckoning and Surviving Jeffrey Epstein.

How transcendent was the Surviving R. Kelly franchise? The series led to a 40% increase in calls to help lines, which we are incredibly proud of, but it also led us to expanding our reach with other stories. There are many others coming down the pipeline.

Why are Lifetime’s bioseries resonating with female viewers? I think authenticity is key. The stories that resonate best with viewers are those that they are familiar with. Relationships are the North Star for everything from a content point of view on Lifetime right now, so being able to tell these stories through that lens of intimate relationships is something that our audiences want. These stories have such famous — and sometimes infamous — highs and lows and twists, which we learned our viewers crave, whether it's in a movie of the week, a scripted series or a best performing documentary series that we offer, [so] it’s worked really well. We’re also developing biomovies; there is a Wendy Williams movie and documentary that’s coming through, and we’re constantly developing movies that tell the stories of women that have inspiring, controversial and dramatic — but always authentic — life stories that work so brilliantly with our audience.

What’s been Lifetime’s secret to maintaining the success of its iconic brand in the face of competition from female-targeted cable and streaming services? We use a phrase called ‘outrageously relatable characters and stories,’ and when we get it right it leads to incredibly well-performing series like Dance Moms and Married at First Sight, which is the best performing content on the brand. We have a show called Bride & Prejudice, which types into the cultural zeitgeist right now. Having these outrageously relatable stories — all told through a relationship filter that has a provocative bite to it — works incredibly well for Lifetime.

How well is Lifetime positioned for the evolving media landscape? The proliferation of places to watch and what to watch is astonishing and sometimes overwhelming, but what we always talk about on our teams is great content will always win, and great content transcends any distribution platform.

BONUS FIVE

What’s on your DVR? Every episode of Big Bang Theory; women’s NCAA volleyball championships.
Books on your nightstand?Hostage by Kristina Ohlsson; The Witch Elm by Tana French
Favorite food destination? Primanti Brothers: Best comfort food in hometown Pittsburgh, ever. A full meal inside two giant slabs of bread.
Bucket list destination? Fiji — to swim and read 24/7.
Favorite podcast?The Daily

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.

On Jan. 4, Netflix will resurrect an iconic vampire legend in Dracula, a new series co-produced by the BBC. 

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