Latest from Next TV in The-contender

What Epix Wants You To Know About 'The Contender'

thomas.umstead@futurenet.com (R. Thomas Umstead) — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 18:26:12 +0000

Epix will step into the sports competition ring tonight (Aug. 24) with a reboot of the boxing docu series The Contender.

The Mark Burnett-produced series – which previously ran on ESPN, NBC and the now defunct Versus channel during the late 2000s – journeys into the lives of 16 up-and-coming boxers as they compete in an elimination-style boxing tournament. Former light heavyweight boxing champion Andre Ward will host series.

I recently spoke to Epix president Michael Wright to get the premium channel’s take on its version of the series. Here’s what Wright and Epix wants you to know about The Contender.

It’s all about the drama: There is such a marvelous element of human drama in this version of The Contender. We know the show’s been on before and it’s always been a good show, but we had to be able point to something distinctive about it. What we all leaned into was the human drama; every episode is a little Rocky episode.

More character-driven storylines than in previous The Contender versions: The show is really about these young men and it's beautifully cast, and by the sixth episode you find yourself saying ‘I want that guy to be OK.’ There's a greater emphasis in this version of the show on the individuals, and a greater attention paid to that guy's wife, or his mother or the father that he promised he would change his life around because of this show. There's a lot more emotion in this version of it.

The series still packs an action punch: The [in-ring] contests are still there -- it's 16 fighters and there will only be one contender standing at the end, and that's great for the series. [The fights are] the black velvet against which the diamonds that these fighters are can shine. I actually love boxing and I think there's still a connection or an association between boxing and the premium networks.

The Watchman: Next Chapter in Stephen King’s Hot TV Hand, and ‘The Contender’ Returns to the Ring

michael.malone@futurenet.com (Michael Malone) — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 12:00:00 +0000

The second season of Mr. Mercedes starts Aug. 22 on AT&T Audience Network. Brady Hartsfield is in a vegetative state, and retired detective Bill Hodges is trying to break from his Brady obsession.

Irishman Brendan Gleeson plays Hodges. He was pleased to see how the first season landed back in Ireland, where it showed on RTE. “People set aside Tuesday nights to see it, in a way they hadn’t in a few years,” he said. “It got a real following.”

Men and women in Ireland had a different take on the incest-y relationship between Deborah Hartsfield, played by Kelly Lynch, and son Brady, played by Harry Treadaway, Gleeson said. Guys found justification for Deborah’s dodgy behavior, while women “had very little excuse for her,” Gleeson said. “I found that really fascinating, the genuine difference in the way people viewed it.”

Exec producers include David E. Kelley and Stephen King, who wrote the novel the series is based on. Gleeson said he’s “dabbled” in King’s novels, and calls Mr. Mercedes his favorite. “The characters are so incredibly drawn,” he said.

King made a cameo in the first season, getting a hatchet in the back while in a restaurant. “He’s kind of a wonder in terms of plot,” Gleeson said. “Exploring your worst fears and nightmares, your dark places.”

And boxing competition series The Contender is back. Thirteen years after it debuted on NBC, the show returns on Epix Aug. 24. Premium cable means no commercials, less editing of the fights to keep casual viewers watching, and “much more of a docu feel,” according to executive producer Eric Van Wagenen.

“The fights are shown in their entirety,” he added. “Boxing fans that love to see live boxing will definitely feel like they’re ringside.”

Sixteen fighters face off. Former pro boxer Andre “Son of God” Ward hosts. Van Wagenen calls Ward “probably the most pleasant surprise” of the new Contender.

The focus of the sport has shifted from heavyweights to guys in the 130 to 160 pound range, noted Van Wagenen. The middleweights “have become the stars of boxing,” Van Wagener said. “That’s the sweet spot of the show.”

Every fighter comes with a nickname, such as Ievgen “The Ukrainian Lion” Khytrov, Eric “Babyface Assassin” Walker and Quatavious “Cash” Cash, though we’re not sure that qualifies as a nickname. Walker was incarcerated at 15, and had to learn to box to survive.

Also in the running: Shane “Sugarman” Mosley, son of legendary scrapper “Sugar” Shane Mosley.

Van Wagenen said Burnett spoke frequently of rebooting The Contender. “I never believed it,” he said. “I always thought it was just talk.”

Burnett Promoted to Chairman of MGM Worldwide Television

Mike Farrell — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 18:12:12 +0000

MGM Worldwide Television has promoted Mark Burnett to chairman, and the long-time television executive has agreed to extend his employment deal with the company to 2022.

Burnett, who made his name first as a producer of reality hits like Survivor and The Apprentice, has been president of MGM Worldwide TV since 2015, when his production company One Three Media was acquired the movie and television studio.

“Mark is a one-of-a-kind creative individual with an incredible eye for talent and content and a long track record of success,” said Kevin Ulrich, CEO of Anchorage Capital Group and chairman of MGM’s board of directors in a statement. “We are confident that under Mark’s leadership, MGM Television’s best days are ahead.”

Burnett has added a huge number of scripted and reality series to the MGM slate over the years. Earlier this week premium channel Epix – owned by MGM – added his boxing reality series The Contender to its lineup.

“In the past four years at MGM we have renewed all our television franchises and have added a lot of new hits,” Burnett said in a statement. “This is the most fun I have had in my career and I know we will continue to build on these successes. I believe so strongly in the future of MGM and the team that surrounds me and it was important for me to extend my involvement well into the future.”