Tag: Roundup

The premiere date for “School Spirits” Season 2 is set for Thursday, Jan. 30, with the first three episodes releasing on Paramount+.

The new season of “School Spirits” kicks off after the first season’s cliffhanger, following Maddie Nears (Peyton List), who is still stuck in the afterlife, as she tries to win over Simon (Kristian Ventura) to help search for her missing body. The cast also includes Spencer MacPherson, Kiara Pichardo, Sarah Yarkin, Nick Pugliese, Rainbow Wedell, Josh Zuckerman and Milo Manheim.

New episodes of the eight-episode season will drop weekly on Thursdays. Awesomeness TV produces with creators Nate Trinrud and Megan Trinrud as executive producers.

Watch the trailer below.

Also in this week’s TV News Roundup:

FIRST LOOKS/TRAILERS

The spirited judges are back in the official trailer for “Tribunal Justice” Season 2.

“Tribunal Justice” follows three judges as they take on real cases and debate the outcome. They don’t always see eye-to-eye, which makes the verdict often unpredictable for viewers. Notably, the show is executive produced by judicial icon Judy Sheindlin, known for starring in “Judge Judy,” and features judges Patricia DiMango, Tanya Acker and Adam Levy.

The show will premiere on Prime Video starting Jan. 27, with new episodes available every weekday.

Watch the trailer below.

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“Goldie,” a new animated children’s show, features a giant girl.

The series, based on a short film of the same name by Emily Brundige, is about a giant named Goldie, who journeys through her town called Boysenberg with her friends. Along the way, Goldie and her companions learn to cherish what it’s like to be different. The voice cast includes Jessica McKenna (“The Mighty Ones”), Dee Bradley Baker (“Phineas & Ferb”) and Amari McCoy (“Spidey and His Amazing Friends”). A number of guest actors also join the series, including Nicole Byer, Al Yankovic and Henry Winkler.

The series includes 13 episodes, which are half-hour each. “Goldie” premieres globally on Apple TV+ on Valentine’s Day.

PROGRAMMING

Subscription-based comedy streamer Dropout‘s pop-culture quiz show “Um, Actually” will return with Season 10 on January 28.

In “Um, Actually,” the contestants are provided with an incorrect statement concerning “the things you know and love”, and are required to state what is incorrect for a single point. The series initially began in 2015 as a web series for CollegeHumor created by host Mike Trapp.

Trapp and original fact-checker Brian Salzman departed “Um, Actually” prior to the premiere of Season 9, with Ify Nwadiwe serving as the new host and Brian David Gilbert as permanent fact-checker.

Guests this season include Dropout CEO Sam Reich, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Rekha Shankar, Isabella Roland, Alex Song-Xia, Biqtch Puddin’, Drew Gooden, Thomas Sanders, Siobhan Thompson, Ally Beardsley, Raphael Chestang, Katie Marovitch and more.

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Seth Rogen’s nonprofit Hilarity for Charity is behind the documentary “Taking Care,” which premiered Jan. 13 on Fuse and Fuse+, and will now be available to watch on Amazon, iTunes and Google Play beginning Jan. 22.

“‘Taking Care’ is a story about family, resilience, and the power of taking action in the face of adversity. With expert insights and touching personal moments, the film is a powerful reminder of the difference we can all make in the effort to end Alzheimer’s. Whether you’re drawn to stories of resilience, advocacy, or how laughter and love can help us through life’s toughest moments, this film will leave you inspired and hopeful. ‘Taking Care’ is about the legacies we choose to embrace – and those we strive to change – for a better future,” reads the film’s description. 

James Keach directed and produced the project. Lauren Miller Rogen, Seth Rogen, Nancy Lynn Keach, Daniel Miller, Bonnie Wattles, Laura Cardona, Morgan Hanner and Sarah Lenz Lock executive produce. “Taking Care” is presented by Hilarity for Charity and PCH Films alongside BrightFocus Foundation and AARP’s Brain Health Action.

“The idea for this documentary came to me while I was going through the Alzheimer’s journey with my mom,” said Miller Rogen. “She was a teacher and if she had a microphone to teach someone something, she would take it. I decided to fight back against this terrible disease by sharing her story and educating people about what they can do to support caregivers and research, but also about the importance of prevention through brain health education.”  

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“The Buddy Way,” the upcoming ESPN documentary executive produced by Peyton Manning, will debut on Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. ET.

The documentary follows the historic career of Coach Eugene F. “Buddy” Teevens III, starting from his early years in Pembroke, Mass. before tracking his time as a multi-sport athlete and his important role at the Manning Passing Academy. The film blends new footage and behind-the-scenes interviews with Teevens’ family.

“We are honored to share Buddy’s story and preserve his legacy,” Manning said. “Buddy’s motto as a coach and leader was “adjust and improvise.” But it was more than a motto; Buddy was a true football innovator. He hired female coaches in the college ranks before anybody else, and he emphasized smarter and safer tackling long before the practice was adopted across the sport. Buddy was a terrific coach, but the legacy Buddy leaves behind extends well beyond his success on the field.”

“The Buddy Way” will premiere Jan. 29 on ESPN2 and will be available to stream on ESPN+ following its linear debut.

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Fox’s primetime animation titles “Family Guy,” “Grimsburg,” “The Great North,” “Krapopolis” and “The Simpsons” are back with new episodes this winter.

On Sunday, Feb. 16, Season 23 of “Family Guy” will premiere at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Season 2 of “Grimsburg” at 8:30 p.m. ET, Season 5 of “The Great North” at 9 p.m. ET and new episodes of “Krapopolis” at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Then on Sunday, March 30, more new episodes of Season 36 of “The Simpsons” will begin at 8 p.m. ET, followed by “Family Guy” at 8:30 p.m. ET, “The Great North” at 9 p.m. ET and “Krapopolis” at 9:30 p.m. ET.

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Season 4 of MGM+ original series “Godfather of Harlem” starring Forest Whitaker will premiere April 13. MGM+ released a first look teaser for the fourth installment of “Godfather of Harlem,” coming to the linear and streaming service on April 13. From “Narcos” creator Chris Brancato, Season 4 stars Forest Whitaker as Bumpy Johnson, alongside Ilfenesh Hadera, Lucy Fry, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, Erik LaRay Harvey, Michael Raymond James, Elvis Nolasco and Erik Palladino.

The new season will also introduce Frank Lucas, played by Daytime Emmy-winner Rome Flynn. The first three seasons of “Godfather of Harlem” are currently available to stream on MGM+.

Season 4 of “Godfather of Harlem” will continue to chronicle Bumpy’s bloody war for control of Harlem against New York’s Mafia families while contending with the arrival of gangster Frank Lucas. After Malcom X (Jason Carvel’s) assassination, Bumpy also grapples with his daughter Elise’s (Crowe-Legacy) involvement with the Black Panthers.

Produced by 20^th Television, the series is executive produced by Chris Brancato, Paul Eckstein, Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, James Acheson, Markuann Smith, Ray Quinlan, Michael Panes, and Stephen Schiff, with Swizz Beatz serving as executive music producer.

EXECUTIVE NEWS

Tubi CEO Anjali Sud has been confirmed to be the first keynote speaker for The Banff World Media Festival’s 2025 Banff Summit Series.

“Anjali Sud is a leader whose impact on the media and entertainment industry exemplifies the innovation and bold thinking that Banff celebrates,” said Sean Cohan, chair of the board of directors for Banff. “Her insights will set the tone for a dynamic and forward-looking conversation about the future of media.”

While more keynotes speakers will be announced soon, past speakers include Rob Wade, Channing Dungy, Bela Bajaria, George Cheeks, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Ted Sarandos.

The Banff World Media Festival runs from June 8-11 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Canada and will bring leadership, networking and deal-making opportunities for global media professionals.

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Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the promotion of Priya Aiyar to chief legal officer, a position she will officially commence in February. Aiyar will report directly to David Zaslav, chief executive officer of WBD, and spearhead the media company’s legal and compliance operations globally.

“There has never been a more important moment for WBD and our industry to have the brightest minds, most experienced practitioners and proven leaders, and Priya personifies those traits,” said Zaslav. “Priya’s wealth of knowledge and strategic capabilities will help us to smartly navigate the opportunities and ongoing evolution ahead this year and beyond as we pursue global growth in streaming, a return to excellence at our studios, and optimization of our linear business. She will be an exceptional addition to our management team.”

Aiyar comes to WBD from a three-year tenure as chief legal officer of American Airlines, where she helmed the company’s legal affairs and navigated its return to profitability following the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of her career, Aiyar has also held a number of senior-level positions at law firms. She previously served as a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and a partner at Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel PLLC. She attended Yale Law School, the University of Oxford and Harvard University. 

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BBC Studios, which is behind hits including ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” Netflix’s “Outlast” and NBC’s “The Weakest Link,” has hired former NBCUniversal exec Jenny Groom as executive VP of unscripted development, while Ryan O’Dowd has been upped to president of unscripted and Krystal Whitney has been promoted to exec VP of current programming.

Both Groom and Whitney will report into O’Dowd, who continues to lead unscripted out of BBC Studios’ Los Angeles office.

“We are delighted to be welcoming Jenny Groom to BBC Studios,” said BBC Studios’ managing director of global entertainment Matt Forde. “She has had an absolutely stellar career to date, and we know she will bring incredible drive and ambition to our unscripted business in the U.S. market. Coupled with Ryan’s expertise at the helm and Krystal in her new role, the Los Angeles team is perfectly placed to build on the tremendous success already achieved. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what they deliver in the future.”

O’Dowd and scripted prexy Mark Linsey head up BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions. Groom’s credits at NBCU include “The Traitors,” “Love Island,” “The Voice,” “America’s Got Talent” and “Password.” She most recently served as a consultant for production companies including Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Productions.

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Smithhouse, a boutique PR agency specializing in entertainment, nonprofit advocacy, and event management, has announced the promotion of four key team members. Maura Welp has been promoted to Senior Director, while Brian Porreca has advanced to Director and Vince Calvi is now Senior Manager. Stephanie Carrillo steps into the role of Junior Publicist.

“Dedication and creativity are the hallmarks of our team at Smithhouse,” said President & CEO of Dustin Smith. “The promotions of Maura, Brian, Vince and Stephanie are a testament to their exceptional expertise and contributions. This move not only reflects our commitment to nurturing talent but also ensures our readiness to meet the evolving demands of the PR landscape. I am confident their continued leadership and innovative approaches will propel Smithhouse forward, fostering new opportunities for our clients and our company.”

In 2024, Smithhouse was honored as a PR Daily Top Agency and received a PRSA Prism Award for the campaign “Queer Eye Goes to the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris.” The collective efforts of Welp, Porreca, Calvi, and Carillo have bolstered the success of Smithhouse’s roster of clients, including Amazon MGM Studios, NatGeo, Mattel, Crunchyroll, USO, Telemundo, Scout Productions, Tel Aviv Institute, Danielle Chang/Lucky Chow and more.

DEALS

LAist and CBS Los Angeles have announced an official media partnership to expand local coverage.

Through the agreement, CBS Los Angeles’s live newscasts (on KCAL-TV and KCBS-TV) will provide access to audio for LAist, along with online live streams and press conferences. The partnership permits both media organizations to republish content on their digital platforms.

LAist is also focusing on increasing access by providing guests to appear on CBS Los Angeles as expert voices.

“LAist was looking for a television partner to help expand our news coverage, and using audio from the extensive daily local news programming of KCBS/KCAL news made this an ideal partnership for us, especially given its exceptional newsroom,” said Jeff Rowe, vice president of programming for LAist. “We are embarking on an exciting period for our organization and believe our partnership with CBS Los Angeles will mutually enhance our reach and broaden our impact.”

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Prime Video, STARZ and Warner Bros. Discovery announced the launch of a new Max/STARZ bundle for customers to subscribe to both streaming services through Prime Video. Customers in the U.S. can access the ad-free Max and STARZ bundle for $20.99/month, an approximate 25% savings.

“We are thrilled to team with Prime Video and Max to deliver this new offering of critically acclaimed programming to an even broader customer base,” said STARZ Networks President Alison Hoffman. “Together, our world-class libraries provide an unparalleled viewing experience, offering a diverse selection of high-quality series and films across multiple genres.”

Eligible subscribers will gain access to STARZ’s vast library of original series, including the fan-favorite, time-traveling epic “Outlander” in addition to Max’s library of original series, movies, documentaries, and TV from HBO, Warner Bros., A24, Adult Swim, and the DC Universe. The offering is available for purchase on Prime Video in the U.S. for a limited time.

HIRES

Anna Coren has joined CBS News as a foreign correspondent based in Hong Kong. Coren joins the Network from CNN International, and will cover the Asia-Pacific region as the incoming administration takes the White House.

Coren is an Emmy Award-winning international correspondent with more than 15 years of experience covering conflicts, humanitarian crises, natural disasters and global politics as a correspondent and anchor for CNN. She’s reported extensively from war zones in Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine and covered the aftermath of tsunamis, flooding and super typhoons in Japan, the Philippines and Bangladesh.

Coren has interviewed world leaders, including President Bill Clinton, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Australian Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

In addition to her experience in television news, Coren directed the independent documentary “The Noble Guardian” about Afghan women’s rights activist Mahbouba Seraj, who refused to leave her country after it fell to the Taliban. The film was named best documentary at the 2023 L.A. Shorts International Film Festival.