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‘Under the Gun’ Director: ‘I Stand By’ Controversial Edit
6 hours ago
Director Stephanie Soechtig is sticking up for her documentary “Under the Gun” after executive producer Katie Couric apologized for a controversial scene in the film.
Couric, who also narrates and appears in the movie, expressed regret Monday for a moment in the film in which she asks members of a gun-rights group called the Virginia Citizens Defense League a question about background checks for felons and suspected terrorists. The group members are shown sitting silently for eight seconds before finally answering. Couric and the movie, which premiered May 14 on Epix, became targets for gun-rights advocates last week after unedited audio revealed that the silence had been added into the documentary — the Vcdl members had responded immediately to Couric’s question. In her statement Monday, Couric said, “I regret that those eight seconds were misleading,” and claimed that she raised concerns about the edit to Soechtig during the filmmaking process.
Speaking to Variety Wednesday, »
- Daniel Holloway
TV News Roundup: Summer Premieres Set for ‘Running Wild,’ Patti Stanger’s ‘Million Dollar Matchmaker’
7 hours ago
Patti Stanger returns for “Million Dollar Matchmaker” in July, NBC’s “Better Late Than Never” gets a premiere date, and Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg compete for $100,000 in today’s TV news roundup.
Dates
Patti Stanger is moving her love advice from Bravo to We tv for a new series, “Million Dollar Matchmaker,” premiering July 8 at 10 p.m.
Each episode features two wealthy clients checking into the Harrah’s Resort Southern California where they embark on their “love lesson,” custom tailored challenges designed by Patti and her team to reveal what they are doing wrong. Patti then meets one-on-one with each millionaire for a “reality check,” an in-depth review of his or her surprise date, where she delivers her particular brand of tough love,. Finally, Patti will introduce each high-profile client to her two matches. If all goes well, the millionaire and his or her potential match will be on »
- Lamarco McClendon
Nicole Brown Simpson’s Sister Developing True Crime Series
8 hours ago
Denise Brown, sister of the late Nicole Simpson Brown whose death was at the center of the O.J. Simpson murder trial, is developing a true crime series, NBC News’ Peacock Productions announced Wednesday.
The potential unscripted series will feature Brown and a team of experts investigating all sides of the story in cases where justice has been called into question.
“Denise has experienced first-hand the complexities of the criminal justice system,” said Melody Shafir, vice president of development for Peacock Productions. “She testified on behalf of her sister during one of the most high-profile murder trials in recent history and will draw on that experience throughout the series, with a deep understanding of the impact the system can have on the victim’s family.”
Brown commented: “Peacock Productions’ expertise in the true-crime narrative and unscripted programming is unparalleled. I am excited to begin working with Peacock and tell the stories »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
Bela Bajaria and NBC: What Went Wrong
9 hours ago
One year ago, Bela Bajaria was promoted, named president of Universal Television, the studio she had been running since 2011, having successfully revitalized a desiccated production operation. On Monday, she was let go with two years remaining on her contract.
The departure of Bajaria, long one of TV’s rising-star executives, from Universal Television, was met with initial surprise by industry insiders. But the seemingly sudden split was the result of dissatisfaction that had long been building between the NBCUniversal broadcast TV studio and its mothership network.
The precipitating action for Bajaria’s exit was a lackluster showing in May’s broadcast upfronts. Universal TV sold seven scripted series for the 2016-17 broadcast season — down from 12 last season, and the least of any studio linked to a broadcaster. But most damaging to Bajaria’s cause was the limited number of pickups from NBC.
Of the six Universal shows that NBC picked »
- Daniel Holloway
‘Person of Interest’ Producers Remember the Most Memorable Guest Stars
9 hours ago
Producing “Person of Interest” in New York City meant dealing with a lot of bone-chilling weather, and every cast member has a story about that. But the distinct advantage, according to executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Greg Plageman, was having access to an incredible pool of potential guest stars.
“There’s a community that lives in that city that works in Broadway or that doesn’t necessarily do TV, but will do it when they find that the script is compelling, and when you’re right there shooting in New York,” Nolan says.
Here are a few of the most memorable guest stars who’ve appeared on the show:
»
- Melanie McFarland
Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door Names Jason Clark President
9 hours ago
Producer Jason Clark has been named president of Seth MacFarlane’s production company Fuzzy Door. Clark will shepherd new projects and oversee production and development for the company’s current film and television slate.
Clark had previously worked with MacFarlane on his feature films “Ted,” “Ted 2” and “A Million Ways to Die in the West.” He also served as an executive producer on “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” “42,” and “Monster House.”
MacFarlane and Clark collaborated on the Fox miniseries “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” for which Clark won a PGA Award for outstanding producer of non-fiction television.
“This is an exciting time for Seth and Fuzzy Door and I could not pass up the opportunity to help him expand upon his reputation as an extraordinary talent, great producer and collaborator,” Clark said in a statement. “I’ve had the privilege of producing several feature and television projects with Seth in the past »
- Daniel Holloway
AMC Networks Chief Says ‘Walking Dead’ Remains ‘Rich With Opportunity’
9 hours ago
AMC Networks believes that there is life after “The Walking Dead.”
CEO Josh Sapan reassured a Wall Street-heavy crowd on Wednesday that the cable channel has enough programming to withstand the eventual loss of its biggest ratings hit. The network has found success with the zombie spin-off “Fear the Walking Dead,” and is also attracting an audience to another supernatural horror series, “Preacher,” which launched last month.
Sapan told the audience at the Bernstein Research’s Strategic Decisions Conference that “The Walking Dead” is “…spawning benefits that are related to it, adjacent to it, but not it,” adding that “It remains rich with opportunity.”
In an age of digital disruption, when consumers have grown accustomed to watching shows on different devices at a time and place of their choosing, branding is a media company’s most important asset. It’s critical to have an audience that responds passionately to a company’s products, »
- Brent Lang
Andrea Riseborough Compares ‘Bloodline’ Character to ‘Star Wars’ Death Star
9 hours ago
British actress Andrea Riseborough is such a chameleon, it’s not a surprise to hear her say she’s never used her own accent in any of her roles. “I have a strong northern accent, I’m from a country where we make a lot of films about posh British people,” she notes. “I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be respected or everything would go away if people knew who I truly was, someone from a working class place in Britain.”
Those who see Riseborough in Season 2 of “Bloodline,” now streaming on Netflix, might not even recognize the actress who has donned various accents and hair colors in such films as “Birdman,” “Oblivion” and “Made in Dagenham.” She plays Evangeline, the mother of Nolan (Owen Teague), the son sired by the now-deceased Danny Rayburn (Ben Mendelsohn). Created by Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler (referred »
- Jenelle Riley
Rachel Bloom and Billy Eichner on Navigating ‘Newfound Fame,’ Creating Their Own Work
10 hours ago
Rachel Bloom of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and Billy Eichner of “Billy on the Street” had a similar start — by doing it on their own. They both know what it’s like to have to “beg people to notice,” as Bloom puts it during the fourth season of Variety and PBS’ “Actors on Actors” series. Both comedians started in sketch comedy and transitioned into primetime roles, but how have they handled this newfound recognition?
“I’m fine with it, no problem,” Eichner said.
He credits much of his success to social media, saying he wouldn’t have had a career if it wasn’t for Facebook and Twitter.
“That’s how people shared my videos and that’s how I got the attention of people in the industry who I think always liked me but were a little scared, didn’t know where I fit in,” he said.
“Here’s where I »
- Maria Cavassuto
Why Emmy Voters Shouldn’t Overlook Network TV
10 hours ago
The broadcast networks collectively will earn more than $8 billion in advertising this year, so it’s hard to think of them as underdogs.
But they’re often unloved in terms of media coverage, and the big question remains how they will fare with Emmys. These networks must overcome the fact that they’re successful and popular, when awards voters often like to “discover” series and to vote for hip offerings rather than crowd-pleasers.
If the broadcasters — ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and the CW — are shortchanged this year, it would be a shame, because they’ve done interesting work.
A small sampling begins with NBC’s “The Carmichael Show” and the CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” plus one-offs like Adele’s concert spec and the live broadcasts of “The Wiz” (NBC) and “Grease” (Fox). They join continuing shows like Fox’s “Empire” and “The Last Man on Earth” and ABC’s “Black-ish »
- Tim Gray
Sony Pictures TV Chairman Steve Mosko Leaving Studio After 24 Years (Exclusive)
10 hours ago
Steve Mosko, the chairman of Sony Pictures Television, is leaving the company after 24 years, Variety has learned.
Mosko had been in negotiations to extend his contract, which expires this year, but failed to come terms with the studio, according to three sources.
The 60-year-old executive had just been promoted from president to chairman just last September.
Sony officials were not immediately available for comment. The shakeup is a surprise given that the TV division is the most successful entity within Sony Pictures at present.
The studio is still recovering from years to struggles on the film side and the damaging effects of the unprecedented hack of its computer network and internal databases in November 2014. The fallout from that cyber attack spurred the exit of former Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal in February 2015.
Mosko has led Sony’s worldwide TV operations since 2009, when he took over the studio’s international TV operations. »
- Debra Birnbaum and Cynthia Littleton
Showtime Boss David Nevins on HBO, ‘Homeland’s’ Future & ‘Twin Peaks’
11 hours ago
The talk of the industry might be Peak TV, but Showtime president and CEO David Nevins says his network has never been in a better place to take on the competition.
“Showtime is in the best competitive position we’ve ever been in,” said Nevins, during a conference call with reporters. “A lot of things are going right for us right now.”
Nevins pointed to the cabler’s lineup of series, including “Homeland,” “The Affair,” and “Billions,” adding, “It’s fair to say nobody else has the consistent strength of shows that we have.”
He also credited the network’s roster of talent, saying Showtime has become the “premier destination for top actors and producers around the world.”
“There’s a number of reasons they’re choosing to come to Showtime now,” he said. “Talent knows when we put their shows on the air they’re going to get noticed. »
- Debra Birnbaum
‘Shameless,’ ‘The Affair,’ ‘Masters of Sex’ Season Premiere Dates Set at Showtime
11 hours ago
Showtime announced fall premiere dates Wednesday for three returning original series — “Shameless,” “The Affair” and “Masters of Sex.”
Season four of “Masters of Sex” will premiere Sunday, Sept. 11 at 10 p.m. Season 7 of “Shameless will debut at 9 p.m. Oct. 2. Season three of “The Affair” will premiere at 10 p.m. Nov. 20, taking over that time period from “Masters of Sex.”
The series will premiere on Showtime’s linear-cable, on demand and digital platforms.
“Shameless” is exec produced by John Wells, Christopher Chulack, Nancy M. Pimental, Krista Vernoff, Etan Frankel and Sheila Callaghan. It is produced by Bonanza Productions, Inc. in association with John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
“Masters of Sex” is produced by Sony Pictures Television and exec produced by Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, Amy Lippman and Judith Verno. “The Affair” is exec produced by Sarah Treem with Levi and Jeffrey Reiner.
Showtime’s Sunday lineup will soon face increased competition. »
- Daniel Holloway
Dolly Parton Talks ‘Coat of Many Colors,’ Sequels and Broadway
11 hours ago
“Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors,” a TV movie based on an autobiographical Parton song, drew more than 13 million viewers when it aired on NBC last December. “Coat of Many Colors” also served as a coming attraction for the upcoming Broadway musical based on her life story and was the country legend’s first project in a deal with NBC for multiple two-hour movies. Parton spoke with Variety about what she feels made the movie a success and what role she’d love to take in a sequel.
At what point did you start thinking about making a movie based on this particular song?
For years I’ve thought it would make a good movie and I knew there would be a time that was right. I’ve been offered many deals to do it through the years but it just didn’t seem like the exact right time. »
- Rob Owen
Fox Buyout Offers Accepted By Up to 400 Employees (Exclusive)
12 hours ago
Between 300 and 400 film and television staffers have taken voluntary buyouts at 21st Century Fox, Variety has learned.
That represents roughly half of the employees who were given the option of taking the package, according to insiders. Fox initiated the buyout program as part of a company-wide effort to cut $250 million from its budget. Fox currently has no plans for layoffs. The company believes it can potentially lower expenses in other ways beyond staffing reductions.
Various division heads will now look at their departments to see if the work of the employees who are leaving can be reassigned or will require new hires. Some functions may be combined.
Fox has approximately 20,000 employees globally. Most of the buyouts took place at the company’s domestic operations, with the bulk of those coming from its Los Angeles offices.
Last February, Fox sent out proposals to roughly all staffers who had logged at least 15 years at the media conglomerate. »
- Brent Lang
Larry Wilmore Recalls Winning an Emmy for ‘The Bernie Mac Show,’ Meeting Oprah Winfrey
12 hours ago
Larry Wilmore is now in front of the camera nearly every night for Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” but he first attracted Emmy attention for his writing on “In Living Color.” Wilmore went on to win an individual Emmy for penning the groundbreaking pilot of Fox’s “The Bernie Mac Show.” And then he got fired from the show the following season. Wilmore recalls the ups (meeting Oprah Winfrey!) and downs (falling out with Mac), of the Emmy win.
What do you remember about winning?
Halle Berry had done her Oscar speech the same year. (“Bernie Mac”) had won a TV Critics’ Award earlier that summer and I did a joke like I was Halle Berry, I was fake crying or whatever. It got a big laugh and I thought, “If I ever actually won an Emmy I would do that joke.” And it just so happened that I won. »
- Geoff Berkshire
‘Homeland’ Nearing Renewal for Seasons 7 and 8, Will Return in 2017
12 hours ago
“Homeland” is nearing a renewal for Season 7 and Season 8, Showtime CEO David Nevins told reporters on Wednesday.
“We’re just about done with a deal with Fox 21 for ‘Homeland ‘for three more years starting for season six,” he said on a conference call.
The hit series will also move from its regular fall premiere date to a winter debut scheduled for January 2017 in its upcoming sixth season. Season 6 will begin production in New York this August, once again starring Claire Danes, Rupert Friend, F. Murray Abraham and Mandy Patinkin.
Speaking to reporters, Nevins indicated that the series could run for many more seasons to come.
“Homeland is a show that’s constantly reinventing itself,” Nevins said. “It’s not on a straight character trajectory path. It’s changing season to season. More than most, it’s a show that has an open-ended expiration date because of the subject matter. »
- Laura Prudom
TV Review: ‘Maya and Marty’
13 hours ago
Understandably, entertainment executives keep trying to make the charismatic “Saturday Night Live” veteran Maya Rudolph a bigger star. Less understandable are an array of efforts to revive the variety show, a genre of entertainment perhaps left best to prior eras in TV history.
Let’s face it, variety shows thrived when viewers didn’t have a lot of other options, but now anyone with a TV, smartphone or laptop has hundreds of different kinds of programs at his or her disposal every minute of the day. It’s easy to create one’s own grab bag of entertainment — the networks don’t have to do it for us.
And yet they keep trying, especially NBC, which aired “The Maya Rudolph Show” in 2014 and cast the actress as a talk-show diva in the ever-morphing sitcom “Up All Night” a few years earlier. Last year’s variety offering, “Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, »
- Maureen Ryan
Showtime Orders Comedy Pilot ‘White Famous’ from Jamie Foxx and ‘Californication’ Creator
13 hours ago
Showtime has ordered a pilot for “White Famous,” a comedy from exec producer Jamie Foxx and “Californication” creator Tom Kapinos, Variety has learned.
Aside from his behind-the-camera duties, Foxx will also guest star in a recurring role.
The half-hour comedy, hailing from Lionsgate Television, will focus on a talented, young African-American comedian whose star is rising, forcing him to navigate the treacherous waters of maintaining his credibility as he begins to cross-over towards becoming “white famous.”
“I came up from standup comedy, so to be able to share that aspect of my life on screen with a project like ‘White Famous’ is incredibly exciting,” said Foxx. “We couldn’t have found better partners than Showtime, Lionsgate and Tom Kapinos to tell this story in the best possible way.”
“They say you can’t go home again, but I’m thrilled to be back at Showtime, where I’m equally jazzed »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
‘Outlander’ Renewed for Seasons 3 and 4
13 hours ago
Starz has renewed “Outlander” for Seasons 3 and 4, Variety has learned. The hit time-travel drama stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, and is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore. The genre-bending show is based on the series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, with each season adapting one tome from Gabaldon’s eight-book series, which is ongoing.
Season 3 will adapt Gabaldon’s “Voyager,” while Season 4 will be based on “Drums of Autumn.” The series is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining and Supply Company, and Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television.
Starz CEO Chris Albrecht said of the renewal, “‘Outlander’ is like nothing seen before on television. From its depiction of a truly powerful female lead character, to the devastating decimation of the Highlander way of life, to what is a rarely seen genuine and timeless love story, it is a show that not only transports the viewer, »
- Laura Prudom
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