US REPORT: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021: CW RIVERDALE AND THE FLASH SEASON DEBUTS, ABC THE BACHELORETTE RATINGS UP

BROADCAST RATINGS:

Broadcast Primetime Live + Same Day – Tuesday, November 16, 2021

BROADCAST RATINGS REPORT:

• FOX’S THE RESIDENT fell from .5 to .4 and OUR KIND OF PEOPLE held at .3.
• ABC’S THE BACHELORETTE ticked up from .5 to .6 and QUEENS stayed at .3. ABC’s first season of the Bachelorette with a woman of color at the center has provided valuable to the quality of the show and the character development of the competition. It has been refreshing to engage with Michelle’s experiences as she expresses them in her conversations on the show, because she brings a perspective to the immature men of the show that incites a less surface-level dynamic between the cast. This season of the Bachelorette has also been experimenting with a looser, less formal format of hosting than when Chris Harrison ran the show, and it is really working with the new dynamic of the show. With a strong woman as the focus of the series, it makes sense to have other women host the show, specifically women who have been on the Bachelor/Bachelorette before and can lend a certain level of comfort and rapport. The two female hosts replacement of host Chris Harrison has added a whole new element of entertainment, girl power, and comedic pacing to the series that wasn’t there before, and it’s format switch-ups in television such as this one that keep long-running series in the mix with newer shows.
• CBS’ FBI dropped from .7 to .6, FBI: INTERNATIONAL held steady at .5, and FBI MOST WANTED was up from .4 to .5.
• NBC’S THE VOICE held at .8, LA BREA stayed at .6, and NEW AMSTERDAM held steady at .4.
• CW’S THE FLASH season debut was at .2 and RIVERDALE new season debut aired to .1. Riverdale fans have accepted that each season of this teen drama is even weirder than the last, and CW is leaning into the conversation by playing up the more bizarre or unconventional elements of the show that they hadn’t in previous seasons, such as supernatural storylines and parallel universes. The series is based on the iconic Archie comics, but the show’s creative direction and writing have strayed worlds away from the original IP… and not necessarily for the better. Riverdale has always struggled to pull in consistent ratings, and it’s the series’ writing that’s to fault. Even the show’s actors are open about the fact they despise the show’s writing because it’s just straight up poo quality, and not in the way that makes it a guilty pleasure type of watch—it’s just unwatchable.  

CABLE RATINGS:

Top 25 Original Programs on Cable Tuesday, November 16, 2021

CABLE RATINGS REPORT:

• FOX’S AMERICA’S NEWSROOM was up from .12/.12 to .17/.17, OUTNUMBERED ticked up from .16 to .19, AMERICA REPORTS inched up from .09/.11 to .18/.19, THE STORY was up from .11 to .19, YOUR WORLD WITH NEIL CAVUTO was up from .12 to .18, THE FIVE gained from .22 to .3, SPECIAL REPORT WITH BRET BAIER rose from .22 to .25, FOX NEWS PRIMETIME inched up from .19 to .24, TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT was up from .29 to .37, HANNITY ticked up from .22 to .28, THE INGRAHAM ANGLE gained from .19 to .24, and GUTFELD was at .25 from .19.
• ESPN’S PARDON THE INTERRUPTION was at .19, SPORTSCENTER EARLY aired to .17, and CFP RANKINGS SHOW ticked down from .66 to .2.
• HISTORY’S CURSE OF OAK ISLAND gained from .35 to .37.
• TNT’S NBA PRE-GAME SHOW was up from .18 to .2 and NBA BASKETBALL was up at .71/.46 from .44/.41.
• BRAVO’S VANDERPUMP RULES fell from .22 to .20.
• TBS’ THE LAST OG ticked down from .20 to .18.

OTHER NEWS:

STREAMING UPDATES:

• NETFLIX has placed a ten-episode order for workplace comedy series BLOCKBUSTER from Universal Television starring Randall Park. The streamer has notably cast a young Prince William this week for seasons five and six of popular drama series THE CROWN. Netflix revealed this week that principal photography on LUPIN season three has commenced in Paris, as it was also announced that series’ star Omar Sy will receive the 2021 performance of the year award at the 60th Rose d’Or, one of the world’s most prestigious television honors.
• AMAZON VIDEO is planning to test interactive fan polling during fans’ streaming of Thursday Night Football, such as questions relating to current league storylines, social media, fantasy sports, and predictive topics such as “who will score first” or “who will throw the most yards?” The experiment surfaces while the sports industry watches to see what new innovations and extras the e-commerce giant can bring to the familiar process of broadcasting a football game. Amazon at present carries the linear Thursday broadcast of Fox, which holds TV rights to Thursday games for the current season. The company has indicated that it wants to create new pre-game, half-time, and post-game shows, as well as interactive features like the ability to call up statistics and highlights with the click of a remote.
• HBO MAX dropped the trailer for its sophomore season of original series PERFECT LIFE.
• APPLE TV+ is rounding out its main cast for upcoming series about a traveling salesman titled HELLO TOMORROW with the addition of Jacki Weaver. The streamer unveiled its celebratory trailer for Mariah Carey holiday special MARIAH CHRISTMAS: THE MAGIC CONTINUES.
• HULU set a premiere date of January 18 for the much-anticipated spinoff series HOW I MET YOUR FATHER starring Hillary Duff.The streamer will also debut an original special titled THE HOUSEWIFE AND THE SHAH SHOCKER in partnership with ABC News, focused on the allegations against Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah, who was indicted for money laundering in March. News of the special production follows the success of Hulu’s most recent legal documentary about Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Girardi’s legal woes. If the housewives keep embezzling and scamming, fans will keep watching documentary pieces about it! The streamer also released the trailer for the much-anticipated series PAM & TOMMY starring Lily James as Pamela Anderson.
• PARAMOUNT+ experienced its most successful week ever, adding more than one million new subscribers and setting a record for total signups since the streamer’s rebrand from CBS All Access. The service reports it also set new records for most hours streamed and highest level of subscriber engagement. The success was fueled by the premiere of the film “Clifford the Big Red Dog”; new original scripted drama “Mayor of Kingstown”; live NFL ON CBS local market games; CBS event “Adele One Night Only”; “60 Minutes”; and Paramount+ originals “SEAL Team,” “The Game” and the second season of “The Challenge: All Stars.”
• ROKU is launching 15 new live linear channels, plus a refreshed GQ Channel. Among the diverse offerings: Holiday Movie Favorites by Lifetime; Live NOW from Fox; Midsomer Murders; Swerve Sports and The Country Network.
• OCULUS TV has dropped a virtual reality version of David Attenborough’s flora series KINGDOM OF PLANTS 3D.

TV UPDATES:

Ordered:

• DISNEY XD issued a green light to animated comedy-adventure series HAILEY’S ON IT from Disney Television Animation. The company’s
• DISNEY CHANNEL commissioned new sci-fi adventure series CAMP NEWTON from Spain’s Secuoya Studios and Mexico’s Dopamine.

Cancelled:

• USA announced that series run of THE SINNER will end with season four.

OTHER TIDBITS:

• Oscar winning director Chloe Zhao is partnering with Participant as an executive producer for a scripted limited series about the overlooked tragedy of Vincent Chin’s murder and the subsequent civil rights case in the Summer of 1982.
• Endemol Shine North America has optioned the rights to a memoir by MasterChef judge Aaron Sanchez, titled WHERE I COME FROM: LIFE LESSONS FROM A LATINO CHEF to develop for the small screen.
• Seoul and LA-based Bound Entertainment is partnering with young adult genre author Marie Lu to develop a series adaptation of her dystopian fantasy novel LEGEND.

INDUSTRY NEWS:

• Data and technology company Spherex has introduced a newsfeed that aggregates stories related to the globalization of TV and film content. “Spherex is pioneering the concept of culturalization as a critical success factor for studios, streamers and networks as they ramp up their international distribution efforts,” said Teresa Phillips, Spherex Co-Founder and CEO. “Our goal is to make it easier for all of these companies to reach bigger audiences and generate more revenue by providing the tools to educate the industry about the importance of culture in content distribution.”
• Anthem Sports & Entertainment has acquired film and documentary distributor Gravitas Ventures from Red Arrow Studios. The purchase was made by Anthem in cash and common stock. “This is a significant step forward for Anthem in its mission to build a next-generation media company that is primed for the digital future, keeping Anthem ahead of the curve with the current trajectory of the fast-paced streaming-first entertainment ecosystem,” said Leonard Asper, founder, and CEO of Anthem.
• The USC Shoah Foundation has partnered with Participant and Focus Features to unveil a new initiative for diversity and upper-level high school educators, aimed at combatting antisemitism, and promoting education surrounding the Holocaust.  The initiative coming to USC’s IWitness education platform centers on 2020 documentary FINAL COUNT, which offers up a collection of never-before-seen interviews with men and women ranging from former SS officials to civilians as they reckon, in very different ways, with their memories, perceptions and personal appraisals of their roles in the Holocaust. The new program from USC Shoah, Participant and Focus will allow educators and students worldwide to engage with the film’s interviews with the last living generation of perpetrators involved with Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich, opening classrooms to new angles on historical themes like complicity, propaganda, and memory in a post-truth era. It will work to achieve the goal of creating a world in which history is remembered accurately and studied to prevent repeated human suffering and atrocity. All educational materials created as an adjunct to the film, including activities, lessons, webinars and more, are being made available for free. 
• Eighty-four percent of US adults scroll on a second screen while watching TV, and reality shows, game shows, and live sports are the TV content most likely to lead to scrolling, according to an Engine Insights survey. Crime, Drama, and Sci-Fi/Fantasy shows were shown to hold viewer attention most. Email and social media are the most common “second screen” activities.
• The judge in the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse has banned MSNBC from the courthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin following an incident where a producer was accused of following a jury bus. “I have instructed that no one from MSNBC News will be permitted in this building for the duration of this trial,” Judge Bruce Schroeder said. “This is a very serious matter, and I don’t know what the ultimate truth of it is, but absolutely it would go without much thinking that someone who is following a jury bus, that is an extremely serious matter and will be referred to the proper authorities for further action.” Schroeder identified the man as James J. Morrison. He said that Morrison identified himself to police as a producer for NBC News and employed by MSNBC. The judge said that Morrison told authorities his supervisor had told him to follow the bus, and he went through a red light as he tried to follow the vehicle.
• The 53^rd NAACP Image Awards announced it will return with an in-person ceremony on Saturday, February 26, 2022, on BET along with brand new podcast categories. Four new podcast categories include Outstanding News and Information Podcast; Outstanding Lifestyle / Self-Help Podcast; Outstanding Society and Culture Podcast; and Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast. The NAACP Image Awards traditionally honors achievements and performances of people of color across more than 80 categories, including film, television, music and literature.
• NBCUniversal Formats has partnered with Dubai and Cairo-based production company S Productions on the first international adaptation of comedy drama series GIRLFRIENDS’ GUIDE TO DIVORCE, to be renamed 45 RULES OF DIVORCE, and will air on Dubai-based MBC. The Arabic “Divorce” adaptation stars Egyptian actress Injy Al Moqaddem (“Al Me’adeya”) as Farida Al-Shazly, a successful marriage self-help writer, who goes through a divorce and delicately handles every element of it. In the process, Farida finds herself and falls in love with her newly single life, her friends and her freedom.
• New Regency has entered into a development and production partnership with TKO Studios, an indie comic book publisher, to exclusively develop television projects from TKO’s library of IP. TKO’s Salvatore Simeone and Tze Chun will develop, produce and package all shows with New Regency. Founded by Simeone and Chun in 2017, TKO is known for publishing original comics and graphic novels by top creators such as Jeff Lemire, Garth Ennis, Roxane Gay, Gabriel H. Walta, Steve Epting, Steve Niles and Steve Orlando, among others.