Reality Beat: Padma Lakshmi Cooks Up New CBS Food Series, ‘RHOBH’ Heating Up For Its Fall Return
Docuseries: John Leguizamo’s docuseries American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos will premiere on September 27th on PBS, with new episodes released each Friday. The series follows Leguizamo as he travels through the US and Mexico, unearthing Latino history. During a panel discussion on the docuseries, Leguizamo detailed that the project first started because his son was being bullied at school for being Latino. Cynthia Lopez (CEO of New York Women in Film & Television) moderated the panel and praised American Historia for cinematic beauty and historically accurate content. Ben DeJesus (co-founder of NGL Studios with Leguizamo) and Luis Ortiz (managing director of Latino Public Broadcaster) were also on the panel. DeJesus shared the story of working with Leguizamo on the Broadway show Latin History for Morons, recalling how they’d ended up with a lot of good material that wasn’t fit for the live production. DeJesus then suggested the stories they could not use for the Broadway show could be a foundation for something else. Luis Ortiz praised DeJesus and Leguizamo for including numerous Latino cultures and focusing on women throughout the project.
“Latina women are the powerhouse of Latino culture,” said Leguizamo. “It wasn’t hard to put them in there because they put themselves there.” Leguizamo also shared his hopes for all children (not just those from the Hispanic community) to learn from American Historia. “They matter, they’re important, they can do anything they choose to do with their lives,” he said. “That’s what I want to [pass on].”
DeJesus detailed his desire for the series to promote “a better sense of understanding for our community. I would love for audiences to come out and be like, wow, I didn’t know that!”
Docusoap: Tia Mowry returns to reality television with a trailer release for the upcoming series, Tia Mowry: My Next Act. Mowry’s last appearance on reality television was with her twin sister, Tamera Mowry when they starred in the Style Network series, Tia & Tamera. The series aired three seasons from 2011 to 2013. Tia Mowry: My Next Act features cameos from Sister, Sister co-star Jackee Harry, and actress Essence Atkins. Executive producers of the series include Tia Mowry, Adam Griffin, and Erin Richards. Executive producers from Jesse Collins Entertainment are Dionne Harmon, Madison Merritt, Elaine Metaxas, and Jesse Collins. Tahira Francis and Rodney Holland serve as co-executive producers. Tia Mowry: My Next Act will premiere on October 4th at 9:30 P.M. on We TV, with streaming on AMC Networks’ ALLBLK.
Synopsis: “Tired of people distorting the narrative of her relationships and life, Tia Mowry is removing the filter like never before, while embarking on a fearless and fierce journey of self-discovery post-divorce. Tia was always part of a duo, first as a twin sister, then as a wife…now she’s on her own for the first time in her life. The struggle is real as Tia navigates her newly single status, a new phase of motherhood, as well as building businesses and juggling her ever-evolving career. With each nerve-wracking new hardship, she finds happiness along the way with her village of larger-than-life friends and family in Tia Mowry: My Next Act.”
Bravo revealed a first look at The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) Season 14 and The Real Housewives of Potomac (RHOP) Season 9. Though premiere dates for either series haven’t been released, the new seasons are expected to begin this fall. The Real Housewives of New York City (RHONY) Season 15 and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (RHOSLC) Season 5 were also featured in the preview. RHONY premieres on October 1st nearly two weeks following RHOSLC’s premiere on September 18th.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills continues to build momentum for its expected return this fall. Garcelle Beauvais has revealed that her son, Jax Joseph Nilon, will not return to the reality series for Season 14 after he was subject to overwhelming negativity on social media following his roles in previous seasons. Beauvais is also the mother of Jaid Thomas Nilon and Oliver Saunders who appear on the series. Jax was a storyline in Season 12 when he was 14 and RHOBH co-star Erika Jayne cursed at him during filming. Jayne and Jax later shared an on-camera conversation to mend things where Jayne offered her apologies.
“Right before this season, Jax said to me, ‘Mom, I can’t do it anymore. It was too negative for me,'” Beauvais said on Good Morning America and ABC Audio’s Pop Culture Moms podcast. “And I respected that. So he’s not on this season at all. Actually, I haven’t said it to many people, so you’re the first really hearing it.”
“That was also one of the hardest things because they didn’t sign up for it,” Beauvais said in response to her son receiving negativity. “Watching the show in the past, I always felt like the kids were in the background. You saw them at the house, they weren’t subjected to any negativity. So I thought, ‘We can do this.’ And then that happened with Jax.” She continued, “It blew my mind because nobody deserves it. Nobody’s kids deserve it.”
Drag Race México has been renewed for a third season. The renewal was announced as the reality series finished its second season which accumulated a 40% viewership increase over its first season.
“The dream of Drag Race México has been a long time coming. Fans lobbied hard for years, and when the show launched, their support and engagement was total euphoria. The artists in the show and the audience’s love for them embody everything ‘Drag Race’ should be,” said World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. “After the runaway success of Seasons 1 and 2, we are thrilled to announce Season 3. Through their bedazzling creativity and diverse talents, the queens of Mexico serve a feast of pure joy.”
Netflix has renewed Dinner Time Live with David Chang. Season 2 will premiere on October 8th at 7 P.M. ET, with nine 50-minute episodes rolling out on Netflix weekly. The second season will also focus on holiday-themed dishes. Majordomo Media and Den of Thieves are producers of Dinner Time Live, which debuted in January and aired 26 episodes. Executive producers include David Chang, Chris Ying, Christopher Chen, Noelle Cornelio, Jesse Ignatovic, Evan Prager, Jared Morell, and Brandon Monk (who is also the showrunner). Chang created and starred in the Netflix series Ugly Delicious, which combines travel, cooking, and history.
On Dinner Time Live, the famed restauranteur (founder of the Momofuku restaurant group) “personally cooks for his celebrity friends in his kitchen in downtown Los Angeles. It’s a VIP experience where the meal, the mishaps, and the conversation all unfold in real time. No food swap-outs, no food stylists, just real how-to culinary secrets and recipes from a world-renowned chef who’s cooking live,” per the synopsis. Chang said, “To me, the holidays are all about eating and drinking too much with your loved ones. Thankfully, so is Dinner Time Live. I can’t wait to show love to our guests this season by cooking holiday-themed menus, serving them way too much food, and tossing in a few surprises along the way.”
Selling Sunset will not be filming a Season 8 reunion due to a feuding cast. Multiple feuds have broken out within the cast resulting in several members saying they would refuse to work with certain co-stars again. Netflix has not yet announced a renewal of the series despite its current placing at #2 in Netflix’s Top 10 in the U.S. and #6 in the global Top 10.
Jay Blades, host of BBC’s The Repair Shop, has been charged with engaging in controlling and coercive behavior. Blades was bailed to appear at Worcester Crown Court on October 11th. In 2017, he appeared in The Repair Shop, a reality series following a group of restoration experts who repair peoples’ treasured possessions.
A West Mercia Police spokesperson stated, “54-year-old Jason Blades of Claverley in Wolverhampton has been charged with controlling and coercive behavior… The charges follow the launch of an investigation after we were called to an address on May 3rd.”
The BBC said, “It would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
all3media
Game Shows: All3Media International has struck a deal with Primedia Studios in South Africa to produce a local adaptation of The Traitors game series, which originated in the Netherlands. Since launching in 2021, The Traitors has generated adaptations in more than 25 territories and has had only one cancellation (in Australia). The series recently made deals with Prime Video Italy and Astresmedia TV in Spain.
Executive Vice President of EMEA and Co-Productions at All3Media International, Stephen Driscoll said, “I am thrilled to welcome a host of brilliant new partners in The Traitors family across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It’s incredibly exciting to have The Traitors traveling to a new continent with Primedia Studios in South Africa as well as welcoming such brilliant partners in Prime Video, Atresmedia TV, and Pro TV, who have an impressive track record for delivering hit entertainment formats in their territories.”
Padma Lakshmi - Stewart Cook
Competitive Series: Padma Lakshmi and former NBCUniversal content chief Susan Rovner have struck a development deal on CBS for a new food competition series. CBS has been searching for an original series that could rival Bravo’s Top Chef and Fox’s Master Chef. The new competition series will be executive-produced by Lakshmi’s Delicious Entertainment and Rovner’s Aha Studios with Lakshmi also serving as host of each episode. The pair worked together when Lakshmi was the host and executive producer of Top Chef and Rovner was chairman of entertainment content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. Lakshmi also created the Hulu series Taste the Nation and worked on Top Chef for 19 seasons before her departure last year.
Tituss Burgess has been named host of Food Network’s new competition series Last Bite Hotel. The cooking competition will focus on eight chefs who rely on their creativity and resourcefulness to survive their stay at a remote hotel. Hotel manager Titus Burgess will assign tasks to each chef to meet the culinary demands of the hotel’s VIP guests. Each guest may only bring 13 ingredients for their entire stay. As the game progresses and ingredients begin to run dry, the chance of being banished to the dreadful Room 13 is high. Eliminated contestants may pass their remaining ingredients to whomever they choose, highlighting the importance of making strategic alliances to survive the Last Bite Hotel. Guest judges include Esther Choi, Jose Garces, Judy Joo, and Marcus Samuelsson (among others). Titus Burgess is well-known for his roles in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Central Park, Schmigadoon!, Set It Up, Dolemite Is My Name, and Aretha Franklin biopic Respect; he will also voice a character in the animated film Spellbound. Last Bite Hotel will premiere on September 24th at 9 P.M. on Food Network, with streaming available on Max.
“Last Bite Hotel takes the resourcefulness of culinary creativity to a whole new level. Precious provisions are carefully decided before chefs even step foot in the kitchen,” said Betsy Ayala, Warner Bros Discovery’s head of food content. “The competition’s twists and turns are made even more suspenseful by the macabre playfulness of the incredibly talented Tituss Burgess as hotel manager.”
Stranded on Honeymoon Island (UK version) is coming to BBC and is expected to air next year. The dating series has seen adaptations across multiple territories such as Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Australia. Stranded on Honeymoon Island features 12 singles matched into couples and then stranded on a deserted island. The budding relationships live together on remote beaches with few resources and must communicate and collaborate to encourage the best possible outcome. The UK version will be produced by CPL Productions, producer of Married at First Sight UK and Love is Blind UK. The series was created by Snowman Productions (the creator of Married at First Sight).
Kalpna Patel-Knight, BBC Head of Entertainment, said, “This unique new dating series will see couples who have previously been unlucky in love being paired up and sent straight on their honeymoon with no phone, no apps, and no contact with the outside world – let’s see if they can make it work on their desert island and find love.”
Tony Khan - Anadolu
Sports: The wrestling community awaits the announcement of a new media rights deal between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery as the current negotiation concludes by the end of 2024. Warner Bros. Discovery has featured AEW programming since the launch of AEW Dynamite in October 2019. Over the years, Tony Khan has persistently stressed the importance of bringing wrestling back to TBS and TNT following the conclusion of WCW in 2001. AEW President Tony Khan released an update on the development of the new deal during AEW All Out 2024, sharing that contract details were still being discussed.
Khan stated, “It’s a really exciting time for AEW. We are having great conversations. There have been a lot of reports, and a lot of them have been pretty accurate about the status of the media deal between AEW and Warner Brothers Discovery being something that has been a productive and ongoing conversation that we’re still working on. There are a lot of details. You mentioned the future of the TV deal, which is something we all want; AEW on TBS and TNT. It’s great to be wanted by TBS and TNT. I feel very fortunate that, after being here for five years, there is still this great appetite and desire to keep AEW at TBS and TNT. It’s a mutual thing. We love Warner Brothers Discovery.”
He continued, “We’re still working through the details of the agreement, which is a very long and tenuous process, but a good process to do. It can be long to figure out a contract for one person, one player, one athlete. Imagine an entire league, doing an agreement for all of our events and all the exciting things we’re working on. There are some exciting things to come, without revealing anything that would jeopardize our company or the great status of everything we’re working on. There is a lot of excitement on each side.” He added, “Without getting into the future of streaming, I acknowledge there have been a lot of good conversations between AEW and Warner Brothers Discovery. There are a lot of things to be worked out, but it’s a great time for AEW. This is going to work out really well for AEW and our fans.”
Executives at the TV Sports – Checking In on the Post-RSN Revolution panel discussed how professional teams have begun to offer fans live game content across numerous platforms to maximize local TV revenue, displaying the evolution of the regional sports network business. As viewers continue to shift their attention from cable to streaming platforms, panelists said more sports teams are responding by offering a multiplatform hybrid of broadcast television and streaming services. Wim Sweldens (Kiswe co-founder and chief marketing officer) explained distributors work together with teams to build revenue across multiple platforms.
“What sets us apart is that we think of ourselves as the partner of the sports team,” Sweldens stated. “To win, you have to maximize the revenue from your content by reaching as many people as possible.” He continued, “You want to create a destination.”
Lee Berke (President and CEO of LHB Sports Entertainment & Media) also explained the effort between distributors and sports teams to draw the attention of hard-core fans and young potential fans. “The opportunity is not necessarily to abandon pay TV, but ultimately working to reach your next generation of fans across platforms,” said Berke. “If your signage can only be seen by only three out of 10 homes and fans are not exposed to your brand at an early age, then ultimately the value of your franchise suffers.”
fubo
Industry: US District Court Judge Margaret Garnett has ordered the parties of the Venu Sports lawsuit to return to court. The order came after Judge Garnett blocked Disney, Fox Corporation, and Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) from launching the streaming service Venu Sports after Fubo requested a preliminary injunction. The pretrial conference was held in New York on September 12th and was focused on the defendant’s pending motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Disney, Fox, and WBD have also filed a motion seeking an expedited process in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. They argue that ‘time is of the essence’ and that Garnett’s decision contained ‘multiple legal errors’ to be addressed. Fubo responded with a motion, stating an accelerated briefing schedule in the appeal would not be opposed.
The motion filed argued that Venu joint venture members are “losing tens of millions of dollars that they have invested in a start-up business that has been blocked from coming to market, dozens of employees who were hired to work for Venu are left in limbo, and consumers are denied access to the innovative new product that Venu would have provided and the increased competition that would result from a new product offering.”
The case has drawn attention in sports and media circles as traditional media continues to rival streaming platforms. The jury trial will start on October 6, 2025. Disney has also been in an ongoing carriage dispute with DirecTV since September 1, with the cable company arguing that Venu was part of why Disney hasn’t wanted to agree on a fair deal. Disney-owned sports network ESPN made plans to launch a stand-alone streaming service within the next year. WBD lost its NBA media rights this past summer (starting with the 2025-2026 season), which changes what it would bring to the Venu party. Judge Garnett has estimated that the trial will take a month to complete. During the pretrial conference, Judge Garnett proposed the possibility of a ‘bifurcated’ process with the defense (Disney, Fox, & WBD) supporting the idea. Fubo attorney Mark Hansen argued against it, stating that bifurcation would be a route to inefficiency and delay.
