Reality Beat: Octavia Spencer To The Scene Of The Crime, Sele Leota Appointed Senior Creative Producer at Entropico
Jaime Lopez/Jam Media
Docuseries: FX and Disney+ Latin America have arranged the creation of a docuseries that will focus on Club Necaxa, the Mexican soccer team. Eva Longoria, Ryan Reynolds, and Rob McElhenney are on board as executive producers and on-air stars. Filming began July 9 in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Club Necaxa relocated to Aguascalientes, a working-class city known as the “land of good people,” after several difficult seasons in the team’s initial home in Mexico City. The untitled docuseries, temporarily referred to as Bienvenidos a Necaxa, is influenced by FX’s Welcome to Wrexham, a docuseries narrating the restoration of a Welsh soccer team following Reynolds and McElhenney’s purchase of the club in 2021. Eva Longoria’s Hyphenate Media Group, the American film and production company launched in partnership with Chris Abrego, will produce the docuseries.
According to FX, Bienvenidos a Necaxa will follow Club Necaxa “as they strive to reclaim their place as one of Mexico’s top teams, while their Mexican-American owner Eva Longoria tries to breathe new life into the team by enlisting the help of her high-profile friends including new co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.”
Oscar winner, Octavia Spencer, will be immersed back into the true crime scene with Investigation Discovery’s renewals of Lost Women and Feds. Spencer is an executive producer on both true crime docuseries and the narrator of Lost Women. The upcoming season is centered on the cold-blooded murders of two Alaska Native women, Veronica Abouchuk and Kathleen Jo Henry, and the disturbing investigation leading up to the capture of their sadistic killer who was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder earlier this year. Feds will continue to give viewers insider access of the American FBI. Both series come from October Films and Spencer’s production company Orit Entertainment.
“Our ongoing partnership with ID and October Films is a collective commitment to shining a spotlight on important true crime stories,” Spencer said in a statement. “A new season of Feds will continue to bring unparalleled access to the FBI and our next installment of Lost Women will feature an unfolding new case digging into an ongoing crisis facing Indigenous victims, whose cases many times go not only unsolved – but uninvestigated.” According to Investigation Discovery, “The three-part docuseries will unravel the suspenseful journey that led to his conviction and the courage of some unlikely heroes who helped piece together the case and offered a glimmer of hope in a landscape marked with injustice.”
Brie Miranda Bryant, Senior VP of Lifetime Unscripted, was listed in the Top 45 Reality TV producers of 2024. Brie Miranda Bryant produced the unfiltered, unscripted documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? which averaged around 1.2 million viewers. She served as executive producer on the docuseries Janet Jackson (2022). Bryant also produced The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a docuseries that attracted over 1 million views over a three-day average.
Bryant stated, “One of the most complex, interesting, controversial individuals of 2024 might be Gypsy Rose Blanchard. There’s something intensely raw about delving into a woman’s journey of self-forgiveness, redemption, and her fervent desire to embrace life while on the precipice of freedom.”
Docusoap: Big Freedia Means Business will return for Season 2 on October 2. Co-produced with World of Wonder, the series will premiere on Fuse and Fuse Plus in the US. Hailing from New Orleans, Big Freedia is a rapper known for New Orleans bounce music. She’s worked on shows including Big Freedia Bounces Back and Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce, both series airing on Fuse. Season 2 will focus on Freedia as she collaborates with her business team to work on flourishing endeavors like Big Freedia Hotel, Royal Bud, and Shade Sunglasses, and eye new genres in the entertainment industry. Freedia’s gospel album is in the works as are her plans to write a children’s book. Guests featured in Season 2 include Tamar Braxton, Cimafunk, Macy Gray, Billy Porter, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
According to NextTV, “Big Freedia Means Business will stream internationally on World of Wonder’s WOW Presents Plus and Fuse Media Shade of Black free ad-supported streaming TV channels on the same day as they premiere in the US.”
Wayne Brady: The Family Remix official trailer has been released. The series follows Wayne Brady and his experiences offstage and behind the scenes. The series will premiere on July 24 on Freeform and July 25 on Hulu.
The Freeform synopsis reads, “Everyone knows Wayne Brady — actor, comedian, host, singer and preeminent multihyphenate of this generation — but there’s more to the man seen onstage. What happens when such an iconic entertainer peels back the curtain on the realities of an unexpected life?”
Sele Leota has been appointed senior creative producer by Entropico, the Sydney, Australia, and Los Angeles-based studio. Leota served as a producer on Keeping Up with the Kardashians and contributed to MTV’s The Real World and Lifetime’s Project Runway, proving his substantial background in unscripted television. He also carried a rich background in audio storytelling after his position as co-executive producer on Lemonada Media’s Being Trans and Being Golden.
Legend Manqele has reported that his BarLeaderTV production company was forced to shut down following the company's damaged reputation stemming from “badly managed and badly behaved talent.” Legend Manqele stated that Bonang Matheba's reality show Being Bonang, was canceled due to the actress’s “bad behavior” and “unprofessionalism.” Manqele detailed that BarLeaderTV didn't owe Bonang money. BarLeaderTV claimed production rights for the reality show Living the Dream with Somizi from its second season. BarLeader TV later produced Somizi & Mohale: The Union, filmed for the 2020 MultiChoice’s Showman video streamer. Legend Manqele stated that he paid the South African Revenue Service (SARS) instead of paying the reality couple their R1.5 million because Somizi Mhlongo owed money to SARS. Since the payment agreement was with SARS and BarLeaderTV was shut down, Manqele announced the production company owed Somizi Mhlongo no money. He also reported that M-Net for Showmax’s Somizi & Mohale: The Union owed money to BarLeaderTV, but the money wasn’t received after “certain things went down at M-Net.”
Legend Manqele said Bonang Matheba “was paid for her show. At times, she was paid late or the following month because she wouldn't arrive to shoots, or we would find ourselves on set and she wasn't there. Or we had to extend our hours into the night because she forgot. She wasn't being managed well and she wasn't necessarily professional.”
Keke Jabbar, Reality TV Personality of Love & Marriage: Huntsville, has passed away at age 42. Marcella Speaks, a YouTube vlogger, reported Jabbar’s death and read a statement from Jabbar’s family, affirming the reality star died “peacefully at home surrounded in love.”
Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience - bbc
Competitive Series: An exclusive first look at the new gaming series The Anonymous is here. The premiere date and the full cast list of contestants competing through a mix of in-person and virtual gameplay to win $100,000 have been announced. The cast list includes Xavier E. Prather, Big Brother 23 winner; Nina Twine, Australian Survivor alum. Other contestants include Marcel Cunningham, Frelow, Robbie Jade Lew, and Tyrenna Tolbert. The Anonymous launches on August 19 with a three-episode premiere on USA Network at 11 P.M. ET.
RuPaul Charles was among those listed in the Top 45 Reality TV producers of 2024. With the airing of Season 16 this year, RuPaul’s Drag Race had its highest-rated season premiere in six years.
As RuPaul Charles is announced as a Top Producer, the first-ever RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars is ready for the curtains to be drawn. Coming to Paramount+ on August 16, the series features 12 queens from across the globe competing for a $200,000 grand prize. Host RuPaul Charles leads the panel of judges with resident judge Michelle Visage and choreographer Jamal Sims. Stars across the international franchise will be involved in the judge’s panel. In addition, MTV and World of Wonder, the production company, have collaborated with All Out to endorse a $100,000 donation to start the new Drag Saves the World Fund. All Out is an international organization that fights to protect LGBTQ+ rights globally.
“The world is not ready for RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars,” said RuPaul Charles in a statement. “Twelve queens representing their home countries raises the stakes to a whole new level. Plus, the international mix of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent will, pardon my French, blow your f***ing minds.”
BBC has acquired Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience for UK audiences. K-pop mogul Hee Jun Yoon will be featured in the series to lead and evaluate the contestants’ efforts. The six-part series will document five UK contestants who will be flown to South Korea and are set to experience a demanding 100-day K-pop training course that includes strenuous voice, choreography, and performance lessons that will push the contestants in anticipation of emerging as the world’s new biggest boy band. Contestants will also be doused in Korean life and K-pop culture. Moon&Back Media is producing the series in collaboration with SM Entertainment & Kakao Entertainment. The series will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer this summer 2024. ITV Studios will cover distribution internationally for the format and the show.
Nigel Hall, co-founder of Moon&Back Media said: “Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience combines best in class from both K-pop and global entertainment production worlds. Forming a British boy band, schooling them through the unrivaled rigors of the K-pop process, and launching them on the global stage is creating both a world first and unmissable television.”
Drag superstar Plastique Tiara, deemed “The Pride of Vietnam,” has signed with UTA. The signing includes assistance in obtaining a new range of opportunities across television, digital, music, and more. Originally from Ho Chi Minh City, Plastique consistently integrates her Vietnamese-American heritage into her art. Plastique stars on season nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars on MTV, competing with other contestants for a charity of their choice for the first time in the series’s history. Plastique endorses Asian and Vietnamese charities diligently, supporting Vietnamese orphanages with visits and donations. She competes on the reality series actively raising money for the Asian American Foundation. On August 8, Plastique will set off on a 31-date tour with co-starring drag queens, beginning in Seattle and headlining dates across the US, South America, Asia, and Europe.
Jenn Tran, an Asian American woman of Vietnamese descent and star of The Bachelorette Season 21, called out the reality show for a lack of Asian men in the dating competition. Tran gave voice to mark the importance of inclusivity.
“I can’t really speak to the casting process and the decisions that were made, but it is unfortunate that there weren’t a lot of Asian men this season,” Tran told Glamour in an interview. “Asian men haven’t always seen themselves in this position, and I am hoping that me being here and [contestant] Thomas N. being there, that the both of us can inspire other Asian men to realize that they can do this too if they want. They can be in this position as well. I’m hoping that it inspires them.”
The partnership between Channel 4 and a funeral company presented a UK digital miniseries titled Celebrity Send Off. The series focuses on three celebrity duos who plan each other’s funerals. Cast in the series are British broadcaster (and former athlete) Kriss Akabusi and his daughter Shakira, Gogglebox’s Marcus Luther and his wife Mica Ven, and Happy Mondays lead singer Shaun Ryder and DJ Bez. The celebs will have a tough but open conversation about what they envision for their funeral with advice from Co-op Funeralcare before their partners begin planning. The series began July 3 on Channel 4’s YouTube channel with a new episode dropping each week.
“Experiencing my own funeral arranged by Bez was a surreal moment to say the least,” said Ryder. “I always thought I’d have a burial, but Bez thought I’d go for a cremation. However, I loved his ideas. What I had in my own head and seeing what Bez created for me made me appreciate the importance of having open conversations about funeral wishes as it’s not something we really do.”
The Netflix dating series Perfect Match has been renewed for a third season.
Per the Netflix synopsis, “Winning couples gain power in the game to bring in new singles to match with their castmates – setting up potential love matches or stirring trouble in paradise as they compete to be the strongest couple at the villa, crowned the Perfect Match.”
Tamyra Mensah-Stock - Harry How
Sports: Tamyra Mensah-Stock, under the ring name Tyra Mae Steele, made her in-ring televised debut with WWE, facing Wren Sinclair. Tamyra Mensah-Stock became the Olympic champion at 68 kilograms, making history at the Tokyo Olympics. She has been honored as the first black woman to win gold in freestyle wrestling, and in 2022, won her second world title at the World Championship in Belgrade, Serbia. In March, Tamyra Mensah-Stock defeated Breanna Covington in her first match at an NXT house show in Melbourne, Florida. The company has been widely questioned for why Tamyra Mensah-Stock was given a ring name.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer wrote, “The feeling is that the average WWE fan doesn’t know her name, so they should give her a name they know, unlike with Jade Cargill, where the idea was that the average WWE fan already knows her name and that name has cache.” Meltzer continued, “For a long time, they didn’t show interest, and the reason they did was because of the gold medal.”
Stephanie Vaquer has signed a deal with WWE and NXT. This signing comes after Vaquer dropped the NJPW Strong Women’s Title to Mercedes Mone at Forbidden Door last month. She made her WWE debut, defeating Isla Dawn, on July 13th.
Damon Kemp, brother of Gable Steveson, announced his departure from WWE. Kemp signed with WWE in August 2021. His departure comes from the non-renewal of his contract rather than a round of WWE cuts. Kemp was widely regarded for his skilled performances tied with his experience level.
NBA finalizes media rights deals that will broadcast NBA games to NBC, Peacock, Prime Video, and ESPN (including its associated properties). Disney and Warner hold current NBA media rights, though the contract concludes after the upcoming 2024-2025 season. Though Warner has been showing NBA games since 1989, the cable company maintained an offer for a smaller package of games to be shown by their cable networks. With the newly finalized media rights deal, the NBA now holds a larger broadcasting field.
Magilla Entertainment signed a deal with the new boxing organization Team Combat League (TCL); the league launched in 2023. TCL is the sole boxing league with teams. Currently, the league has twelve teams based out of major US markets and combines talent from rising boxers with talent from seasoned boxing veterans. TCL sees 30 games in its regular season, followed by the championship tournament, Mega Brawl.
“We are thrilled that we will have access to Magilla Entertainment’s experience and creativity to tell the stories of our resilient fighters,” said Dewey Cooper, President of Team Combat League. “TCL’s innovative event structure has disrupted the professional boxing industry, and our fighters are the backbone of our league; they make great personal sacrifices to be able to compete in their craft and represent their cities. I personally can’t wait to see Magilla’s expertise in action.”
Love is blind - netflix
Industry: According to a new study, men continuously outnumber women when it comes to how reality shows are created. In positions such as executive producers, supervising producers, and show creators, men cover 58.4% while women cover 41.5%. This study was conducted over three years (2021–2023) across the US, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and France by the Geena Davis Institute, Banijay Entertainment, and Everywoman Studios. Across the four studied countries, reality TV creators are 73.7% men compared to 25.7% women. The difference is more significant in the US, with 80.6% men compared with 16.1% women. The study specifically focused on reality programs with either a consistent cast throughout the series/season or consistent storytelling over several episodes. The Real Housewives franchise, Below Deck, Surviving R. Kelly, Lego Masters, and MasterChef were among the series included in the study. In good news, the percentage of female executive producers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and France has increased by nearly 10%, from 36.6% in 2021 to 46.0% in 2023. More gender diversity is also seen across the four countries in supervising producer positions, with 50.9% men and 49.1% women.
