Reality Beat: ‘Selena + Restaurant’ To Debut In May, ‘Big Brother Mzansi’ Removes Contestant
Phil mcgraw and Steve harvey - Merit Street Media
Docuseries: Family Feud host Steve Harvey officially joined award-winning author and producer Phil McGraw’s Merit Street Media as an equity partner under a new deal. As a longtime friend and partner, Harvey will co-executive produce a special series aimed at mentoring and inspiring young audiences. He will also offer production, talent development, and other services for Dr. Phil’s brand-new multi-platform media network.
“Partnering with my good friend on such an innovative network allows me to continue my mission of empowering and inspiring individuals through entertainment,” said Harvey, in a statement. “The docu-style special highlighting the impactful work of the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation is particularly close to my heart. I believe in the power of mentorship to transform lives and look forward to sharing this journey with viewers. The positive impact we can create together will be unlike anything seen before.”
Radiotopia network’s acclaimed prison-produced podcast, Ear Hustle, will be adapted into a docuseries. It will be produced by Revelations Entertainment and directed by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Erika Cohn. An independent movie production company, film producer Lori McCreary and actor Morgan Freeman founded Revelations Entertainment. Revelations Entertainment is committed to revealing the truth and elevating underserved voices. Ear Hustle centers around California’s San Quentin State Prison inmates, who find romance, grapple with a life sentence, try to parent via 15-minute phone calls, get out and start over, and more. In the new docuseries, more raw and surprising prison lives will be revealed, with deeper narratives and emotional resonance.
Actor Alfonso Ribeiro will host a new wildlife series, Jack Hanna’s Passport. It will be produced by Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG), a longtime partner of famed wildlife expert “Jungle” Jack Hanna. Starting April 6th, the show will air on weekend mornings. It will focus on Hanna’s decades-long career and his past global adventures.
“‘Jack Hanna’s Passport’ will celebrate the decades of adventures brought to audiences by the legendary wildlife ambassador Jack Hanna,” said Bryan Curb, HMPG executive vice president and general manager of education/information (E/I) programming.
The Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show premiered on March 29th on HBO and Max. The 36-year-old comedian and actor, Jerrod Carmichael, candidly discussed conflicts with his parents, friends, and new boyfriend in the eight-episode docuseries, prying apart his flaws despite his fear of the camera.
“That’s the thing about cameras, and anything you record. It does capture the truth and that’s so scary if you’re afraid of being seen. I spent so much my life hiding, and anything I’m afraid of, I want to do it. Like, I’m afraid of heights, so I went skydiving. I’m afraid of being seen, so I made a reality show,” Carmichael said in his latest interview with Variety.
New original docuseries Tia Mowry: My Next Act is set to debut on We tv. It will reveal veteran actress Tia Mowry’s post-divorce life.
“It’s been a joy watching Tia's career progress since staring on beloved series 'Sister, Sister, to culture classic The Game and films such as Baggage Claim, proving she is the epitome of a true force within the industry," said WE tv and ALLBLK head of content Brett Dismuke., “We are thrilled Tia trusted WE tv to share her unfiltered journey, giving viewers deeply personal and unapologetic access as she enters her next chapter.”
Dr. Holly Carter
Docusoap: Executive Producer & Relevé Entertainment CEO Dr. Holly Carter announced that her MergeTV network will be launched on In The Black Network (ITBN). Meanwhile, Carter mentioned slates of upcoming original programs, including Food for Thought with DeVon Franklin, Chatter, Finding My Romeo, Preachers Reunion, Preachers Wedding Edition, Katching Kierra, and more.
“We are thrilled to welcome MergeTV to the In the Black Network family, enriching our offerings with faith-based content that resonates deeply with our audience,” said Samantha Johnstone, ITBN’s COO. “This underscores our commitment to providing a platform where all Black stories and voices are celebrated and reinforces our mission to be the definitive destination of Black storytelling.”
The Real Housewives of Potomac (RHOP) star Candiace Dillard Bassett is leaving the Bravo franchise show after six seasons, saying she won’t be on season nine. However, the singer added that her RHOP exit “Is not a farewell, but a ‘see you later.’”
“As I embark on a new chapter after six remarkable years with The Real Housewives of Potomac, I am filled with gratitude for the enriching friendships, personal growth, and moments of introspection that have defined this journey,” said Dillard Bassett. “With a whirlwind of new opportunities and responsibilities on my plate, I have decided to take a break from RHOP.”
According to Bravo, the rebooted The Real Housewives of New York City (RHONY) will return for its 15th season with all six cast members. This includes Jenna Lyons, Brynn Whitfield, Erin Lichy, Sai De Silva, Jessel Taank, and Ubah Hassan. This move marks the company’s endorsement to start the series over after the disastrous season 13.
Vanderpump Rules star Faith Stowers filed a lawsuit, suing NBCUniversal for racial harassment. According to the complaint, Stowers claims that during the filming of Bravo’s reality series, fellow castmate Lala Kent held a knife to her neck and threatened to “cut a bitch.” She also mentioned that Vanderpump threatened to remove her if she couldn’t work alongside Kent. Additionally, the executive producer allegedly prevented Stowers from reporting the incident to the police. Stowers claims that she faced frequent racial slurs and was mocked on set.
Levar Burton
Game Shows: Rorisang Thandekiso will make television history by hosting the South African version of Wheel of Fortune, Wheel of Fortune SA. Produced by Homebrew Films and Primedia Studios, the 260-episode game show will air on weekdays on SABC3 at 19:30.
“Rorisang radiates all the attributes required to hold the reins of this world-famous word-quiz game show," said Lala Tuku, the SABC's acting head of video entertainment. “She comes with gravitas and years of experience in front of the camera but also embodies a unique mix of sparkle, confidence, and calmness. Furthermore, we're thrilled to break the mould with a powerful female host. It fits in with SABC's mission to celebrate diversity and put the spotlight on women.”
LeVar Burton will serve as host and executive producer of Trivial Pursuit, a game show on The CW, after lengthy negotiations between the two parties since last fall. Burton will attend the Nexstar/CW upfronts where this news will be made public.
Tennis Channel - Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sports: Eligible Spectrum customers who subscribe to internet and mobile services within the Dodgers’ home television territory now get access to 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers regular season games, exclusively on Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles) (formerly Time Warner Cable). Spectrum will provide free streaming services for these customers to watch pre and postgame coverage and game replays via MLB.com and the digital app.
“We are constantly exploring ways to maximize value for our customers,” said Sharon Peters, Executive VP for Spectrum’s parent company Charter Communications. “This innovative offer enhances Spectrum’s suite of connectivity products and services for both new and existing customers, while also extending the availability of Dodgers games to more fans in the LA area, on us.”
According to Sinclair Broadcast Group, its free ad-supported TV (FAST) T2 channel under Tennis Channel will use the NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) standard.
“With this new NextGen broadcast platform that Sinclair is leading the way in introducing, people all over the country will have more ways to watch live, top-tier professional sports around the clock, with the best players in the world, all year long,” said Ken Solomon, Tennis Channel CEO. “This means hours and hours of daily, continuous play and original programming that only exists on T2.”
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is expanding its live sports content with Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships). Under the new deal, Bellator Champions Series: Belfast is available on Max.
“We are thrilled to partner with Professional Fighters League (PFL) to introduce a new live sport to the U.S. Warner Bros. Discovery content portfolio,” said Josh Walker, WBD streaming chief financial & strategy officer. “The addition of Bellator Champions Series offers our viewers an opportunity to experience highly anticipated mixed martial arts, nicely complementing our robust slate of can’t miss programming.”
Surviving bankruptcy, Sinclair-owned Diamond Sports Group is extending its carriage contract with Charter Communications for multiple years. Under the new deal, Bally Sports content will be carried in the Spectrum TV Select Plus plan for $74.99 every month.
“Extending our distribution relationship with Charter is a key milestone and an important part of our go-forward plan, as we remain focused on restructuring the company and moving forward as a sustainable, profitable business,” said David Preschlack, Diamond CEO. “We expect this agreement to generate value for Diamond, Charter and our team and league partners, and enable us to continue providing high-quality broadcasts for passionate local fans. We believe this agreement can serve as a model in the ongoing time-sensitive negotiations with our other distribution partners to reach carriage agreements that work for all parties.”
As Diamond Sports Group files bankruptcy, Bally Sports is rebranded, and Warner Bros. Discovery exits from its regional sports network (RSN), local stations are taking advantage of the current momentum by snapping up pro-sports rights. However, still, direct-to-consumer streamers may be more viable options, as local broadcasters may be edged out and short-lived in the market.
“Broadcast right now is a near-term solution for the teams, but eventually sports will follow the money and play on the most lucrative platforms,” television analyst John Mansell said.
Likewise, Amazon Prime Video signed a multiyear contract with WNBA for exclusive media rights of this season’s 21 games, including the 2024 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“We’re thrilled to continue bringing exclusive national coverage of the WNBA and highlighting these exceptional athletes to Prime members,” said Charlie Neiman, head of sports partnerships at Prime Video. “Following a successful 2023 season, we’re looking forward to reaching even more milestones with the WNBA and furthering our commitment to women’s sports.”
The CW Television Network will exclusively broadcast the final eight races of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series this fall. It will begin September 20th and last through November 9th. Initially, the NBC Sports-produced series was set to run on USA Network. In addition, the CW will be able to air the series from 2025 to 2031.
“As The CW prepares to be the new broadcast home of the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025, we want to thank our partners at the league and at NBC Sports for welcoming the network into the NASCAR broadcast family and for the early opportunity to showcase these thrilling final eight Xfinity Series races of the season,” The CW president Dennis Miller said. “We can’t wait to give racing fans an early preview of all the exciting action the NASCAR Xfinity Series has to offer on The CW and we look forward to establishing the network as a new destination for live motorsports.”
Eulanda "Yolanda" Monyai - Big Brother Mzansi
Competitive Series: South African Big Brother’s reboot reality series, Big Brother Mzansi, removed another contestant, Eulanda "Yolanda" Monyai. Monyai’s removal occurred after she said she was ready to sexually assault another contestant, reportedly saying “I want to molest her.” She also reportedly stated, “I am going to rape (Papa) Ghost. I'm going to force myself into his bed.”
The M-Net marketing team responded on social media, saying “We do not condone any acts that threaten the safety of the housemates on the show, and we take Gender Based Violence seriously. Therefore, the housemate who made the threatening remarks (Yolanda) has been disqualified from the game.”
UK-based baking competition series The Great British Bake Off (also known as The Great British Baking Show) is likely to be renewed on Channel 4. The broadcaster has signed a new contract with Love Productions, the production company behind the hit. Although there is speculation that Netflix is a possible suitor to obtain media rights of the cooking program on its platform in the U.S., the streaming service denied the whole conversation.
A new syndicated daily game show, Flip Side, will be produced by CBS Media Ventures and Game Show Enterprises Studios under a new partnership deal. The series will first premiere in syndication on stations nationwide and then get a second run on the Game Show Network.
“Flip Side is a project that we have been developing for over a year for the syndication marketplace,” said Wendy McMahon, President and CEO of CBS News and local TV Stations and CBS Media Ventures. “Bringing Game Show Enterprises Studios on as a creative partner was an intriguing proposition to us — it creates a new business model for a daily syndicated show and will boost the show’s exposure out of the gate with the second run on Game Show Network. We’re excited to work together to make Flip Side a success on both platforms.”
The second season of House Of Villains, an E! competition show, has revealed its cast members. They include season one star Tiffany “New York” Pollard, Bad Girls Club star Camilla Poindexter, Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta star Safaree Lloyd Samuels, and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Kandy Muse. Hosted by Joel McHale, the new season is set to premiere this fall.
Selena Gomez - Selena + Restaurant / Food network
Lifestyle: OWN’s new dating series, The Never Ever Mets, will premiere on April 19th. Seven couples, who fall in love through online dating and never meet in real life, will face relationship challenges as they move in under one roof and date in person.
Only Murders in the Building star Selena Gomez’s new cooking series, Selena + Restaurant, will debut on May 2nd on Food Network and Max. Different from Selena + Chef, which was fully shot in her own kitchen during the pandemic, the new six-episode show will explore multiple restaurants in Los Angeles. Gomez and her best friend, Raquelle Stevens, will learn in person from chefs. They will meet Shirley Chung at Ms. Chi, Keith Corbin at Alta, Stephanie Izard at Girl & the Goat, Andrew, and Michelle Muñoz at Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Wolfgang Puck at CUT, and Marcel Vigneron at Lemon Grove.
“Selena’s culinary journey has riveted viewers from day one as she has elevated her kitchen skills on her Emmy-nominated series, ‘Selena + Chef,’” said Betsy Ayala, Food Network chief. “Now, out of the comfort of her home kitchen, but with her best friend for support, Selena’s graduation to the big leagues offers a natural progression of her culinary education as this superstar shows what she can do in a restaurant environment.”
BET Plus extends its partnership with actress and comedian Patricia ‘Ms. Pat’ Williams, whose courtroom series, Ms. Pat Settles It, has been renewed for a second season. The Ms. Pat Show is set to return for a fourth season on May 23rd.
Season four of the popular series Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog premiered on April 12th. This season Cesar Millan, aka the Dog Whisperer, acts as a “matchmaker,” helping families find and adopt the right dog.
“I train people; I don’t train dogs,” Millan said. “I rehabilitate dogs.”
