Maria Menounos to Launch New Talk Series and Game Show on ReachTV (TV News Roundup)
Maria Menounos’ new show “Maria: Discover More” is set to launch on ReachTV. The magazine style talk series will play daily at 2,400 gates at 90 airports and 500 thousand hotel rooms. It will cover travel, wellness, beauty, cooking, fashion, finance and entertainment.
In addition to “Maria: Discover More,” Menounos will also host and produce “Maria At the Airport Trivia” for ReachTV. The new game show is designed for families to play along while waiting for flights.
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“My passion today is to work on content that is either of service or fun and with ReachTV and the shows Keven [Undergaro] created, I get to do both,” said Menounos.
In other TV roundup news:
PROGRAMMING
Comedy series “Bob Hearts Abishola,” from creator, executive producer and writer Chuck Lorre, will launch nationwide in syndication beginning in the fall. The series was sold by Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales, joining fellow Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre–produced comedies in syndication: “The Big Bang Theory,” “Young Sheldon” and “Two and a Half Men.”
The show’s logline reads: “‘Bob Hearts Abishola’ is a love story about Bob (Billy Gardell), a middle-aged compression sock businessman from Detroit who unexpectedly fell for his cardiac nurse, Abishola (Folake Olowofoyeku), a Nigerian immigrant, while recovering from a heart attack, and set his sights on winning her over. Undaunted by Abishola’s lack of initial interest or the vast differences in their backgrounds, Bob was determined to win her heart, and eventually married her, in this comedic examination of immigrant life in America.”
The final season of “Bob Hearts Abishola” currently airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS and produced by Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Chuck Lorre, Gina Yashere and Matt Ross serve as executive producers for the series. “Bob Hearts Abishola” will air in Nexstar markets along with stations from Sinclair, Hearst, Tegna, Scripps, Weigel, Sunbeam, Gray, Mission, Lockwood and Bahakel.
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Season 3 of Prime Video’s “The Outlaws” will be released May 31. The five episode season comes from creator, star, writer and director Stephen Merchant and follows a group of strangers forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol.
Merchant returns as Greg, along with Rhianne Barreto as Rani, Gamba Cole as Ben, Darren Boyd as John, Clare Perkins as Myrna, Eleanor Tomlinson as Lady Gabby, Jessica Gunning as Diane, Charles Babalola as Malaki, Tom Hanson as Spencer and Christopher Walken as Frank.
The series is a Big Talk and Four Eyes production co-created by Merchant and Elgin James. Luke Alkin, Kenton Allen, and Matthew Justice also serve as executive producers for Big Talk, along with John Butler. “The Outlaws” is co-produced by BBC One and Amazon Studios. Global distribution is handled by BBC Studios for all three seasons.
EXECUTIVE NEWS
Scout Productions has named entertainment and media executive David Marker as its vice president of development. Marker is an unscripted development executive and producer with over fifteen years of experience in the industry.
Since joining Scout Productions in 2021, Marker has developed and sold series including Peacock’s “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning,” with Amy Poehler, Hulu’s paranormal series “Living for the Dead” with Kristen Stewart and design competition series “OMG Fashun” with Julia Fox.
Prior to working at Scout Productions, Marker produced and wrote on non-scripted television, streaming, live and digital productions for over 10 years. He started his career at The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and went on to produce series for ABC, Travel Channel, BET and H2.
ACQUISITIONS
ID8 Multimedia has acquired the screen rights to “Malibu Burning,” the mystery thriller by author Lee Goldberg.
The 2023 bestseller follows two Los Angeles County arson investigators who suspect that a massive wildfire raging through the Santa Monica mountains is part of an elaborate heist by a professional thief and his skilled crew.
Derek Dudley and Shelby Stone, producers of “The Chi” and “Horror Noir,” will executive produce the adaptation alongside Goldberg and talent manager Craig Dorfman.
FIRST LOOKS/TRAILERS
Disney+ has released the official trailer for Ron Howard’s upcoming documentary “Jim Henson Idea Man,” which explores the life and career of prolific filmmaker and artist Jim Henson.
Produced with the full cooperation of the Henson family, the documentary will feature interviews with personal friends and collaborators, and unveil archival home movies, photographs, sketches and Henson’s diary entries.
“Jim Henson Idea Man” is produced by Imagine Documentaries. Howard also serves as a producer alongside Brian Grazer, Sara Bernstein, Margaret Bodde, Justin Wilkes, Mark Monroe and Christopher St. John. Paul Crowder, Meredith Kaulfers and Michael Rosenberg serve as executive producers.
“Jim Henson Idea Man” premieres on Disney+ May 31. Watch the trailer below.
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The trailer for “Broomgate: A Curling Scandal,” a new podcast about the sport of curling was released on Wednesday. The first two episodes are set to debut on May 6 with the remaining four episodes dropping weekly after that.
The podcast follows comedian John Cullen explaining a secret scandal that involves curling.
“Part of the reason behind this specific idea was to bring a curling story to a mainstream audience, and I think this is the perfect story to do that with. There’s something for everyone: human drama, athletic excellence, and the perseverance of a community that had to wrestle with modernity in a way it never had before,” Cullen said. “I think curling is the greatest sport in the world and I hope everyone who listens enjoys a glimpse into our beautiful little world.”
“Broomgate: A Curling Scandal,” is produced by Kelly & Kelly, Pacific Electric for CBC and USG Audio, a division of Universal Studio Group. It’s executive producers include Mike Falbo and Ed Helms.
See a preview here: https://link.chtbl.com/mPbi5yKi
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