Kathleen Finch Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

A potential writers strike would be incredibly harmful for many in Hollywood, but there’s one sector of the entertainment industry that is quietly optimistic that it could lead to a boom for them – the unscripted television makers.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery cable warrior Kathleen Finch is heading into her Super Bowl: the holiday season at Food Network.

Variety, in wake of the exit of network head Pola Changnon this week. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav had been considering bringing in De Luca and Abdy for some time, insiders said, to rely on their cinephile instincts and shape the best possible programming slate for the channel — one beloved by Hollywood titans and film fans for its showcase of film history. TCM will still exist with the US Networks Group run by Kathleen Finch. While De Luca and Abdy will advise, a senior executive in charge of operations is expected to be named in the future. Warner Bros. Discovery had no comment on the matter.

layoffs of several other members of the network’s top brass amid cuts of 100 staffers across Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S.

The Los Angeles Times that he keeps TCM on one of the screens in his editing suite while he’s working.“It gives me something to turn to, to bounce off of, to rest in, to reinvigorate my thinking — just glancing at some image or combination of images at a certain moment,” he told the outlet. “It’s more like a presence in the room, a reminder of film history as a living, ongoing entity.”“I fear for the future of TCM,” he added at the time. “So does everyone else I know who loves movies.”Zaslav himself touted the network when joined Spielberg and Anderson at the 14th TCM Classic Film Festival in April.

More top brass from Turner Classic Movies are on their way out as Warner Bros. Discovery layoffs are underway across the conglomerate’s TV division, TheWrap has learned.

Pola Changnon, who runs Turner Classic Movies (TCM), is the latest executive to leave as part of the Warner Bros. Discovery shakeup.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Warner Bros. Discovery has begun implementing layoffs in its domestic cable group, cuts that will affect about 100 employees across legacy Discovery and Turner outlets. Amid the shuffle, TCM general manager Pola Changnon is leaving the classic movie channel after more than 25 years with TCM and Turner. Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Family and Boomerang, will oversee TCM, as he did prior to the Warner Bros.-Discovery merger in 2022. The plan for layoffs across Warner Bros. Discovery’s major divisions were signaled late last year when the company faced extreme financial pressure amid rising losses from its streaming operations and the weakening macroeconomy. WBD’s domestic cable channels — including Discovery, TNT, TBS, TLC, HGTV, Food Network and CNN — were once the envy of the industry in terms of viewership and profitability. But the fast-changing pay TV marketplace and the rise of on-demand streaming has upended the reliable cable TV earnings power that made the former Time Warner a dynamo in the 1990s and early 2000s.

EXCLUSIVE: As Deadline revealed in May, Warner Bros. Discovery is undergoing another round of layoffs in its television business and it’s starting today.

Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramírez are part of the Bey hive! The Mexican-American singer and actress and the Venezuelan actor were seen together at Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour concert in Paris. Although it is unknown how the two met, Elle Magazine reported that Selena is starting principal photography for French director Jacques Audiard’s new musical crime comedy Emilia Perez, which also stars Karla Sofia Gascón and Zoe Saldaña.It was reported by Variety that the film’s production was delayed by scheduling conflicts, and while it seems both Selena and Zoe had been busy with other projects, the pair began shooting this Spring.Selena Gomez’s to host two new cooking shows in the Food NetworkGloria Estefan shares her feelings about being inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of FameBeyoncé brings out Blue Ivy to perform in front of 80,000 people in Paris, FranceDespite being unknown if Edgar is involved in the project, speculations of him being part of the highly anticipated crime comedy cast began circulating.

Selena Gomez makes for a charming presence in the kitchen. The singer and actress has been involved in “Selena + Chef” for four seasons, showing her willingness to learn and mess up when faced with some food prep.

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. Discovery is set to undergo another round of layoffs in its television business.

Selena Gomez is joining Food Network to front two new shows. The 30-year-old star received an Emmy nomination when she hosted 'Selena + Chef' for HBOMax and will now be expanding on her culinary prowess when she presents two new shows for the cookery network, with the first set to debut later this year and a second series to follow in 2024. Chairman and chief content officer of U.

TBS is revisiting Dinner and a Movie, its classic cooking and entertainment show that ran for 16 years on the network.

The Lazarus Project, a British drama series starring I May Destroy You’s Paapa Essiedu, doesn’t launch until next month on TNT.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large As Amazon Freevee’s hoax reality series “Jury Duty” is currently garnering huge amounts of attention, the format originator is staging a comeback. TBS is set to announce Wednesday that it has ordered a revival of “The Joe Schmo Show,” which will air next year on the cabler. The original “Joe Schmo” premiered in 2003 on Spike TV, with a follow-up in 2004 and then a third season revival in 2013. Created by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (both of whom went on to a successful screenwriting career, including the “Deadpool” films), “Joe Schmo” made waves when it first debuted for parodying the then-relatively new and white-hot reality competition genre.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Food Network has ordered two new series hosted by Selena Gomez as part of its upcoming programming slate. The first show from the “Only Murders in the Building” star, who also hosts cooking series “Selena + Chef” at HBO Max (soon to just be Max), will be a “celebration-focused series” debuting during the holiday season later this year. In 2024, Gomez will launch a show that sees her going to other chefs’ kitchens for a change. The untitled project will feature Gomez “meeting up with some of the best chefs in the country in a quest to cook their most popular dishes when she visits their kitchens.” A source tells Variety these new shows are unrelated to “Selena + Chef,” which has not yet been renewed for a fifth season at Max.

J. Kim Murphy Investigation Discovery has partnered with Michael Bay, with the filmmaker slated to executive produce a new true crime documentary series for the network. Kathleen Finch, chairman and chief content officer for the U.S. Networks Group at Warner Bros. Discovery, made the announcement Wednesday morning during the company’s Upfront presentation. The series is set to premiere in 2024 and will “expose a terrifying, yet little known, true crime story.” “When Michael Bay first approached us to collaborate on a true crime project, we instantly knew we wanted to join forces,” Jason Sarlanis, president of crime and investigative content for linear and streaming at ID, said in a statement. “Michael Bay is an incredibly dynamic filmmaker and producer whose vision and storytelling appeals to audiences far and wide. This partnership will be the perfect addition to our blockbuster nights on ID.” 

Selena Gomez is joining the Food Network.

TNT is launching a second night of professional wrestling with AEW: Collision, a live, two-hour, in-ring show, which will debut June 17 and air Saturdays. The announcement was made Wednesday by Kathleen Finch, Chairman and Chief Content Officer, US Networks Group, Warner Bros. Discovery, during the company’s 2023 Upfront presentation at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Joe Schmo Show has been in the cultural lexicon in recent months following the successful launch of Amazon Freeve prank show Jury Duty.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor A lot of TV companies are judged by how quickly they can introduce new shows. Warner Bros. Discovery thinks it may find some gains by developing new ways to introduce audiences to series and content that already exists The strategy has been playing out in open view on some of the company’s biggest cable networks. Audiences watching NBA basketball games have been pushed to sample series such as Food Network’s “Tournament of Champions,” HGTV’s “Rock The Block” and Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch.” And some portion decided to follow the programs back to their original homes for more. According to company research, 12% of TNT sports viewers who sampled “Tournament” went on to watch it on Food Network. Likewise, 10% of basketball fans that tried “Rock The Block” followed it to HGTV while 7% of viewers who tested “Deadliest Catch” watched more of it on Discovery.

While Harry Potter and Game of Thrones may have scored the biggest headlines at this morning’s newly rebranded Max launch event, one of the more understated nuggets was the handful of unscripted originals coming to the service.

Warner Bros. Discovery disappointed the children’s TV industry last year when it pulled a number of shows from HBO Max, signaling an exit from this part of the business.

“We’re optimistic that we can that we can get through this in a way that’s fair to all parties,” said Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav today of  negotiations between the Writers Guild and the studios and risk of a strike by the scribes.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery finally revealed the plans (and confirmed the long-rumored name) for its new streaming service, Max, which will combine offerings from HBO Max and Discovery+ into one product, during a splashy press presentation on the Warner Bros. Studio lot Wednesday. The event kicked off at 10 a.m. at the iconic Burbank location, presided over by WBD CEO David Zaslav, president and CEO of global streaming and games JB Perrette, HBO and HBO Max CEO and chairman Casey Bloys (who now also has oversight of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network), and U.S. networks group chairman and chief content officer Kathleen Finch. Variety is on the scene, ready to fill you in on all the details about the new streamer, Warner Bros. Discovery’s direct-to-consumer strategy, the future of HBO and the standalone version of Discovery+.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery programming execs are trying a new experiment: Airing some iconic modern-day HBO programming on basic cable, beginning with comedy “Silicon Valley” on TBS and drama “True Blood” on TNT this Saturday. As this is TV — not HBO — the shows will be edited both for content (receiving a TV-MA rating) and ad breaks. While this is not the first time HBO content has been refashioned for cable — think “Sex and the City” or “The Sopranos,” both of which were sold into syndication — it does mark a first for programming produced and aired on HBO in more recent years. (“True Blood” ended in 2014, “Silicon Valley” concluded in 2019.)

Rat in the Kitchen will not be cooking up a second season.

“We’re going to put 2022 behind us and focus on the future,” said Kathleen Finch, Chairman and Chief Content Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. Networks Group.

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline hears that a global zoom meeting was held for Warner Discovery employees this morning, on which CEO David Zaslav introduced the new DC Studios Co-Chairmen and CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran. This was their first appearance together before the company since being named to their posts on Oct. 25.

Industry veterans James Gunn and Peter Safran have been appointed to the new roles of Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of DC Studios, overseeing the overall creative direction of the DC Universe across film, TV, and animation under a single banner. Gunn and Safran will report to David Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery, and will work closely with Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, Co-Chairpersons and CEOs of Warner Bros. Film Group. The appointments will be effective on November 1. 

Ahead of tomorrow’s tipoff of the 2022-23 NBA season, Warner Bros Discovery announced contract renewals for the four hosts of TNT’s mainstay studio show Inside the NBA.

HGTV is getting into the holiday movie business this season with two flicks featuring Love it or List It’s Hilary Farr and Home Town’s Ben and Erin Napier.

HBO and HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys has a new title, Chairman and CEO, HBO and HBO Max Content.

Discovery+’s Million Dollar Wheels, the unscripted series exec produced by Jamie Foxx, is getting a linear launch on sibling linear network TNT in the latest example of corporate synergy at Warner Bros. Discovery.

Marc Graboff is leaving Warner Bros. Discovery after almost eight years at the company and its predecessor, Discovery. Inc.  Graboff, a respected veteran television business executive, just notified the company staff of his decision. A key member of the senior executive team of David Zaslav, CEO of Discovery — and now WBD —  Graboff made the transition to the combined company following the merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia. Most recently reporting to Kathleen Finch, Chairman and Chief Content Officer, US Networks Group, Graboff will leave in December after assisting with the transition.