The reality star revealed how little contact she has with her ex during a recent daytime talk show appearance.
19.09.2023 - 11:45 / variety.com
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor It’s easy to envision Robin Roberts sitting down for an in-depth interview with a hard-to-nab celebrity or landing a “get” with an inspirational newsmaker. How about Robin Roberts helping to solve a mystery ripped from the headlines? Such a notion is a distinct possibility thanks to a new ABC News Studios production unit that Roberts will lead.
The move is the latest by ABC News to increase the number of projects it creates not just for the Disney broadcast network, but for streaming outlets such as Hulu and Disney+ “The creation of this unit offers a unique opportunity to tell new and compelling stories in a wide range of formats, and we’ll also explore genres people might not expect from me,” Roberts tells Variety via e-mail. ABC News has steadily ramped up its production efforts in recent months, launching ABC News Studios in a bid to increase work in new content areas, including documentaries and unscripted programming.
Last year, ABC News and George Stephanopoulos tested “Power Trip,” a program that focused on young journalists tracking the 2022 midterm election, with the veteran anchor serving as a sort of eminence grise. But other outlets are doing the same — and often empowering top talent to create a range of projects that don’t always have much to do with traditional TV.
NBCUniversal struck a deal with MSNBC host Rachel Maddow that calls for podcasts and film projects, as well as a once-a-week program on the cable-news outlet (and other appearances as news warrants). Her colleague Chris Hayes is taking up similar duties, and ceding his Monday-night responsibilities on the network to a new program led by Jen Psaki.
The reality star revealed how little contact she has with her ex during a recent daytime talk show appearance.
both suspended from the channel last week, GB News confirmed today (October 4) that it had “ended its employment relationship” with both Fox and Robinson following an internal investigation.The channel said investigations into presenter Dan Wootton, who was also suspended, have “not yet been concluded”.Fox was suspended after making a series of derogatory remarks about journalist Ava Evans on Dan Wootton Tonight last Tuesday (September 28), where he said: “Show me a single self-respecting man that would like to climb into bed with that woman ever.”Laurence Fox and Calvin Robinson were both suspended last week pending internal investigations that have now concluded. As of today, GB News has ended its employment relationship with Laurence Fox and Calvin Robinson.
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor AMC Networks has joined the ranks of ad-supported streaming. The company said Thursday that it has begun rolling out an ad-supported version of its AMC+ service for broadband users, and will charge $4.99 per month for it, as opposed to the $8.99 per month it seeks for an ad-free tier.
Angelique Jackson Netflix has partnered with the Handy Foundation, an organization that connects below-the-line workers to job opportunities in the entertainment industry, on a new program focused on representation among assistant editors and production coordinators. Netflix and the Handy Foundation began piloting this program in 2022, helping train and identify talent for potential job opportunities on Netflix projects.
Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Munich-based Beta Film, one of Europe’s leading television companies, and seasoned executive Danny Goldman have joined forces to form London-based Omega Global Media, a distribution business focusing on a selection of high-end English-language TV series. The new entity’s first project is the Canadian crime series “Something Undone,” starring Billy Campbell (“Cardinal”) and Amanda Brugel (“The Handmaid’s Tale”).
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Comedy Central is going back to square one in its efforts to find a new host for “The Daily Show.” The Paramount Global cable network is considering a wider array of candidates to take the reins of the program from previous emcee Trevor Noah, according to people familiar with the matter, after having previously identified Hasan Minhaj as a leading possibility. The decision appears to come in the wake of a recent report in The New Yorker in which some of the supposedly autobiographical stories that Minhaj has used in his routines were found to be embellished. Comedy Central declined to comment, as did WME, the talent agency that represents Minhaj.
The team behind the Southlake podcast are debuting a new NBC News Studios series, Grapevine, set to debut on Oct. 4.
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Kasie Hunt left a fast-track career at NBC News in 2021 to dip her toes into digital waters at CNN. Two years later, she’s just starting to find out whether she might sink or swim. On Wednesday, Hunt will launch “State of the Race,” a new hour-long weekday show for CNN’s international service focused on U.S.
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Deborah Roberts is taking up co-anchor duties at ABC News’ “20/20,” the latest in a line of distinguished anchors that includes Barbra Walters, Hugh Downs, Diane Sawyer, Connie Chung and Elizabeth Vargas who have led the long-running newsmagazine. Roberts is no stranger to the series’ rhythms. She has been contributing to it for 28 years, ever since she joined ABC News in 1995, recruited by Barbara Walters.
Kerry Washington is getting candid.
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor A major transition at the top of a big company typically spells significant change. Just ask anyone who has worked for CNN while parent company WarnerMedia passed along to AT&T and then the new Warner Bros. Discovery.
Kerry Washington is getting candid about her mental health.
The “Scandal” alum revealed that she contemplated suicide at the height of her eating disorder.“I could feel how the abuse was a way to really hurt myself, as if I didn’t want to be here,” Washington, 46, told Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts in a sit-down preview, which aired on Thursday. “It scared me that I could not want to be here because I was in so much pain.”When asked if she considered suicide, she replied: “Yeah.
Veteran news executive and producer Mary Noonan has joined UTA. She will serve as an agent in the News & Broadcasting division based in UTA’s New York office and will report to Partner and News & Broadcasting Head Peter Goldberg.
Naman Ramachandran iHeartPodcasts and The Meteor are launching “In Retrospect,” a pop culture podcast by Emmy-winning journalist Susie Banikarim and New York Times editor Jessica Bennett. Each week on “In Retrospect,” Banikarim and Bennett revisit a pop culture moment from the 80s and 90s that shaped them, to try to understand what it taught them about the world and a woman’s place in it.
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Dan Abrams, one of the founding anchors in NewsNation’s primetime lineup, aims to continue his work at the Nexstar Media-backed outlet. Abrams and NewsNation reached a “multi-year” pact that will extend his work there, where he hosts “Dan Abrams Live” at 9 p.m.
Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts will lead a new production unit for ABC News Studios, with a dedicated staff and plans to produce nonfiction specials, series and documentaries for the network, Hulu and Disney+.
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor “Monday Night Football” was for many years a staple of ABC’s Monday-night line-up before it moved to ESPN in 2006. This fall, it will be so again. ABC will air ten more “MNF” games than previously expected this season, simulcasting then with Disney TV sibling ESPN in a move that will help the broadcast network as the industry grapples with ongoing strikes by WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor NBC News may trump its rivals when it comes to interviewing a certain former Commander-in-Chief. David Muir, Lesley Stahl, John Dickerson, Chris Wallace, Bill O’Reilly, Kaitlan Collins and Jim Acosta have all tried their hand at interviewing Donald Trump; lobbing questions at him; or moderating a debate or event in which his participation was key. Some have drawn blood and others have been bloodied (and some others left agog as Trump walked out unexpectedly).
ABC News Live will debut new hours of weekday programming on Monday, with Kayna Whitworth anchoring from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET.