‘The Problem With Jon Stewart’ Head Writer Chelsea Devantez Signs Multi-Year Overall Deal at 20th Television

Disney’s former boss has some opinions about the media.

“Look, people are not held accountable for inaccuracies, so there’s that issue,” former Disney kingpin Bob Iger says of the news media business today.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer“Killing Eve” star Jodie Comer is set to star in drama series “Big Swiss” from producer Adam McKay, which is currently in the development stage at HBO.The project is based on Jen Beagin’s upcoming book of the same name and will be produced by A24 and McKay’s Hyperobject Industries.Here’s the description for “Big Swiss”: After starting a new life anonymously transcribing sex therapy sessions in Hudson, NY, a woman becomes fixated with one of the patients, leading to an obsessive, explosive relationship between the two.Deadline first reported the news.More to come…

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterABC Signature has signed a two-year overall deal with Tony McNamara, the Oscar- and Emmy-nominated writer who created Hulu’s “The Great” and penned films “The Favourite” and Disney’s “Cruella.”Under the pact, McNamara will develop and supervise projects for the Disney Television Studios-owned division.“Tony’s work on ‘The Great’ and ‘Cruella’ is sly, subversive and delicious, and we made it our mission to get this spectacular talent to our studio,” ABC Signature president Jonnie Davis said in a statement Wednesday. “Thankfully, he said ‘yes.’ We’re so excited to support him in whatever he wants to do next.”McNamara is the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated series “The Great” on Hulu, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, which is based on his stage play.

EXCLUSIVE: The Blacklist showrunner John Eisendrath is extending his relationship with Sony Pictures Television, the studio behind the long-running NBC drama. He has signed a new three-year overall deal with Sony TV through 2025.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterDwayne Johnson’s autobiographical NBC comedy “Young Rock” has cast “Ballers” actor Arlyn Broche as a very personal character in The Rock’s life: Dany Garcia, his college sweetheart-turned-ex-wife-and-business-partner, Variety has learned exclusively.Per the official description for the character, who will be a recurring guest star on the upcoming second season of “Young Rock,” Dany is compassionate and caring while also being a disciplined athlete and future CEO. She starts as Dwayne’s college sweetheart at Miami, but soon becomes a guiding force in his life as he contemplates embracing the grind of professional wrestling.Broche is best known for her breakout role as Tonya on Season 2 of HBO’s “Ballers,” starring alongside Johnson and Andy Garcia on the show, which was produced by Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks banner.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterWarnerMedia has been owned by telco giant AT&T for less than four years and it will soon have a new parent company — likely by the end of next month.Discovery’s shareholder vote on the acquisition of WarnerMedia is set for today during a special meeting of stockholders set for 10 a.m. ET. The deal is expected to get an easy thumbs-up given the approval already bestowed by Discovery’s oldest and most influential holders, investor John Malone and Advance/Newhouse Co.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterThe “Vikings: Valhalla” team is already hard at work on a second and third season following the launch of the Netflix historical drama series.“Valhalla,” a followup to the History Channel’s original series “Vikings,” previously received a 24-episode series order from the streaming service, which Netflix confirms will now be broken into three, eight-episode seasons. Jeb Stuart will return as creator, showrunner and executive producer for both upcoming seasons, along with stars Sam Corlett (Leif Eriksson), Frida Gustavsson (Freydis Eriksdotter) and Leo Suter (Harald Sigurdsson), among others, reprising their roles.“Vikings: Valhalla” chronicles the heroic adventures of some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived — the legendary explorer Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), his fiery and headstrong sister Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson), and the ambitious Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter).

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterThe Scott Foley-led drama “The Big Leap” has been canceled after just one season at Fox, Variety has learned.A modern tale about second chances, chasing your dreams and taking back what’s yours,”The Big Leap” revolves around a group of diverse, down-on-their-luck characters attempting to change their lives by participating in a potentially life-ruining reality dance show featuring a modern reimagining of “Swan Lake.”“The Big Leap” starred Scott Foley, Teri Polo, Piper Perabo, Simone Recasner, Kevin Daniels, Ser’Darius Blain, Jon Rudnitsky, Mallory Jansen and Anna Grace Barlow.The drama from creator/executive producer Liz Heldens (“The Passage,” “Friday Night Lights”), director/executive producer Jason Winer (“Modern Family,” “Perfect Harmony”) and executive producer Sue Naegle (“Soundtrack,” “The Plot Against America”) premiered as part of Fox’s fall lineup. It averaged a 0.4 rating among the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic and 2.8 million multiplatform viewers throughout its 11-episode run in Nielsen’s Live + Same Day data, which counts a week’s worth of delayed viewing where available.

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios has inked its first major factual multi-year content deal in Italy with Mediaset, the country’s top private generalist TV network. The BBC’s long-term agreement with Mediaset covers first-window exclusive pre-sales in Italy of its natural history shows including its upcoming “Frozen Planet II,” “Dynasties II” and “Planet Earth III.” The Mediaset package deal also comprises providing an additional annual 25 hours of content for Mediaset’s Focus Channel, for an unspecified number of years.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterSelwyn Seyfu Hinds has signed an overall deal with UCP, which will see him adapt the Civil War graphic novel series “The Sixth Gun” into a TV series for the Universal Studio Group-owned studio.Under the pact, Hinds will produce projects across various platforms through his production company Mad Massive Entertainment. First up is “The Sixth Gun,” based on the graphic novels from Oni Press by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt.Per UCP’s description for the potential show, “During the darkest days of the Civil War, vile men unearthed six pistols of otherworldly power.

In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass legislation to extend comprehensive health benefits to veterans who suffered toxic exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Chelsea Devantez, who was previously head writer on The Problem with Jon Stewart, has signed an overall deal with 20th Television.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterFox’s animation house Bento Box Entertainment has signed a development deal with former TruTV executives Chris Linn and Marissa Ronca, and their consulting firm Contrast Media.Under the pact, Linn and Ronca will work closely with Bento Box’s development department, advising on creative strategy, packaging and development of animated projects for Fox Entertainment and ad-supported streaming service Tubi, as well as third-party platforms.Additionally, the WarnerMedia alums — Linn the former president of TruTV and Ronca the cable network’s former executive vice president and head of original programming and development — “will offer support” regarding Bento Box’s NFT studio, Blockchain Creative Labs. “Chris and Marissa are fantastic executives whose work we’ve admired for quite some time,” Scott Greenberg, co-founder and CEO of Bento Box Entertainment, said.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterAT&T and Discovery are expecting to close Discovery’s acquisition of WarnerMedia to create new company Warner Bros. Discovery as early as mid-April, Variety has learned.According to two people familiar with the matter, with Discovery’s shareholder vote on the deal — which has already received regulatory approval from the DOJ — set for March 11, the two companies are preparing for a close between April 11-April 28.

How do I make you love me? The Weeknd and Simi Khadra were spotted kissing in Vegas, according to Hollywood Life. An Instagram video emerged of the Dawn FM singer and DJ/Model smooching at his 32nd birthday party on February 19, 2022, at the Delilah in Las Vegas. Is this solid proof that the two are a couple?

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterIna Garten’s new Discovery Plus series, “Be My Guest With Ina Garten,” has been renewed for two additional seasons ahead of its launch on March 26.The show will launch with full episodes on Discovery Plus, to be followed by a “food-centric half-hour” airing on Food Network at 12 p.m. ET, along with the debut of a companion podcast.Season 1 consists of four episodes, rolled out weekly in the same manner as the premiere.“Be My Guest With Ina Garten” features Barefoot Contessa inviting friends old and new to her East Hampton home for a day of conversation, connection, food and fun visits to some of her favorite local spots.

The Flight Attendant creator Steve Yockey is expanding his relationship with Warner Bros., signing an exclusive, multi-year overall deal with WB Television Group. Under the pact, his first with the studio, Yockey will develop, create, and produce original programming to be produced by Warner Bros. Television for all platforms, including HBO Max, external streaming services, cable, and the five broadcast networks.