Posts made in October 2021

Vivica A. Fox, Romeo Miller, Colin Egglesfield, Michelle Borth, Juliana Harkavy, Claire Coffee & George Stults headline the casts

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ATLANTA (Oct. 21, 2021) – Five new original holiday movies will premiere on ION and Bounce beginning Sunday, Nov. 21. In total, the Scripps Networks will combine to air over 200 hours of holiday movies and programming. Last year, ION ranked No. 1 among all networks airing original holiday programming. *

The new original Scripps Networks holiday movies for 2021:

Bounce
“Who is Christmas Eve?” – Premieres 8 p.m., Nov. 21
Eve Simmons (Paige Hurd, Power Book II: Ghost, Hawaii Five-O) was abandoned as an infant on the steps of a church 30 years ago on Christmas Eve. Now, struggling to move forward with her life, she embarks on a search to uncover the mystery of her birth with the help of her boyfriend Curtis (Romeo Miller, Romeo!, Empire) and famed investigative genealogist Pam Slaton (Juliana Harkavy, Arrow). The movie is inspired by actual events from Slaton’s real-life cases, and she serves as a producer.

ION
“Christmas Down Under” – Premieres 8 p.m., Nov. 21
After a fight with her husband (Paul O’Brien, Home & Away, Neighbors), a tightly wound wife (Justine Kacir, Home & Away) follows him to his hometown of Sydney, Australia, in hopes of saving their marriage. Tracking him down proves complicated, and she must rely on an Aboriginal tour guide and a social media influencer ride-share driver to help – all just days before Christmas.

“A Christmas Witness” – Premieres 8 p.m., Nov. 28
A no-nonsense federal marshal (Arielle Kebbel, Ballers, The Vampire Diaries) is tasked with protecting a low-level, charming mobster (Colin Egglesfield, Rizzoli & Isles, All My Children) until he testifies against his mafia boss two days after Christmas.

“ The Christmas Thief ” – Premieres 8 p.m., Dec. 5
Lana Lawton (Michelle Borth, Hawaii Five-O), a fledgling private eye home for the holidays, realizes the only way to save her career is by solving a string of local burglaries where the main suspect is Santa Claus. With little evidence and having to contend with a local detective with an investigative style that clashes with hers, the season may prove to be anything but holly and jolly. Vivica A. Fox co-stars as the head of a local detective agency.

“A New Lease on Christmas” – Premieres 8 p.m., Dec. 11
A single real estate agent (Clair Coffee, Grimm, Lincoln Rhymes – Hunt for the Bone Collector) falls for a handsome coffee shop owner (George Stults, 7th Heaven) – only to discover that the job she just took requires her to evict him from his shop.

In addition, Laff will air a week of primetime family-friendly holiday movies beginning Dec. 6 and Grit will present holiday-themed Westerns on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

About Scripps

The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As the nation’s fourth-largest local TV broadcaster, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of 61 stations in 41 markets. The Scripps Networks reach nearly every American through the national news outlets Court TV and Newsy and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Grit, Laff, Court TV Mystery, Defy TV and TrueReal. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”

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*Source: Nielsen Media Research, A25-54 C3 Impressions, 2020 (11/26/20 – 1/1/21), competitive set based on networks with original holiday movies, total day excluding kids programming.

‘Protect or Neglect’ world premieres Oct. 27

ATLANTA (Oct. 20, 2021) – Bounce, the first broadcast and multi-platform entertainment network serving African Americans, will explore the topic of policing and the Black community with the world premiere of “Protect or Neglect” at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, Oct. 27. The exclusive new, one-hour Bounce Original documentary will be available on Bounce’s popular subscription streaming service Brown Sugar starting Oct. 28.

“Protect or Neglect” looks at decades of turmoil between the Black community and police officers. With interviews from brutality survivors, academics, civil rights attorneys, former police staff and entertainment luminaries, the special looks to address the age-old question: “Who guards the guardians?”

“The deaths of Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Breanna Taylor, George Floyd and too many others have drawn worldwide attention, and the powerful voice of the Black Lives Matter movement has sparked a global conversation on the subject of the treatment and value of Black people in America,” said Bounce general manager Cheryle Harrison. “Bounce plays an important role in the Black community, and ‘Protect or Neglect’ was produced to amplify this discussion and let voices be heard.”

Among those interviewed in “Protect or Neglect:” Cedric The Entertainer and his daughter Lucky Kyles, political activist and former House member Stacey Abrams, retired LAPD sergeant Cheryl Dorsey, “A Million Little Things” producer Royale Watkins and the co-stars/co-executive producers of Bounce’s “Johnson,” Deji LaRay and Thomas Q. Jones.

Cedric The Entertainer talks openly with his daughter about the emotional toll she deals with watching people who look like her die at the hands and knees of police officers who took an oath to protect.

Dorsey questions the behavior displayed repeatedly towards the Black community by police officers, which, she said, will only end when those officers take responsibility for their actions and are held accountable. When it comes to the police, USC Law Professor Jody Armor vehemently recounts an experience he calls the “Black tax” – a common theme shared by the voices in the documentary.

Abrams, a former candidate for Georgia governor, shares her story of not being let into her own graduation celebration. “It’s not a figment of our imagination,” she says. Jones comments on crimes committed by police officers, while LaRay offers, “I think too many people still don’t acknowledge that abuse exists. …We have to have law enforcement that are willing to not keep this wall of silence.”

According to a Pew Research Center study, nearly 92% of white officers surveyed believe Black people in the U.S. have equal rights, compared to only 29% of Black officers. The documentary asks the question: “How much longer must the Black community go on feeling neglected?”

Bounce (@bouncetv) programming is seen over-the-air, on cable, on DISH channel 359, over-the-top on Roku®, on mobile devices via the Bounce and Brown Sugar apps, and on the web via BounceTV.com. Bounce features a programming mix of original series, docuseries and movies, off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and events, and more. Bounce is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).

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Advance press screeners of Protect or Neglet are available upon request.

Competition Series “The Big Holiday Food Fight” Hosted By Kym Whitley Premieres Tuesday, November 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

“A Chestnut Family Christmas” Starring Meagan Holder and Brad James Premieres Tuesday, November 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

“A Sisterly Christmas” Starring Deborah Joy Winans and Kendrick Cross Premieres Tuesday, December 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

“A Christmas Stray” Starring Andra Fuller and Rhyon Nicole Brown

Premieres Tuesday, December 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Click HERE for first look images and key art.

Photo credit for key art: Courtesy of OWN

Los Angeles – Now in its third year, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is expanding its “OWN For The Holidays” annual tradition with the addition of a fast-paced and exciting holiday-themed cooking competition series hosted by Kym Whitley, “The Big Holiday Food Fight.” The new five-episode series will air Tuesday nights beginning November 16, leading up to this season’s original Christmas movies which will debut on consecutive Tuesdays beginning November 30. True to OWN’s annual holiday movie theme, each original movie celebrates and honors the deeper meaning of the season — giving to others and putting friends and family first. The movies will also air concurrently on discovery+. 

 “The Big Holiday Food Fight” premieres Tuesday, November 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, moving to its regular 8:00 p.m. ET/PT time slot on Tuesday, November 23.

 It’s ‘knives out’ (but in a good way) when “The Big Holiday Food Fight” makes its debut on OWN this November. Hosted by Kym Whitley, this exciting holiday-themed cooking competition series from SallyAnn Salsano and 495 Productions (“Peace of Mind with Taraji,” “The Real,” “Jersey Shore” “Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Party Challenge”) celebrates the holidays with traditions, family recipes and a side order of fierce competition. In each episode, we crown a new King or Queen of the holiday table and put a little jingle in their pocket with enough cash to tackle some fierce Christmas shopping.

 Three home cooks will bust out their most beloved holiday family recipes and ‘jingle bell rock’ the kitchen in a multi-stage cook-off that will leave only one home chef standing at the end of each episode — and the winner of a $5,000 stocking stuffed with cash. Appetizers, side dishes and desserts take center stage each week as our cooks are challenged to whip up their best family-favorite recipes to wow our accomplished judges, Gina Neely, Darnell ‘SuperChef’ Ferguson and James Wright Chanel. At the end of each round, our panel of judges will decide who stays for the next round and who gets booted out in the cold.

 First Look: “The Big Holiday Food Fight”

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 “A Chestnut Family Christmas” Premieres Tuesday, November 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Starring Meagan Holder (“Nina Chestnut”) and Brad James (“Malcolm Butler”) 

When a talented pastry chef, currently working as a live-in cook, accidentally commits to hosting her family for the holidays, she poses as the wealthy homeowner in order to impress them and to remove the “black sheep” burden she has been carrying her whole life. All seems to be going well, until everyone’s secrets are exposed and relationships begin to unravel. “A Chestnut Family Christmas” is produced for OWN by MarVista Entertainment in association with Harpo Films.

 First Look: “A Chestnut Family Christmas”

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 “A Sisterly Christmas” Premieres Tuesday, December 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Starring Deborah Joy Winans (“Kristina Marshall”) and Kendrick Cross (“Keith Fisher”)

Two sisters, one who loves Christmas and everything that comes with it and the other who can be the scroogiest of Scrooges, receive an early Christmas gift: an inheritance that takes them on a once-in-a-lifetime luxury holiday vacation. Their Christmas proves to be more than they bargained for when they run into their childhood rival, now a Broadway star who digs in on these sisters, testing their resolve as women and their bonds of sisterhood. “A Sisterly Christmas” is produced for OWN by MarVista Entertainment in association with Harpo Films.

 First Look: “A Sisterly Christmas Trailer”

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 “A Christmas Stray” Premieres Tuesday, December 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT  

Starring Andra Fuller (“Ethan”) and Rhyon Nicole Brown (“Foster”)

A tightly-wound corporate executive, finds himself hopelessly stranded in a small mountain town on Christmas Eve, unable to shake the adorable stray dog who ran him off the road, and irresistibly drawn to the free-spirited, local veterinarian who is sorely in need of some Christmas magic herself. “A Christmas Stray” is produced for OWN by MarVista Entertainment in association with Harpo Films.

First Look: “A Christmas Stray”

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About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey’s heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for premium scripted and unscripted programming from today’s most innovative storytellers. Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery, Inc. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime, anywhere on WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own and https://press.discovery.com/us/own/.

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ATLANTA (Oct. 14, 2021) — The just-completed inaugural season of the newest Bounce original series Johnson was seen by 5.7 million unduplicated viewers 2+ and launched as the most-watched half-hour series in Bounce history.

Bounce has renewed Johnson for a second season, with all-new episodes coming in 2022. The complete first season is available on Bounce’s popular streaming service Brown Sugar, as are all Bounce originals.

Johnson is a dramedy that focuses on life-long best friends, all of whom share the same last name, centering around their intriguing and sometimes complicated journey of love, friendship, heartbreak and personal growth. The series is produced in partnership with Cedric The Entertainer and Eric Rhone’s A Bird & A Bear Entertainment and Deji LaRay (the show’s creator) and Thomas Q. Jones’ Midnight Train Productions. Johnson’s ensemble cast is led by D.L. Hughley, LaRay (Bosch, Greenleaf), Jones (P. Valley, Luke Cage, Being Mary Jane), Philip Smithey (Switched At Birth, The Rookie) and Derrex Brady (NCIS, First).

Bounce (@bouncetv) is the leading broadcast and multi-platform entertainment network serving African Americans, with programming seen over-the-air, on cable, on DISH channel 359, over-the-top on Roku®, on mobile devices via the Bounce and Brown Sugar apps and on the web via Bouncetv.com. Bounce features a programming mix of original series, docuseries and movies, off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and events and more. Bounce is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).

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Apple’s “Swagger,” from NBA superstar Kevin Durant, creator Reggie Rock Bythewood and Brian Grazer, to make global debut on Friday, October 29

O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill and Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis to star in drama series inspired by Kevin Durant’s youth basketball experiences

Apple today announced that the first season of the highly anticipated drama series, “Swagger” from creator and showrunner Reggie Rock Bythewood, NBA superstar Kevin Durant and Imagine’s Brian Grazer, will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on October 29, 2021. The 10-episode first season will premiere with the first three episodes, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday thereafter through December 17, 2021. The series hails from Thirty Five Ventures, Imagine Television Studios, CBS Studios and Undisputed Cinema.

Inspired by Durant’s experiences, “Swagger” explores the world of youth basketball, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption. Off the court, the show reveals what it’s like to grow up in America.

The new series is led by an ensemble cast of stars including O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis, Shinelle Azoroh, Tessa Ferrer, Caleel Harris, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and Tristan Mack Wilds.

Jackson stars as Ike, a former star player who’s now a youth basketball coach; Hill stars as Jace Carson, a basketball phenomenon who is one of the top-ranked youth basketball players in the country; Azoroh plays Jenna, Jace’s mother who is determined to chart NBA success for her son; Ferrer plays Meg Bailey, a former basketball player and coach for a rival team; Wallis plays Crystal, a top young basketball player; Harris plays Musa, the team’s glue and point guard; Bingham plays Drew Murphy, a player from an affluent part of town; Irama plays Phil Marksby, the enforcer for a rival team; Nzeribe plays Royale, a sub-par player with a wealthy dad; and Wilds plays Alonzo Powers, the grassroots division leader at a major shoe company.

“Swagger” is created by Bythewood, who also writes, directs and serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside Durant and Grazer. The series is produced for Apple by Thirty Five Ventures, Imagine Television Studios, CBS Studios and Undisputed Cinema. Also serving as executive producers are Rich Kleiman, Samie Kim Falvey, Francie Calfo and Samantha Corbin-Miller.

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have been honored with 138 wins and 517 awards nominations.

About Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free. *

For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.

*Special offer is good for three months after the first activation of the eligible device. One offer per Family Sharing group. Plans automatically renew until cancelled. Other restrictions and terms apply; visit apple.com/promo for more information.