Tony Romo is bringin’ the drama to the small screen…
The 41-year-old former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current NFL analyst is teaming up with star Chace Crawford, executive producer and Showtime to develop a football drama.
The series, currently in the early stages of development at the ViacomCBS-owned network, follows a fictitious first family of football and the players, coaches, and power brokers behind the high stakes world of America’s biggest professional sport.
The network is searching for a writer for the untitled project, which comes from eOne, where Comins and his Creative Engine Entertainment is based.
Romo and Crawford are brothers in law. Romo, who is currently an announcer for CBS after spending 14 seasons with the Cowboys, is married to Crawford’s sister Candice.
The project has been described as a cross between Succession and Friday Night Lights.
The 44-year-old Colombian and his brother JuanchoCardona’s production company 11:11 Films & TV has signed a first-look deal with VIS, a division of ViacomCBS.
The agreement will encompass creating and developing content including series, films, and special-format programs for a global audience.
“We are excited to continue adding the best talent to our studio’s roster, to create quality content across the globe,” said Federico Cuervo, Senior Vice President of VIS Americas. “Manolo Cardona brings unique insights with his experience both in front and behind the camera as a successful actor and talented producer and we are thrilled to be working with him.”
“We are extremely excited to work with ViacomCBS,” says Cardona. “Our vision is to develop compelling content to entertain audiences around the world and we feel this will be the perfect partnership.”
Manolo is a notable actor and producer known for his work in Narcos, Who Killed Sara?, Covert Affairs, and Reign. His credits also include work in Spanish language television in Rubirosa, El Cartel de Los Sapos, and Maria Magdalena, in which he portrayed Jesus Christ.
His brother Juancho is a film and television director and producer with a long history of creating premium content in Latin America and serves as 11:11 Films & TV’s General Director. The duo founded the company in 2005.
VIS develops and produces content in all formats and genres for global audiences. Current projects in development and production include La Gran Ola, At Midnight, Medusa, and Los Enviados, among others.
Ana de la Reguera isn’t done opening up about her life just yet…
The 44-year-old Mexican actress’ eponymous series based on her life for Pantaya in collaboration with Amazon Prime Video has been renewed for seasons 2 and 3.
Ana—produced by VIS, a division of ViacomCBS— is a bilingual comedy created, produced, written, and starring de la Reguera about an aging actress trying to find her place in the world and in Hollywood as she nears her 40s.
“I am really happy to continue sharing this story and that the audience has received it as we expected,” de la Reguera said in a statement. “The next two seasons will be a lot of fun! Thanks to ViacomCBS, Amazon Prime Video, and Pantaya for all the trust since the beginning of this project. They have allowed me to grow a lot as a creator and I will be infinitely grateful to them.”
In season 2, Ana will try to keep her sanity and continue to deal with her mother who now lives with her in Los Angeles, while starring in a television series of bad 90s sitcoms.
In the third part of the series, Ana must rebuild her life and regain her credibility as an actress.
Series co-stars include Carlos Miranda, Tina Romero, Paulina Dávila, Ali Gardoqui, Augusto Gardoqui, Paly Duval and Eduardo “Lalo” España.
Ana’s forthcoming seasons will premiere exclusively on Pantaya in the United States and Puerto Rico and Amazon Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.
Season one, which was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Best Television Series Scripted in Spanish, is available to stream now via Pantaya and Amazon.
A special Tony Award will be presented in Septemberto Freestyle Love Supreme, the Broadway show about the hip-hop improv troupe founded by the 41-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, and playwright, Thomas Kail and Anthony Veneziale,
Special Tony Awards are presented to outstanding productions, artists and organizations who do not fall into any of the competitive categories.
In a joint statement, Heather Hitchens, CEO and President of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League, said that the Freestyle Love Supreme “take(s) theatre to the next level, delivering outside-of-the-box presentations that have gone beyond the stage and brought theatre into the homes of millions of people around the world.”
Freestyle Love Supreme was developed in the basement of The Drama Bookshop in 2004 and slowly worked its way to Broadway’s Booth Theatre in 2019.
Directed by Kail, the acclaimed show features a comedic improvisational musical structure, and a rotating cast.
Freestyle Love Supreme will return to Broadway for a strictly limited engagement at the Booth on Thursday, October 7 through Sunday, January 2, 2022.
The 74th Annual Tony Awards, presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, will be a two-hour, streaming-only ceremony on Sunday, September 26, available on ViacomCBS’ Paramount+ platform and followed immediately by a special two-hour CBS broadcast special called The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!
The 69-year-old Panamanian former professional boxer, known as “Manos de Piedra,” will be among four high-impact boxers featured in the Showtime docuseries The Kings.
In addition to Durán, who held world championships in four weight classes: lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight, the docuseries will also feature Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns.
The first of the show’s four episodes will premiere on Sunday, June 6, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on linear and streaming, the ViacomCBS premium network announced.
Nicknamed the Four Kings during their remarkable, overlapping careers, the quartet contested nine championship fights among them from 1980 to 1989. Their distinct styles and vivid personalities helped spark a renaissance in the sport of boxing, which had endured a downturn after Muhammad Ali’s storybook run concluded.
The backdrop of the series is the 1980s, a go-go decade marked by pronounced socioeconomic and political upheaval in the U.S. as President Ronald Reagan left his mark.
Hagler died last month at age 66.
“These four men defined an era in boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, president of Showtime Sports, in a press release. “Their individual stories, forever linked by the spectacular battles they waged, reflect a tumultuous period in American culture and history. The Kings takes the viewer beyond the glorious action of some of history’s most memorable prizefights to illuminate each man’s dramatic journey and the societal context that made them stars of sports and popular culture.”
Leonard’s first fight with Durán came in 1980 and kicked off years of tightly contested battles in the ring and surging global popularity outside of it. The four boxers, joined in the latter years of the 1980s by the up-and-coming Mike Tyson, became some of the biggest names in sports and popular culture.
The Boxing Writers Association of America voted each of the four Fighter of the Year every year but one from 1979 to 1985. The Ring magazine named three of their title bouts Fight of the Year and picked Round 1 of Hagler-Hearns as Round of the Year.
The show is premiering during a year that marks the 45th anniversary of Leonard’s Olympic gold medal win and the 40th anniversary of a high point for the Four Kings: Leonard vs. Hearns.
The Kings is produced by Box To Box Film in association with Ingenious Media.
The 46-year-old Mexican American actress, activist and former Desperate Housewives star has been appointed to the board of directors at the Television Academy Foundation.
The foundation’s programs include an annual internship program, a media faculty conference and the College Television Awards in addition to its extensive archive of oral histories of TV legends, The Interviews.
Longoria will work alongside foundation chair Cris Abrego and the board to further the group’s work promoting inclusion in the TV industry and providing educational and professional development programs for students with diverse backgrounds.
“We are thrilled to welcome two exceedingly accomplished, inspiring and engaged trailblazers to the foundation’s board,” Abrego said in a release announcing the appointments. “As leaders in their respective fields, their expertise and thought leadership will help drive the Foundation’s initiatives and champion the advancement of aspiring professionals from underrepresented communities to ensure a more inclusive, next-generation television talent pool.”
Longoria has been has been leading the charge of diverse and female representation in the industry since her role on ABC’s Desperate Housewives, both in front of the camera and via her production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, which recently teamed up with ViacomCBS’ Entertainment & Youth Group for their First Time Directors program highlighting BIPOC and women filmmakers to produce 50 films across the group’s portfolio of networks and streaming services.
Porta dos Fundos is readying for its latest Christmas special…
The controversial hit Brazilian comedy troupe will release its annual Christmas Special, The Edge of Theocracy, on December 10.
A play on Petra Costa’s Oscar-nominated documentary, The Edge of Democracy, a trailer released on November 20 on its dedicated YouTube channel lured more than 300,000 views in three days.
Porta dos Fundos’ Christmas specials are renowned for their ironic, some would argue profane, take on the life of Christ.
Taking its cue from Costa’s The Edge of Democracy, which points to Brazil’s spiral into far-right politics as a cautionary tale to the world, The Edge of Theocracy satirizes Brazil’s political scene and delivers tart comments on global issues, like polarization, through the prism of Biblical events thousands of years ago. A delighted Costa gave her blessing and makes a brief appearance as herself in the show.
Shot in less than a week, the troupe opted for the documentary format in order to better adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols. The use of talking heads and testimonials were the perfect solution to rules on social distancing, said co-founder/writer Fabio Porchat, who spoke to Variety while filming some scenes outdoors last September.
Porchat, who plays Jesus, was standing in the middle of a field in sweltering 95F (35C) heat, with trees and mountains in the distance, while just behind him, his actors were playing out some scenes.
Their 2019 Xmas special, The First Temptation of Christ, featured a gay Christ, which unleashed a firestorm of complaints, a petition to ban the special signed by more than two million people and worst of all, a Molotov cocktail on their headquarters, which caused a fire that was fortunately put out by alert security guards.
“This is our seventh Christmas Special and they’ve always been provocative; only last year’s special produced a backlash,” he pointed out, suggesting that being the first one released during the tenure of current populist President Jair Bolsonaro made it a target. “His government is promoting fundamentalist religious thought,” he asserted.
There were some calls to cancel Netflix subscriptions, which the trailer cheekily refers to. “If you cancelled Netflix, get ready to cancel YouTube,” it declares, signaling the troupe’s return to their dedicated YouTube channel.
Their last two Christmas Specials, The First Temptation of Christ and The Last Hangover,” were Netflix Originals. The latter won a Best ComedyInternational Emmy in 2019.
“We reach a bigger audience on YouTube,” said Porchat who added that ViacomCBS, which took a majority stake in Porta dos Fundos in 2017, co-produced this year’s special with Porta dos Fundos.
Porchat admitted that the bombing of their headquarters raised their international profile so he’s grateful for that.
He is a self-confessed Monty Python fan, especially their irreverent comedy about a hapless man who is mistaken for the Messiah, Life of Brian. “We don’t insult the Bible, we research the subject matter quite extensively,” he noted.
No one is spared their satirical touch, including Buddha, Shiva and some alien creature who replies, “Ask Tom Cruise!” when asked to explain what he is in The First Temptation of Christ.
In The Edge of Theocracy various “messiahs” weigh in on an investigation of Jesus’ legitimacy.
The new special promises to be a gleeful poke in the eye to the troupe’s critics.
MTV International is honoring five “fearless women” with the 2020 MTV EMA Generation Change Award, including the Brazilian activist, for their work fighting for racial and social justice around the world.
Brasil is a racial activist, journalist and founder of Mequetrefismos, a platform that advocates for racial representation and elevates Black people’s work in creative fields like fashion, music, and art.
Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock will present the awards during the “pre-game show” leading up to the 2020 MTV EMAs on November 8.
In addition to amplifying their stories on-air and on the brand’s social and digital platforms in nearly 180 countries, ViacomCBS and MTV International will make a monetary donation to each honoree’s organization.
The 2020 MTV EMA Generation Change Award winners are:
Luiza Brasil – Brazil – Brasil is a racial activist, journalist and founder of Mequetrefismos, a platform that advocates for racial representation and elevates Black people’s work in such creative fields as fashion, music, and art.
Kiki Mordi – Nigeria – Mordi is an investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker and advocate for gender equality. She is a prominent voice in the protests to end police brutality and stop Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in Nigeria. Mordi fights for women’s and children rights in her BBC documentary Sex For Grades.
Temi Mwale – U.K. – Mwale is a racial justice campaigner and founder of The 4Front Project, a member-led youth organization. Her work focuses on fighting against institutional racism and systemic violence by supporting those most harmed by violence and the criminal justice system.
Catherhea Potjanaporn – Malaysia – Potjanaporn is a portrait photographer who captures diverse faces and bodies, to draw attention to underrepresented communities and to challenge conventional beauty standards. Much of her work focuses on elevating women of color.
Raquel Willis – U.S. – Willis is a Black, transgender activist, writer, media strategist and founder of Black Trans Circles, a project of the Transgender Law Center (TLC). She was also a leading figure in recent New York City-based Black Trans Lives Matter protests and rallies.
All five seasons of Netflix’s Narcos, starring the 44-year-old Brazilian actor, will premiere next week on Pluto TV.
It will be the series’ first streaming run on a free, ad-supported U.S. platform.
The distribution plan, which involves a partnership with Gaumont, will kick off on October 20. Narcos will be streamed across four different linear channels on Pluto, whose ad-supported service now has 26.6 million monthly active users. There will be multiple airtimes in both English and Spanish.
Narcos will stream on Pluto TV’s Crime Drama and Narco Novelas channels and its own branded single-series, marathon-style channels – Narcos and Narcos en Español. Spanish-speaking versions of Narcos will stream with English subtitles, and respectively, English-speaking versions of Narcos will stream with Spanish subtitles catering to multi-lingual audiences.
Season 1 of Narcos will streamweeknights at 10PM ET, with catch-up episodes the following day beginning at 8PM ET. Bonus weekend marathons will be offered following the series premiere. Pluto TV will debut a new season each month through February 2021.
Narcos has been part of innovative distribution deals before. It aired on Univision in a major cross-promotion in 2016, marking an unusual reverse path for a series from streaming to broadcast TV.
Pluto, which is owned by ViacomCBS, is known for being entrepreneurial and building channels around individual shows, as it did with The Walking Dead. A bilingual approach also makes sense given its international expansion. also has been expanding internationally. It also launched Pluto TV Latino, a Spanish-language offering, in 2019.
“As the adoption of ad-supported streaming continues to accelerate, we are excited to build on that momentum and align with esteemed creators and producers in search of new ways to introduce audiences to their coveted collection of award-winning content,” Pluto SVP Content Strategy and Global Partnerships Amy Kuessner said. “Working in partnership with Gaumont, a longtime pioneer in the world of streaming, to bring the acclaimed Netflix Original series Narcos to Pluto TV is further testament to the evolving free streaming landscape that is rapidly gaining foothold for prestige partners, game-changing content and audiences alike.”
Moura earned Golden Globe and Imagen Award nominations for his performance as notorious drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar on the series.
During this year’s socially distanced and COVID-19-compliant awards ceremony, Maluma and J Balvin picked up the Best Latin award for their hit collaboration “Que Pena.” It’s J Balvin’s fifth MTV VMAs trophy, and his third straight in the Best Latin category.
Maluma, who performed during this year’s VMAs ceremony, had previously been nominated three times in the Best Latin category.
But Maluma wasn’t the only Latinx act with reason to celebrate…
CNCO picked up their first MTV Video Music Awards prize.
The Latin boy band, a Push Artist of the Year nominee at last year’s ceremony, won in the Best Quarantine Performance category for their “MTV Unplugged at Home” at-home concert earlier this year. The performance featured the songs “De Cero” and “Honey Boo.”
Airing live on MTV and simulcast on The CW and other ViacomCBS brands, the 37th annual ceremony was hosted by Keke Palmer with performances by Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd and others. Shot in the various boroughs of New York City, the ceremony was an homage to the city and its resilience.
Here’s the complete list of winners:
Video of the Year: The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” – XO / Republic Records Best Art Direction: Miley Cyrus – “Mother’s Daughter” – RCA Records – Art Direction by Christian Stone Best Editing: Miley Cyrus – “Mother’s Daughter” – RCA Records – Edited by Alexandre Moors, Nuno Xico Best Cinematography: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me” – Streamline / Interscope Records – Cinematography by Thomas Kloss Best Quarantine Performance: CNCO – Unplugged At Home Best Choreography: BTS – “On” – Big Hit Entertainment – Choreography by Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun, Lee Byung Eun Best Visual Effects: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me” – Streamline / Interscope Records – Visual Effects by Ingenuity Studios Best Rock: Coldplay – “Orphans” – Atlantic Records Push Best New Artist: Doja Cat – Kemosabe / RCA Records Best Hip-Hop: Megan Thee Stallion – “Savage” – 300 Entertainment Tricon Award: Lady Gaga Video for Good: H.E.R. – ”I Can’t Breathe” – MBK / RCA Records Artist of the Year: Lady Gaga – Streamline / Interscope Records Best R&B: The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” – XO / Republic Records Best Pop: BTS – “On” – Big Hit Entertainment Best Music Video from Home: Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber – “Stuck with U” – Republic Records / Def Jam Song of the Year: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me” – Streamline / Interscope Records Best Latin: Maluma ft. J Balvin – “Qué Pena” – Sony Music Latin Best Direction: Taylor Swift – “The Man” – Republic Records – Directed by Taylor Swift Best Collaboration: Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber – “Stuck with U” – Republic Records / Def Jam Best K-Pop: BTS – “On” – Big Hit Entertainment Best Group: BTS Best Alternative: Machine Gun Kelly – “Bloody Valentine” – Bad Boy / Interscope Records Song of the Summer: BLACKPINK “How You Like That”
The series, currently in the early stages of development at the ViacomCBS-owned network, follows a fictitious first family of football and the players, coaches, and power brokers behind the high stakes world of America’s biggest professional sport.
