Wednesday, July 10, 2019
WarnerMedia Announces HBO Max for 2020 with Friends, Fresh Prince & More; IMDb Gets First Scripted Series

WarnerMedia unveiled HBO Max as the name of its new streaming service, which will offer an impressive direct-to-consumer experience for everyone ranging from families with young children to adults of all ages. Anchored with and inspired by the legacy of HBO's excellence and award-winning storytelling, the new service will be "Maximized" with an extensive collection of exclusive original programming (Max Originals) and the best-of-the-best from WarnerMedia's enormous portfolio of beloved brands and libraries. New deals with Warner Bros. Television and others for HBO Max announced today include:
· The exclusive streaming rights at launch to all 236 episodes of Friends - one of the biggest hits on television and in streaming
· The exclusive streaming rights at launch to all episodes of fan favorites The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Pretty Little Liars
· The exclusive streaming home to a string of new Warner Bros.' produced dramas for The CW beginning with the fall 2019 season, including the highly-anticipated new DC Entertainment series Batwoman, and Katy Keene (spinoff of Riverdale)
· New exclusive movie production deals with Greg Berlanti, one of Hollywood's most prolific and successful producers, and Reese Witherspoon, Academy Award(R) and Emmy Award(R)-winning actress and producer; Berlanti will produce an initial four movies focused in the young adult space, while Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine will produce at least two films
HBO Max, scheduled to launch commercially in spring of 2020, is anticipated to premiere with 10,000 hours of premium content. Max Original series previously announced include: Dune: The Sisterhood, an adaptation of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's book based in the world created by Frank Herbert's book Dune, from director Denis Villeneuve; Tokyo Vice, based on Jake Adelstein's non-fiction first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat starring Ansel Elgort; The Flight Attendant, a one-hour thriller series based on the novel by Chris Bohjalian, which will star Kaley Cuoco, who is also executive producing alongside Greg Berlanti; Love Life, a 10-episode half-hour romantic comedy anthology series starring Anna Kendrick, who will also executive produce alongside Paul Feig; Station Eleven, a postapocalyptic limited series based on Emily St. John Mandel's international bestseller, adapted by Patrick Somerville and directed by Hiro Murai; Made for Love, a 10-episode, half-hour, straight-to-series adaptation based on the tragicomic novel of the same name by Alissa Nutting, also from Somerville and directed by S.J. Clarkson; Gremlins, an animated series from Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Entertainment based on the original movie.
Highlights of HBO programming previously announced for 2020 and 2021 include Stephen King's The Outsider, a dark mystery starring Ben Mendelsohn, produced and directed by Jason Bateman; Lovecraft Country, a unique horror series based on a novel by Matt Ruff, written and executive produced by Misha Green, and executive produced by Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams; The Nevers, Joss Whedon's new science fiction series starring Laura Donnelly; The Gilded Age," the opulent world of 1885 New York from Julian Fellowes; Avenue 5, high satire aboard a space-bound cruise ship from Armando Iannucci, starring Hugh Laurie and Josh Gad; The Undoing, a psychological thriller from David E. Kelley, directed by Susanne Bier starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant; The Plot Against America, reimagined history based on Phillip Roth's novel written and executive produced by David Simon and Ed Burns, starring Winona Ryder and John Turturro; Perry Mason, the classic legal drama for a new generation, executive produced by Robert Downey, Jr. and Susan Downey, with Matthew Rhys in the title role; I Know This Much Is True, a complex family drama starring Mark Ruffalo playing twin brothers, one of whom has schizophrenia, based on the best-selling novel by Wally Lamb, written and directed by Derek Cianfrance.

IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content, announced its first-ever animated comedy series: You're Not a Monster (www.imdb.com/monster). Fans will get a sneak peek of the 10-episode, short-form series when its trailer premieres on the IMDboat at Comic-Con International: San Diego later this month, and full episodes will premiere this fall. The show joins other IMDb original series now airing including The IMDb Show, IMDbrief and Casting Calls.
You're Not a Monster demonstrates that even classic movie monsters have emotional issues - because the only thing worse than being undead is being unloved. Returning to the "therapist's chair" for the first time since Frasier, Kelsey Grammer voices a former psychiatrist-turned-vampire in the series, who mentors his great-great grandson "Max" (Eric Stonestreet), a therapist who has inherited his practice. In each 4 to 5 minute episode, Max treats classic monsters including Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and Medusa as they seek desperately needed therapeutic help. Rounding out the series cast is Aparna Nancherla as a demon receptionist, Ellie Kemper as a therapist who thinks Max is imagining everything, and Peter Grosz, Langston Kerman, Joel Kim Booster, Patton Oswalt, Adam Pally, Amber Ruffin, Amy Sedaris and Milana Vayntrub as hideous monsters. Show creators and cast members including Grammer and Nancherla will participate in an exclusive interview with host Kevin Smith on the IMDboat at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, November 13
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Pregnancy Test and an Old Man’s Gallbladder" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie’s jealousy rears its head when Mandy gets sent on an overnight work trip with her ex and current boss, Scott (Christopher Gorham). Meanwhile, Jim and Audrey panic when they find a pregnancy test in Connor’s trash.
Ghosts - "T-Daddy" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Trevor’s relationship with his daughter is strained when he pushes her to follow a career in finance over poetry. Meanwhile, Jay confronts labor unrest at the restaurant.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 10)
Thursday, November 13
- The Jonas Brothers (Jonas/Jonas LA) - The Jonas Brothers are guests on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob swings by the studio on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Olivia Holt (I Didn't Do It/Shake It Up) - Olivia appears on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Alicia Silverstone (American Woman) - Alicia talks about A Merry Little Ex-Mas on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) - Glen talks about The Running Man on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Jake Lacy (High Fidelity/The Office/Better with You) - NBC's Today catches up with Jake in the 9am hour.
- Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale/God's Favorite Idiot/American Housewife/The Odd Couple/About a Boy) - Leslie co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Oliver Hudson (Splitting Up Together/Rules of Engagement/My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star) - Oliver talks about Gingerbread Land: The Biggest Little Holiday Competition on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Karen Pittman (And Just Like That...) - Karen talks about The Morning Show on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Carrie Preston (Crowded/Happyish/Emeril) - Carrie joins the Tam Fam in a daytime exclusive to celebrate the new season of her hit show Elsbeth on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Only Murders in the Building/High Fidelity/People of Earth/Selfie) - Da'Vine talks about her new film Eternity on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Woody Harrelson (Cheers), Dave Franco (The Afterparty/Scrubs/Do Not Disturb), Isla Fisher (Wolf Like Me) and Ariana Greenblatt (Stuck in the Middle) - The Now You See Me: Now You Don't cast including Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher Jesse Eisenberg, Ariana Greenblatt, Justice Smith and Dominic Sessa join Drew to dish all about the third installment of the hit franchise on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Lake Bell (Bless This Mess/How to Make it in America/Childrens Hospital) - Lake talks about HBO Max's The Chair Company on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season
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