"Friends" Gets "Nick at Nite" Renewal

Nickelodeon Renews Hit Sitcom Friends for Nick at Nite as Part of Multi-Series ViacomCBS Syndication Deal

Net Presents “Super-Stuffed Friends-Giving” beginning Monday, Nov. 23, with Classic Episodes and Thanksgiving-Themed Marathon

Share it : @nickatnitetv

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon announced the renewal of the Emmy® Award-winning series Friends, from Warner Bros. Television, for its nighttime programming block Nick at Nite. The agreement, negotiated for ViacomCBS by Barbara Zaneri, Executive Vice President of Global Content Acquisitions, was part of a multi-year, multi-series deal that included several renewals of top-rated syndicated series from Warner Bros. Television that air across ViacomCBS' portfolio of cable networks. Also included in the deal were the off-network cable premiere rights to TV’s number-one comedy series, Young Sheldon, scheduled to begin on Nick at Nite on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020.

Year to date, Nick at Nite ranks as cable’s top network with Women 18-49 and is also currently delivering its highest share of Adults 18-49 since 2017. The highly successful NAN programming block of family comedies where Friends and Young Sheldon will air, also includes popular Warner Bros Television series such as Mom and Full House.

Beginning Monday, Nov. 23, 2020 at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), fans can celebrate Thanksgiving with their favorite friends as Nick at Nite presents “Super-Stuffed Friends-Giving,” featuring a lineup of classic Friends episodes with beloved funny moments from the series airing throughout the week, and a marathon of Thanksgiving-themed episodes on Thursday.

Friends, which debuted in 1994, follows the lives and loves of a close-knit group of friends while they navigate their way through their twenties living in New York City: siblings Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), along with friends Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston).

Friends was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, who executive produced the series with Kevin Bright through Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

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Review: "Teen Titans: The Judas Contract" Turns Out to Be Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 20 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract – video (2017)

Running time:  84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for language, some violence, sensuality, thematic elements and brief drug use

DIRECTOR:  Sam Liu

WRITERS:  Ernie Altbacker (based on the comic book story by Marv Wolfman and George Perez and on the DC Comics characters)

EDITOR:  Christopher D. Lozinsk

COMPOSER:  Frederik Wiedmann

ANIMATION STUDIO:  The Answerstudios

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/FANTASY

Starring:  (voices) Sean Maher, Kari Wahlgren, Stuart Allan, Taissa Farmiga, Brandon Soo Hoo, Jake T. Austin, Christina Ricci, Miguel Ferrer, Gregg Henry, Meg Foster, Masasa Moyo, Jason Spisak, Crispin Freeman, and Kevin Smith

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is a 2017 straight-to-video animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation.  The films stars the DC Comics superhero team, the Teen Titans.  The film's story is based on “The Judas Contract,” the 1983-84 story arc that was published in The New Teen Titans #39 to #44 and in The New Teen Titans Annual 3, which were created by the writer-artist team of Marv Wolfman and George Perez.  Teen Titans: The Judas Contract the movie focuses on the Teen Titans and their battle against an insane cult leader and his conspiracy against them.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract opens with the original Teen Titans:  Robin/Dick Grayson (Sean Maher), Speedy (Crispin Freeman), Kid Flash (Jason Spisak), Beast Boy (Brandon Soo Hoo), and Bumblebee (Masasa Moyo).  During a mission, the Titans rescue an alien princess, Koriand'r of Tamaran (Kari Wahlgren), also known as “Starfire,” from her captors.

Five years later, Dick Grayson, now known as “Nightwing,” rejoins the Teen Titans, who are led by Starfire.  In addition to original member, Beast Boy, the team is now comprised of Raven (Taissa Farmiga), Terra (Christina Ricci), Blue Beetle (Jake T. Austin), and the current Robin, Damien Wayne (Stuart Allan).  The Titans have been battling a high-tech terrorist organization called “H.I.V.E.” and are trying to find its leader, “Brother Blood” (Gregg Henry), the head of a terrorist cult.

Brother Blood has grown tired of the Titans interfering in his plans, but he desires to possess their powers.  Blood hires the mercenary/assassin, Deathstroke (Miguel Ferrer), to capture the Titans, and to that end, Deathstroke has a spy inside the Titans.

For most of the 1980s, The New Teen Titans was one of DC Comics' most popular comic book titles, and for awhile, it was the publisher's most important and popular title.  “The Judas Contract” was The New Teen Titans' signature story line.  Teen Titans: The Judas Contract the movie is true to the spirit of the original story, both in depicting how close a team of disparate individuals can become and in depicting the sting of betrayal committed by one member against the rest of the team.

I really enjoyed this movie, and I am surprised that I liked all the characters and all the voice actors' performances.  Christina Ricci does stand out and conveys the pathos and conflict within Terra Markov, while Brandon Soo Hoo gives comedic depth and dramatic weight to Beast Boy.  I will note, however, that film director, Kevin Smith, appears as a cartoon version of himself, and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract could have done without him.

Fans of the direct-to-video, DC Comics animated films will find that Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is a high point in this long-running series.  Teen Titans fans will also find that, although the film changes the original story quite a bit, this version of The Judas Contract maintains the core of the comic book original, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, October 25, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Universal and Cinemark Sign Release Window Agreement for Exhibiting Universal Films

Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Cinemark Theaters Announce Dynamic Release Window Agreement for Exhibition of Universal Films

This Dynamic Window Provides Flexibility by Allowing Films that Open to More Than $50 Million at the Box Office to Have At Least 31 Days of an Exclusive Theatrical Window, with All Other Titles Receiving a Minimum of 17 Days of Theatrical Exclusivity

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. & PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Building on the two companies’ shared commitment to the theatrical experience, while capitalizing on the opportunity to further adapt to changing consumer behavior, particularly in light of the current COVID-19 environment, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG), a division of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA), and Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) today announced a multi-year agreement under which UFEG films will be exhibited in Cinemark theaters in the U.S.

    “We are extremely pleased to further enhance our strong partnership with Universal as we evolve the exclusive theatrical window”

The agreement includes at least three full weekends (17 days) of theatrical exclusivity for all Universal Pictures and Focus Features theatrical releases, at which time the studio will have the option to make its titles available across premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms. Under the terms of the deal, any title that opens to $50 million or more, including many franchise titles, will play exclusively in theaters for at least five full weekends (31 days) before the title may become available on PVOD.

“Universal’s century-long partnership with exhibition is rooted in the theatrical experience, and we are more committed than ever for audiences to experience our movies on the big screen,” said Donna Langley, Chairman, UFEG. “Mark Zoradi and the team at Cinemark have been outstanding partners, and Peter Levinsohn [Vice Chairman & Chief Distribution Officer, UFEG] has done a remarkable job on the studio’s behalf in making deals that give us the confidence to release our movies in the marketplace, keep the content pipeline moving, and provide consumers with the optionality that they are looking for.”

“We are extremely pleased to further enhance our strong partnership with Universal as we evolve the exclusive theatrical window,” said Mark Zoradi, Cinemark CEO. “We believe a more dynamic theatrical window, whereby movie theaters continue to provide an event-sized launching platform for films that maximize box office and bolsters the success of subsequent distribution channels, is in the shared best interests of studios, exhibitors and, most importantly, moviegoers.”

The full terms of the deal are confidential and are not being disclosed.

UFEG’s film slate, including titles from Universal Pictures, Focus Features and DreamWorks Animation, has five theatrical releases remaining on the 2020 calendar: The Croods: A New Age, Half Brothers, All My Life, News of the World, and Promising Young Woman.

About Universal Filmed Entertainment Group:

Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG) produces, acquires, markets and distributes filmed entertainment worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television and other distribution platforms. The global division includes Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation Film and Television. UFEG is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

 

About Cinemark Holdings, Inc.:

Headquartered in Plano, TX, Cinemark (NYSE: CNK) is one of the largest and most influential movie theater companies in the world. Cinemark’s circuit, comprised of various brands that also include Century, Tinseltown and Rave, operates 534 theaters with 5,977 screens globally (332 theaters and 4,522 screens across 41 states domestically; 202 theaters and 1455 screens in 15 countries throughout South and Central America). Cinemark consistently provides an extraordinary guest experience from the initial ticket purchase to the closing credits, including Movie Club, the first U.S. exhibitor-launched subscription program; the highest Luxury Lounger recliner seat penetration among the major players; XD - the No. 1 exhibitor-brand premium large format; and expansive food and beverage options to further enhance the moviegoing experience. For more information go to https://ir.cinemark.com/.

 

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