Kamala vs. Joe; ‘ODAT' Revival; WB’s Macho Era Ends; 'Do The Right Thing' at 30

What's news: Day two of the Democratic primary debates, the backstory on One Day at a Time's surprise renewal, Kevin Bacon is getting a podcast, The Lion King is ready to roar. Plus: Inside the Spider Man premiere, and the end of WB's "macho era." --Alex Weprin June 28, 2019 What's news: Day two of the Democratic primary debates, the backstory on One Day at a Time's surprise renewal, Kevin Bacon is getting a podcast, The Lion King is ready to roar. Plus: Inside the Spider Man premiere, and the end of WB's "macho era." --Alex Weprin How 'One Day At A Time' Was Saved ►The co-showrunner of comedy One Day at a Time Mike Royce "had fully moved on" from the series, which Netflix canceled three months ago. Sony, which produced the show for Netflix, began to shop it around, and in the last month or two things "started to heat up," Royce says. That led to the stunning news Thursday that the Pop network, owned by CBS, [had picked up]( a fourth season of the Normal Lear sitcom, to debut in 2020. --Lesley Goldberg found that after the cancellation, Sony pitched the show to multiple networks, including ABC and CBS, while also negotiating with Netflix to secure some additional rights so a series renewal could make economic sense. The result? Sony was able to secure linear rights to the show, enabling it to sell it in syndication and internationally. CBS will air reruns at a later date. "[Sony] was getting on the phone with networks that I promise you I have never, ever heard of," Royce said. "They talked to everyone, big and small, and figured out creative ways to go at this." [The backstory](. --Pop TV president Brad Schwartz tells Goldberg that the network will use the final season of its top comedy Schitt's Creek to kickstart One Day at a Time's debut on the cable channel. "Within those episodes [of the final season], we'll be able to tell people about One Day at a Time and hopefully start the latter out of Schitt's Creek's ending," he says. "We'd pass the baton from one to the other." [The interview](. --In its efforts to save the show, Sony hired Nielsen to develop a data-driven analysis for why the show was worth saving. In one slide that Sony pitched to TV networks--and which Nielsen shared with the press last month--the viewership of One Day at a Time was compared to other networks, showing that they “over-index for comedy,” Nielsen's Brian Fuhrer said. “The implication there is buy our program, put it on your network, and we will overdeliver on your comedy viewers.” +A special episode of the TV's Top Five podcast, hosted by Goldberg and Daniel Fienberg, which includes an interview with Royce about the revival, and The Office's big move, among other topics. [Listen](. Meanwhile, the cast, creators, and fans of the comedy [rejoiced about the renewal]( on social media. ►The debate "death march" continues. Night two of the Democratic primary debates didn't have the technical glitches that night one had, leaving the focus on the candidates. One candidate in particular stood out, as Frank Scheck[writes in his critics notebook](: "Whether or not [Sen. Kamala] Harris eventually becomes the nominee, the Democrats should agree to make her the designated debater against Donald Trump. Forget televising those match-ups. You could show them on PPV and erase the national debt in a few nights." +The big moment of the night was the remarkable exchange between Harris and Joe Biden about busing, and Biden's willingness to work with segregationists. NBC producers let it play out. "Any TV producer who cut away from that exchange would have increased the unemployment numbers tomorrow morning," former New York Times reporter Bill Carter [tweeted](following the exchange. Meanwhile: Harris' campaign team [announced](a Hollywood fundraiser during the debate, and once again the late night hosts [were live post-debate](. +What caused NBC’s audio debacle during Wednesday night’s debate? Some wireless microphones went rogue and bled into the main feed, [per The Washington Post](. “wireless spectrum is a thing yall,” WaPo’s Tony Romm [tweeted](. In the final ratings Wednesday, NBC averaged 15.3 million viewers across NBC, MSNBC, and Telemundo, with another nine million or so streaming viewers. That came cose to 2016's Democratic primary debate record of 15.5 million viewers. Will tonight top it? [The updated numbers](. Revolving door: Fox Corp. [has promoted]( Claudia Teran to executive vp and general counsel... John Cooper is [stepping down]( as director of the Sundance Film Festival... Sarah Esberg has [been named]( president of Goddard Textiles, Drew Goddard's production company at 20th TV... ►One man is going where no Pulitzer Prize winner has gone before... CBS says that Michael Chabon, the award-winning author of The Yiddish Policeman's Union and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, will become the showrunner for the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Picard. He had been part of the creative team, but now he will help lead day-to-day production. [More](. Elsewhere in TV... --Lacey Rose [talks to The Loudest Voice showrunner]( Alex Metcalf: By no means is this a left-wing screed." --There's a TV series in the works from Sony, [based on]( the iconic Final Fantasy video game franchise. --James and Dave Franco are [set to executive produce](the USA Network anthology series Masters of Doom --Jackie Strause [interviews]( Andy Cohen as he celebrates 10 years on Bravo's late night lineup. Spotify Signs Up Kevin Bacon ►Exclusive: Kevin Bacon is getting a podcast. The actor will appear in I'm Gonna Be Kevin Bacon for Spotify. it's a fictional comedy podcast, in which "the actor stars as a heightened version of himself," per Natalie Jarvey. The 12 episode podcast comes from Funny Or Die. [The story](. +Hollywood is driving music sales and streams. According to Nielsen's 2019 [Mid-Year Music Report](, films, documentaries, and award shows appear to be driving consumption of certain songs and albums. Specifically: The Oscars performance "gave a major bump" to Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's Shallow. Elton John songs saw an 84% rise in consumption following the release of the film Rocket Man. Controversy also sells: streams of music by Michael Jackson rose by 41% following the release of Finding Neverland, while streams of R. Kelly songs rose by 13% following the Lifetime doc Surviving R. Kelly. +More in music: Spotify has settled two big copyright lawsuits that alleged "staggering" infringement of thousands of song compositions. [The story](. Apple Music now has more than 60 million subscribers, according to [this interview]( with Apple exec Eddy Cue (it's in French). ►"Universal was not afraid": Spike Lee reflects on Do the Right Thing. For the 30th anniversary of Lee's classic, Universal will be bringing the film back to theaters this weekend. Susan King spoke to Lee, as well as editor Barry Alexander Brown, cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, costume designer Ruth E. Carter and actors Joie Lee, Richard Edson and Steve Park, about Do The Right Thing’s visceral relevance to political debate in 2019 and the fearmongering that met the film before its release. [The story](. ►Warner Bros. and the End of the Macho Era. Stephen Galloway writes that with the hiring of Ann Sarnoff, the studio once known for its gangster movies and action flicks is undergoing a consequential shift. --Quote: "For every leap forward, it seems, Hollywood feels compelled to take a leap back. For every giant wave that carries it toward a more egalitarian future, a monstrous undertow sucks it toward the past," Galloway writes. "Change has taken place, for sure; but at the summit of the industry, it’s moved at a glacial pace. The moguls who make the critical decisions may like to have women working for them — but put the emphasis on for, not with." [The full column](. Casting roundup: Paul Rudd has [been cast](in Jason Reitman's Ghostbusters movie... Tom Hiddleston [will make]( his Broadway debut in Betrayal... Henry Cavill [has joined]( the cast of Enola Holmes... Taylor Swift will [headline]( a livestreamed concert for Amazon Prime Day... Jamie Dornan is [joining]( comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar... Lena Headey [will play]( the title role in Showtime pilot Rita... Robin Weigert, Alison Wright, Greg Grunberg and Sarah Gadon will [have roles]( on season two of Hulu's Castle Rock... UTA joins WME in counterattack against WGA. UTA has filed an antitrust suit against the Writer's Guild of America, alleging that the union is violating federal law by exceeding the scope of its authority to regulate agents. UTA follows WME, which filed a similar suit earlier this week. "Both lawsuits allege that the guild is engaging in an illegal group boycott of agencies that refuse to sign onto the union’s Code of Conduct, introduced in April, that bars both disputed practices," Jonathan Handel [writes](. ►Does Anna mark the end of the line for Luc Besson? "The film's $3.5 million domestic bow was the worst-ever for the French director, who has faced sexual assault allegations and whose EuropaCorp shingle is fighting to survive amid a string of pricey flops," [writes Scott Roxborough](. Elsewhere in film... --The writers of Avengers: Endgame will front [their own panel]( at Comic-Con's Hall H this year. --AMC Theatres [is launching]( a programming and marketing initiative to highlight character and narrative driven films. --Michael Moore [will honor]( Lily Tomlin with lifetime award at Traverse City Fest. 'The Lion King' Set For Big Debut ►The Lion King is ready to roar. The Disney film won't be in theaters for nearly a month, but it is already tracking to have a $150 million plus bow. While tracking numbers have been off lately (see Toy Story 4), the early results nonetheless look promising. [The story](. +Meanwhile, this weekend looks to be for the horror fans. Annabelle Comes Home [debuted to]( $7.2 million Wednesday, putting it on pace for $30-$33 million this weekend. Still, expect Toy Story 4 to once gain take the top spot. ►Aaron Couch emails with a report from the "Spider Man: Far From Home" premiere at the TCL Chinese Theater: "By any other standard, the Spider-Man: Far From Home premiere was huge, with Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson, Marisa Tomei and an 80-ft inflatable Spider-Man helping shut down multiple blocks on Hollywood Blvd. for the red carpet and after party. But it's hard not to compare it to Endgame, which will undoubtedly remain the most star-packed premiere of this year. No one addressed the crowd ahead of the screening, a break in tradition for Marvel Studios premieres, which have become known for memorable pre-screening moments such as Robert Downey Jr.'s [lengthy Infinity War speech]( or the cast of Black Panther [receiving a standing-ovation]( before the film began. The premiere was also one of generations; J.K. Simmons, who starred as J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies, caused among the biggest stirs, simply by showing up on the carpet. Veteran Spider-Man writer Marv Wolfman (who is thanked in the credits and had his day in the '70s and '80s) was hanging around, as were Zendaya's Euphoria co-stars such as Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie and Nika King. And as with most Marvel premieres, the automakers who sponsored it got a prime spot — and even someone to buff the red carpet Audi." +What the critics [are saying]( about the movie, and did Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal attend the premiere [dressed](as the “Roxbury Guys” from Saturday Night Live? Last night in late night... --"Wheel of Freestyle" with Nicki Minaj. [[Tonight Show](] --Kate McKinnon Perfectly Impersonates Marianne Williamson at the Democratic Debate [[Late Night](] --"The Golden Candidates" Season 2020. [[Late Show](] Behind the Screen podcast: Composer Daniel Pemberton, whose responsibilities on Danny Boyle's Yesterday ranged from writing the score to overseeing the arrangements of the Beatles songs and recording the soundtrack album, is the guest on a new episode of the Behind the Screen podcast. [Listen](. What else we're reading: --CNN anchor Brian Stelter is writing a second book. This one will be about Fox News in the age of Trump, and Trump in the age of Fox News. [[Axios](] --"Jony Ive on leaving Apple, in his own words." [[FT](] --"The remaining Beatles believe in Yesterday, says film's screenwriter." [[LA Times](] --"Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff re-enter the ring." [[The Ringer](] --"Have smartphones destroyed a generation?" [[The Atlantic](] From the archives... On June 28, 1985, Columbia unveiled St. Elmo's Fire, an angsty, R-rated post-college drama, in theaters nationwide. [The Hollywood Reporter's original review](. Today's birthdays: Kathy Bates, 71, Elon Musk, 48, Felicia Day, 40, John Cusack, 53, Kellie Pickler, 33, Mel Brooks, 93. Follow The News Is this email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2019 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Preferences]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Use]( June 28, 2019