TV in 3: Shonda’s Disney-Netflix Throuple — And Why Everyone Wins
Inside Rhimes’ return to ABC, Colbert’s sign-off & the Michael Landon moment
I interviewed Louisa Levy, the showrunner of Amazon’s buzzy hockey romance, Off Campus, and wrote about Peter Friedlander’s first Upfront as Amazon’s TV head, the recent growth in broadcast and the death of vanity production deals. I’m lesley.goldberg@theankler.com
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Happy Friday, and I hope you’re getting a jump on the long Memorial Day holiday weekend.
But before we slam shut our collective laptops until Tuesday, today I’ve got a look at how Stephen Colbert navigated the Late Show finale, and my analysis of the quasi-homecoming for Shonda Rhimes at Disney, which has a surprise twist worth considering. You’ll also learn about the timeliness and universal appeal of Netflix’s new Little House on the Prairie — straight from the revival’s showrunner herself.
But first! More on my Thursday exclusive about Courtney Kemp’s big move to Apple TV with an exclusive overall TV deal and a first-look film component. Sources tell me Kemp decided not to renew her overall deal with Netflix in the spring, as the Power creator was putting the final touches on her first show for the streaming giant, Nemesis.
The gritty L.A.-set crime drama bowed May 14 and held the top spot on Netflix’s top 10 shows in the U.S. through its opening weekend. It’s the lone original created for the streamer by Kemp, who signed an exclusive deal there in 2021 after growing Starz’s Power into a five-show franchise (as part of her earlier deal with producers Lionsgate Television). Kemp told me the first few years of her Netflix pact were spent developing a drama with Julianna Marguiles that wasn’t quite a “gourmet cheeseburger” enough to get across the finish line at the streamer. Now, with her new multiple-year Apple TV deal, Kemp will have a carve-out to continue working on Nemesis should Netflix opt to renew.
OK, now let’s get to it.