New ‘Bluey Minisodes’ Come to Disney+ Oct. 7(TV News Roundup)

Andrés Buenahora and Jack Dunn
·11-min read

Seven new “Bluey Minisodes” are coming to Disney+ starting Oct. 7. and will air on Disney Jr., Disney Channel and Disney Jr. On Demand throughout the week.

According to an official description, “The collection of one- to three-minute ‘Bluey Minisodes’ is a series of funny and sweet moments featuring Bluey and Bingo, leaning into playful interactions and games that further explore the characters and world of ‘Bluey.'”

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The “Bluey Minisodes” are written by “Bluey” creator Joe Brumm and produced by Ludo Studio.

EVENTS

Universal Studio Group hosted its inaugural “USG University: Back to School on the NBCU Lot” event for high school juniors and seniors from the Roybal Film and TV Magnet school.

“USG University: Back to School on the NBCU Lot” was an extension of the annual “USG University” FYC campaign that the studio hosts every May. The event focused on highlighting the crafts the students are learning in the classroom through hands-on experiences, demos and conversations with crew members.

USG custom-designed this event for the student participants, all of whom have a vested interest in pursuing below-the-line careers in technical departments including camera, lighting, and sound. The program included touring the set of “St. Denis Medical,” learning about audio post-production through an interactive demo, visiting one of NBCUniversal’s re-recording and mixing stages, sitting through a live table read for an upcoming episode of ‘Lopez vs Lopez” and more.

Students also had the opportunity to connect with several alumni from the NBCU LAUNCH Below-the-Line Traineeship and the Production Assistant Initiative during lunch.

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“The Boys” hamburger joint “Vought A Burger” is coming to life via a pop-up event in Los Angeles. Inspired by the universe of “The Boys,” this fast food establishment will be located at 8175 Melrose Ave. operate from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11; from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12 and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13.

Visitors will find food and beverages for purchase including the “Big Homie burger,” “Golden Godolkin nuggets,” the “Seven Tower burger,” “Homelander’s Freedom Fries” and more, as well as programming, merchandise and Easter eggs from the series. Fans attending the experience are also eligible to win Sony televisions, sound bars and more.

Sony Pictures TV is behind the event and produces “The Boys,” “Gen V” and “The Boys Presents: Diabolical” for Prime Video.

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HRTS will host its inaugural Disability Inclusion Workshop on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Amazon MGM Studios. The event, held in celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, is in partnership with Easterseals and Amazon MGM Studios.

The workshop will highlight disabled talents and creatives behind Easterseals Disability Services’ new report, which touches on their 2018 award-winning special report with Variety, “Abilities Unlimited: How People with Disabilities are Helping Hollywood Win.”

Corporate member benefits and individual tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. A complimentary livestream will also be available.

The event will include a networking lunch, expert speaker panels and breakout group discussions led by panelists. Space is limited, and attendees must sign up for the breakout discussions. Topics of discussion will include:

  1. Whose job is it to ensure a work environment is as accessible as possible? Whose is it not?

  2. Why is intersectionality so important to discussing disability?

  3. How to prioritize hiring from the disability community across business units within the entertainment industry, both in front of and behind the camera.

  4. How can each of us support getting diverse disabled stories made, marketed and funded?

The registration deadline is Thursday, Oct. 3, at 12 p.m. PT.

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Seth Meyers has signed on to host the Centennial Gala for New York Public Radio, the organization behind WNYC, WQXR, WNYC Studios, Gothamist and The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space. The event, which tales place at New York City’s The Glass House on Tuesday, Nov. 19, will celebrate the 100th anniversary of WNYC radio.

The gala will also honor the Leon Levy Foundation, which has donated $2.5 million to help digitize NYPR’s archives— include historical documents, recordings and photographs that chronicle the institution’s public engagement and role in New York City history since 1924. Past and present members of NYPR’s Board of Trustees, including Judith M. Carson, Peter H. Darrow, Eduardo Mestre, Mayo Stuntz, Jr., Nicki Newman Tanner, Wilma S. Tisch, Cynthia King Vance, Alan G. Weiler and posthumous honoree Alexander Kaplan, will additionally be recognized.

Besides the “Late Night with Seth Meyers” host, musical performances at the event will include Grammy and two-time Tony Award nominee Shoshana Bean (currently starring in Broadway’s “Hell’s Kitchen”), jazz pianist and composer Aaron Diehl and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, led by Francisco J. Nunez. The gala will kick off with remarks from president/CEO LaFontaine E. Oliver and NYPR Board of Trustees chair Timothy Wilkins. An afterparty hosted by filmmaker and author New York Nico will include a DJ set by hip hop artist and social activist Talib Kweli.

EXECUTIVE NEWS

ITV Studios has appointed Katie Buchanan as executive vice president of Americas, global partnerships. She joins ITV Studios from A+E Networks and will will report to Tom Clark, executive vice president of global sales and commercial strategy in London.

Buchanan will head up a Los Angeles-based team that also includes Rob Kaplan, who has expanded his existing US sales oversight to include Latin America; Craig Bohland, VP sales Canada; and Laura Rhodarmer, head of brand partnerships for USA, Canada and Latin America. Buchanan and her team will also work closely with London-based Jemma Harvey, SVP scripted global content and co-productions.

Also new to the team are Maria Ines Rodriguez, who joins as VP sales US and Latin America, having recently held the position of VP SVOD acquisitions at TelevisaUnivision; and Eisha Fremerman, senior sales manager US and Latin America, who joins from QVC, where she was a streaming programming consultant.

“We were looking for a strategic leader and a natural relationship builder with a deep understanding of our buyers, as well as someone who would challenge the status quo and I think we have found that in Katie,” Clark said. “With the expansion of Rob’s role to cover US and Latin America, the additions of Maria and Eisha and the great work that Craig is continuing to do in Canada and Laura on formats, the team is perfectly positioned to take our business with our valued partners across the Americas region to the next level.”

Added Buchanan: “I’m excited to be joining this amazing company and incredible team of people. ITV Studios produces and represents some of the best content in the business, and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to help drive additional revenue opportunities for their premium and diverse content.”

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Marketing executive Lisa Mallen has joined AMC Networks as its new senior vice president of agency and client partnerships. In her role, Mallen will drive cross-platform sales initiatives across AMC’s television networks, streaming services and partner platforms.

“I’m thrilled to join a company with such a proud history of making high-quality content that breaks through with viewers and in popular culture, coupled with an expansive distribution strategy for these changing times that ensures our shows and films are available wherever and whenever someone might choose to watch,” Mallen said. “The ability to offer marketers unique and innovative partnerships and reach across all distribution endpoints, built around sophisticated and advanced audience insights, makes this such an exciting and unique opportunity to create value for our company and partners.”

Before joining AMC, Mallen worked at A+E Networks overseeing its national client direct, strategy, boutique agency and new marketer partnership development efforts. Before A+E, she spent 10 years at Discovery Communications as vice president and national sales manager of Own, the Oprah Winfrey Network.

PROGRAMMING

ReachTV has picked up a new original cooking show from chef Lorena Garcia. The series, which launched Sept. 30, is titled “Stand & Stir with Chef Lorena Garcia.” The 30-minute show is executive produced by Garcia, ReachTV founder/CEO Lynnwood Bibbens, EVP of development & production George Sealey and ReachTV head of production Walter Procek.

“I’m so excited to partner with ReachTV to bring my passion for food to their vibrant audience,” Garcia said. “This collaboration is allowing me to share my creativity on a larger scale and connect with food lovers and inspire them with new recipes, techniques, and stories.”

ReachTV is available at 2,400 airport gates and 750 venues in 90 airports, plus 500,000 hotel rooms. Other original fare includes Maria Menounos’ “Maria: Discover More”, “Dollar Bill with Bill Rancic,” “Cultural Eats with Chef Eric Adjepong,” “Lost in Taste with Chef Crista Luedtke,” “The Business of Sports with AJ Andrews,” and more.

“Chef Lorena is an innovator in the kitchen and on the screen,” Bibbens said. “Travelers know Chef Lorena’s food from her fabulous restaurants in top destinations and airports across the country, and now they will get to know her dynamic personality through her first original series.”

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Hallmark+’s unscripted series “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert” will include the Proto hologram technology in its Oct. 10 episode. Per the logline, the show’s party planners visit Proto’s L.A. headquarters, then incorporate Proto “in a surprise event celebrating a young science-enthusiast fundraising to save frogs and the rainforest.”

“Proto has always been about making extraordinary things happen and bringing people together, so working with Hallmark and the uplifting series Celebrations with Lacey Chabert felt like a perfect match,” said David Nussbaum, inventor/CEO of Proto Inc. The company’s credits include usage at the Emmys, Grammys, Comic-Con and Super Bowl.

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Hulu has picked up the next special from comedian Chris Distefano, which will premiere as part of the streamer’s new stand-up comedy brand dubbed “Hularious.” The hour-long special, “It’s Just Unfortunate” will launch on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ internationally. It is executively produced by Jimmy Kimmel for Kimmelot.

There’s no premiere date yet for “It’s Just Unfortunate.” Hulu has been on a comedy special spree as of late as it builds “Hularious,” also ordering programs from to be announced, alongside programs from standups Jim Gaffigan, Bill Burr, Ilana Glazer, Roy Wood Jr., Atsuko Okatsuka and Jessica Kirson.

Hulu will also have a curated collection of popular licensed past stand-ups. These include “800 Pound Gorilla,” “Comedy Dynamics,” and “Don’t Tell Comedy.”

Distefano sold out both the Radio City Music Hall and the Theater at Madison Square Garden in two consecutive nights in 2023. His first special, “Size 38 Waist,” premiered on Comedy Central in 2019 and his second special, “Speshy Weshy,” premiered on Netflix in 2022. “It’s Just Unfortunate” will be his third.

APPOINTMENTS

Comedian Nate Bargatze has been added to the advisory board of directors of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. “The story of comedy is vast, and Nate has demonstrated a commitment to our mission to preserve that vital story,” stated National Comedy Center executive director Journey Gunderson. “He is influencing the comedy of the present and setting precedent with his accomplishments and dedication to the craft, while being equally dedicated to honoring the legacies of the long line of artists who came before him.”

Added Bargatze: “I’ve immersed myself in the exhibits for hours each time I’ve explored the National Comedy Center in Jamestown. It’s the only place that truly celebrates the essence of what we do. For an artist, it’s a tribute to this thing we work so hard at, and for the average visitor, it pulls back the curtain on what elevates it to being an art. The experience is just awesome.”

FIRST LOOKS/TRAILERS

FX has revealed the trailer for the sixth and final season of “What We Do in the Shadows,” which premieres Oct. 21 on the network’s linear channel and Hulu.

According to the official logline, Season 6 sees Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) reevaluating his life after his brief time as a vampire. “Who is he if not a familiar who will do anything to please his Master in hopes of one day being turned into a vampire? Meanwhile, the vampires are reevaluating, too. When their former roommate reappears after a 50-year nap, they realize how little they’ve done in half a century — not one goal accomplished, not one dream pursued, not one part of the New World conquered (except for their street and part of Ashley Street).”

The trailer reveals several new cast members with guest spots and reoccurring roles in Season 6, including Tim Heidecker, Steve Coogan and former SNL cast member Mike Patrick O’Brien.

Executive Producers include Paul Simms, Jemaine Clement, Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Yana Gorskaya, Kyle Newacheck, Taika Waititi, Garrett Basch and Eli Bush. “What We Do in the Shadows” is produced by FX Productions.

Watch the trailer below:

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