ANDY COHEN TO TACKLE NEW REALITY SHOW: Andy Cohen is expanding his empire with a docuseries for E! titled For Real: The Story of Reality TV. The producer extraordinaire will revisit sone of the most iconic moments from reality TV and interview stars behind the wildest episodes. In a statement, he said: “I’m thrilled to look back at the shows that formed my love for reality TV, and interview the icons of the genre. This series is like great candy!” E!, along with Bravo and Oxygen, is part of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment's Lifestyle Networks group. Among the shows that will get consideration: Keeping Up and Real Housewives. as well as ABC's The Bachelor, MTV's The Real World and CBS' Survivor.
RYAN REYNOLDS & ROB MCELHENNEY ACQUIRE SOCCER CLUB: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are snapping up a fifth-division English soccer club and plan to use their platform to promote the team globally. There is also a documentary series in the works. “These are two very successful people who have done great things on-screen and some great things off-screen,” said Spencer Harris, the club’s director. “They’re really interested in taking something with real potential, which this club has, investing in it, molding it and watching it grow. That journey is their ultimate motivation, and part of what they want to do is document that journey as they go. But I think it’s more about that journey.”
ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL SETS THE CLASS: Anthony Michael Hall is headed back to high school in The Class, where he will play an assistant principal. His breakout role was as the high school brain Brian Johnson in 1985’s The Breakfast Club. Nicholas Celozzi, who is producing and directing, told Variety: “With the advent of technology, new and different world issues and near limitless choices, kids today are much more sophisticated than they were when The Breakfast Club was made 35 years ago. They still have the same insecurities, but more nuanced and destructive coping mechanisms. It’s this contemporary exploration I find compelling.” The Class, like The Club, will focus on high school students forced to show on a Saturday. Casting of the students is underway.
DISNEY+ TO REACH 194M SUBSCRIBERS: Disney+ will reach more than 194 million subscribers worldwide by 2025, according to a forecast by Digital TV Research. The forecast added that five global platforms will reach 678 million subscription VOD subscribers by 2025. Via The Hollywood Reporter: Disney+ will add 112 million subscribers between 2020 and 2025 to take its total to 194 million. Netflix will add 73 million subscribers, “revealing strong growth even for the longest established platform,” it added. That will bring its total to 274 million in 2025, the firm forecast, up from its previous expectation of 263 million.
