News round-up: The CW eyes ‘minimal’ WBD/Paramount IP; TV Nova buys ‘Long Lost Family’; Apple TV+ returns to ‘Bad Sisters’

Batwoman

The CW eyes ‘minimal’ WBD/Paramount programming

The CW will have “minimal” programming from its former owners Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global by the 2023/24 season.

The US network, which was acquired by Nexstar earlier this year, has been cutting staff over recent weeks and slashing its reliance on high-cost programming.

That has seen shows such as Legends Of Tomorrow, Naomi and Batwoman axed, leaving series such as Walker and Superman & Lois among the last shows standing.

However, Nexstar EVP & CFO Lee Ann Gliha told investors on an earnings call that the company was now looking to “develop our slate” for the 2023-2024 broadcast season. “We will have some carryover commitment for the CBS and the WBD programming in that year, but it’s minimal at that point.”

Nextsar CEO Perry Sook added that shows fro WBD and Paramount could still be acquired by the network, but that it would “have to be a financial deal that we like”.

TV Nova buys Lineup’s Long Lost Family

TV Nova in the Czech Republic has snagged local remake rights to Lineup Industries’ long-running format, Long Lost Family.

The broadcaster has taken linear rights and SVOD rights for its Voyo platform, with the proposed remake meaning the format has now been acquired in 18 countries.

In further deals, CME has optioned linear rights to Long Lost Family in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia and Slovakia, as the series relaunches on TV2 in Denmark for season 17, returning to air after a two-year hiatus. In the UK, ITV has commissioned season 13.

Apple TV+ returns to Bad Sisters

Apple TV+ has ordered a second season of dark comedy murder mystery Bad Sisters.

The series is produced by star Sharon Horgan’s Merman Television and Disney’s ABC Signature. It is executive produced and written by Horgan with Brett Baer and Dave Finkel, who adapted it from the Belgian version of the series Clan, which was created by Malin-Sarah Gozin.

Horgan, Faye Dorn and Clelia Mountford executive produce for Merman, while Gozin, Bert Hamelinck and Michael Sagol executive produce for Caviar.