Reality beat: ‘Beat the Chaser’ renewed for a seventh season, Leva Bonaparte Leaves ‘Southern Charm’

Amanda Parris - cbc

Docuseries: Canada’s CBC’s For the Culture with Amanda Parris has been renewed for a second season, featuring guest stars David Harewood and Monica Wright Rogers. The show aims to tell the stories of creating space for Blackness through Parris’s discussions with cultural leaders, activists, and everyday people in various locations, including Dallas, London, Ghana, and Jamaica. 

Leva Bonaparte - Michelle Watt/Bravo

Docusoap: Paul C. Bruson joined Netflix UK’s Cheat: Unfinished Business reality show with Amanda Holden as a relationship expert. The show, produced by Love Island maker Lifted Entertainment, follows eight ex-couples who navigate a Spanish retreat as they are guided through their relationship issues due to cheating.

Actress, producer, and reality TV personality Garcelle Beauvais has announced her departure from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills after five seasons.

“I’ve decided to leave Beverly Hills. It’s been a wild ride. I mean, some amazing things have happened, and some hard things have also happened, but it’s been a ride,” Beauvais said in an Instagram video.”

Leva Bonaparte announced that after four seasons on Southern Charm, she will be taking a break from the show.

“Wanted to let you know that although this year was so fun -I’ll be stepping away from Southern Charm this year on great terms!” she wrote on Instagram. “I am in a place now in my life where I want to have time to focus on Boys and my Joys. And need some time for a life reset on what is aligned for me!” 

The viral show Pop The Balloon on YouTube has shifted and landed a reimagined version of the digital series on Netflix on Thursdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on April 10. The show is a dating experiment that tests the chemistry of potential matches, where they keep balloons unpopped if they want to match. Pop The Balloon on Netflix will feature a variety of reality stars such as Johnny Bananas (The Challenge), Chase DeMoor (Too Hot To Handle), Farrah Abraham (Teen Mom), and Zaina Sesay (The Ultimatum).

“We’re thrilled to see Pop the Balloon take on a new life on Netflix. From day one, we’ve kept love and fun at the heart of the show, and watching it evolve and soar beyond our wildest dreams has been truly exciting. As executive producers, we’re proud to support this next chapter and can’t wait for both new and longtime fans to experience it. Yvonne is engaging, witty and authentic—and we are looking forward to her serving as the host for the reimagined version at Netflix,” said Amuli and Matundu..

Itv1

Competition Series: Beat The Chasers was renewed for a seventh series on ITV1 and ITVX and will go into production this summer. The show will air early next year following challengers taking on six Chasers: the Governess, the Vixen, the Menace, the Dark Destroyer, the Beast, and the Sinnerman. To build the pot, challengers must answer multiple questions; however, if they get one wrong, they are eliminated from the show. Challengers get to face the Chasers, who will offer their time and money.

Rio Ferdinand

Sports: WWE signed retired English soccer star Rio Ferdinand to focus on other endeavors besides broadcasting and pundit coverage. With the FIFA World Cup approaching in North America, WWE looks to secure broadcasting and digital opportunities through Ferdinand's signing.

Something special

Industry: Something Special, one of Korea’s top format companies based in Seoul, landed a major investment from venture capital firm DAEKYO Investment and private investor SB Partners. Something Special has recently launched Unforgettable Duet, in which dementia patients sing songs to help with their memories, and will represent All3Media to create a Korean version of The Traitors.

Sports journalist Matt Majende and F1 enthusiast Rich Edwards are slated to host the new Formula 1 Podcast produced by the BBC. The pairing will tell the story of the Formula 1 2025 season thanks to access given to Majendie from the Red Bull F1 team.

The NBA’s shift in broadcasting caused Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon to scramble to find commercial and ad deals due to the high cost of making this deal. The NBA hopes to make expansions and have more games on broadcast TV, despite streaming services such as Peacock and Amazon. Sports are typically sold separately from entertainment for ad sales, but due to fewer views for entertainment, sports may see an increase in sales from non-typical advertisers for sports. However, these ads might be taken away from these organizations because Warner Bros., one of the former streamers of the NBA, believes it can keep advertisers.

Ethan Lewis was announced to be promoted to Head of Non-Fiction and Sports at Higher Grounds Productions, which was formerly owned by Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.

“Ethan has propelled Higher Ground’s expansion into sports storytelling while building on the company’s award-winning track record in documentary film. We couldn’t be more excited about the success of ‘Starting 5’ and the incredible response to the launch of ‘Court of Gold,’” said Malhotra. “Ethan has helped solidify Higher Ground’s place in the non-fiction and sports worlds. We’re thrilled to have him continue shaping these spaces as he takes on an even bigger role.”

News Corp. announced that the company has finalized the sale of Australian pay-TV operator Foxtel Group to global sports streaming provider DAZN. In December, DAZN was buying most of the shareholders of Foxtel Group from News Corp, and some of the shareholders of Telstra in a deal with Enterprise for $2.2 billion.

“Foxtel’s successful transformation to becoming a leading provider of sports and entertainment is a result of the team’s tenacity, creativity, and professionalism,” News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson said in a statement. “Foxtel employees should be proud of their contribution to that success in the ultra-competitive content contest.”