ABC has ordered up new seasons of “Bachelor in Paradise” and “Judge Steve Harvey,” as it also announced two new specials — including one hosted by Martha Stewart and the other centered on rescue dogs — on Thursday. The news came as ABC also shared a slew of new and returning unscripted series premiere dates for its summer 2022 lineup.
The lineup kicks off on May 25 with two new back-to-back specials. At 8 p.m. is “The Great American Tag Sale with Martha Stewart,” which features Stewart selling pieces from her extensive collection of art, furniture and other pieces from her home. The special is produced by Walt Disney Television’s newly formed alternative production unit. Stewart and Jen Patton serve as executive producers.
At 9 p.m., Rob Riggle and Joe Tessitore join forces for “The American Rescue Dog Show,” a two-hour special that features dogs competing for a selection of titles that includes “best in underbite, best in snoring and best in belly rubs.” “The American Rescue Dog Show” was created by Michael Levitt and Jennifer Schulz. Levitt, Charles Wachter, Jill Goularte and Schulz serve as executive producers.
In July, returning gamer “Press Your Luck” will be paired with the new series “Generation Gap” starting July 7. “Press Your Luck,” hosted by Elizabeth Banks, airs at 8 p.m. ET, followed at 9 p.m. by “Generation Gap,” a comedy quiz game show hosted by Kelly Ripa. The pop culture-based competition sees grandparents and grandchildren teaming up to answer questions from the other’s generation. “Generation Gap” is produced by MGM Television, Kimmelot and Milojo. Mark Burnett, Jimmy Kimmel, Barry Poznick, Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Albert Bianchini, Alycia Rossiter and Jonathan Kimmel are executive producers.
New series “The Final Straw” will premiere on July 10 at 9 p.m. The physical comedy game show sees four teams facing off against gigantic “tipping towers,” full of random objects that must be pulled out without knocking over the structure. The last team with its tower standing will then compete against “The Mega Stack” for the grand prize. “The Final Straw” is produced by B17 Entertainment in association with Walt Disney Television. Brien Meagher, Rhett Bachner and Sarah Happel Jackson are executive producers, while Keith Geller serves as showrunner and executive producer.
Before and after the premiere of “The Final Straw,” ABC will air two returning series: “Celebrity Family Feud” at 8 p.m. and “The $100,000 Pyramid” at 10 p.m.
Then, after the season premiere of “The Bachelorette” (with returning host Jesse Palmer, and Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia leading the season) at 8 p.m. on July 11, Frankie and Kevin Jonas’ new series, “Claim to Fame,” will premiere at 10 p.m.
“Claim to Fame” sees the Jonases co-hosting a series that challenges 12 celebrity family members to step out of their famous relative’s shadow and conceal their identity for the chance to win $100,000. Produced by Kinetic Content in association with Walt Disney Television, “Claim to Fame” is executive produced by Chris Coelen, Eric Detwiler and Scott Teti, with Paul Osborne as showrunner and executive producer, and Brian Smith serving as director and executive producer.
ABC also announced that “Judge Steve Harvey” has been renewed for Season 2, while “Bachelor in Paradise” will return for Season 8. Premiere dates for both will be announced at a later date. “Bachelor in Paradise” is produced by Next Entertainment and Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon. Mike Fleiss, Martin Hilton, Nicole Woods, Tim Warner, Louis Caric and Peter Geist are the show’s executive producers. “Judge Steve Harvey” is produced by Den of Thieves in association with Walt Disney Television. Steve Harvey, Brandon Williams, and Den of Thieves’ Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Jared Morell are executive producers. Myeshia Mizuno is the showrunner and executive producer.
The news comes following Variety’s exclusive report last week that the Alec Baldwin-hosted “Match Game,” as well as “Card Sharks,” “Celebrity Dating Game” and “The Hustler” had been canceled, while “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Press Your Luck” and “The $100,000 Pyramid” were expected to be back.
Also in today’s TV news:
FESTIVALS
SeriesFest, the annual television festival, has announced the official selections for its international independent pilot competitions. 54 pilots were selected for this year’s competition, which awards independent television work across seven categories: independent pilot: drama, independent pilot: comedy, independent pilot: unscripted, digital short series, late night, pitch-a-thon, and collegiate creator spotlight. The festival will take place May 5 to May 11 in Denver, Colorado, and the winners of the pilot competitions will be announced there. Read the full list of participating pilots here.
The Asian Comedy Festival has announced the performers for its upcoming New York festival. Dylan Adler, Jes Tom, Karen Chee, Usama Siddiquee and Yuhua Hamasaki will headline the third annual festival, which spotlight AAPI comedians and performers at events hosted at Stand Up NY and Caveat. In addition, the festival has also partnered with shortform video platform Rizzle for a contest in which AAPI creators can film one-minute proof of concept videos for a series. The deadline for submission is April 25, and the top three winners will be screened at Caveat on May 7. The winners will receive a $1,000 dollar cash prize and will have their series greenlit for a 10-episode series on Rizzle. The Asian Comedy Festival will take place on May 6 and May 7.
EXECUTIVES
Sarah Bond, corporate vice president, game creator experience and ecosystem at Microsoft, has joined the USC School of Cinematic Arts’ board of councilors. “Sarah’s career at the nexus of gaming, entertainment and content creation makes her an incredible asset to our board of councilors and the USC community,” said Donna Langley, chair of Universal Film Entertainment Group and chair of the board of councilors. “Her influence and expertise will undoubtedly inspire students to pursue innovative ways to approach our industry.” Added SCA Dean Elizabeth Daley, “As the entertainment industry continues its evolution, Sarah’s breadth of knowledge and forward-facing approach will have an immediate and direct impact on our students and curriculum.”