ITV America’s Sirens Media (Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Snap’s Honestly Loren and Nikita Unfiltered) is expanding its development team with two hires.

Sirens president Mioshi Hill has tapped veteran producer Melissa Purner (pictured, left) as vice president of development, while Tavi Kaunitz (right) has been hired as manager of development.

Purner joins the company with a background in production and development for both unscripted and scripted content across all formats and genres.

Most recently, she developed, sold and produced HBO Max’s Happily Ever Avatar as well as an upcoming unscripted series for Snap.

Purner was previously head of digital, social media and unscripted at Mark Wahlberg’s Leverage Management, where she developed a multitude of projects and served as social producer for HBO’s Ballers. Purner has also worked on the development teams at MTV, WME, Herzog & Company and Endemol, where she helped launch Endemol Digital Studios.

Kaunitz previously spent several years on the talent and development team at Comedy Central, working across the network’s programming lineup, including the Emmy-nominated Drunk History, Corporate and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, among myriad other projects, including digital series.

Before Comedy Central, Kaunitz worked at The Gersh Agency, overseeing personal appearances and live events for high-profile talent.

“Melissa and Tavi each bring their own unique and wonderful flavor of creative energy and perspective to the team,” Hill said in a statement. “As we prep a wave of new series with dynamic talent from various backgrounds and fields, it’s a tremendous advantage to have such well-rounded and innovative minds among our ranks.”

Los Angeles-based Sirens Media has produced titles such as Netflix’s The Wedding Coach and TBS’s Lost Resort, with projects currently in development for partners including Nat Geo, Discovery, Viacom and NBCUniversal, among others.

ITV America is part of ITV Studios.

Jamie Lee to the rescue.

In this exclusive first look at Netflix’s new wedding show, titled The Wedding Coach, the comedian and Weddiculous author is on a mission to help couples survive the craziness of planning a wedding.

Per Netflix, “With a different comedian ‘plus one’ by her side each episode, Jamie intervenes before and on the wedding day, serving up her refreshing, real-talk perspective on the Bridal Industry, squashing the couple’s drama to help them focus on the big picture.”

In fact, in the new trailer exclusively obtained by E! News, the Girl Code star sounds off that “wedding perfection is unattainable.” Thus, Jamie is determined to help the brides and grooms-to-be in any way she can.

“I am a fairy godmother to you,” Jamie is seen telling one bride. “How do I bibbidi-bobbidi-boo this situation for you?”

Thankfully, Jamie will have some assistance as fellow comedians Matteo Lane, Punkie Johnson, Fortune Feimster, Mamrie Hart, Jon Gabrus and Alesha Renee will all appear on The Wedding Coach.

And, as a former bride herself, Jamie has some seriously wise words to share about weddings. “I’ve always hated the ‘bridezilla’ label because wedding stress is real,” she expresses. “And we should be sensitive to it, as if it were a medical condition.”

The trick to getting through planning your nuptials? According Jamie, “Be prepared for anything and just roll with the punches.”

For one bride, this advice rings true as she is nervous to tell her mother that she’s pregnant. In a confessional the bride-to-be admits, “I’m gonna be a pregnant bride, which I did not expect. Not even my mom knows yet that I’m pregnant.”

We’re certainly eager to see how Jamie helps this bride navigate the situation when The Wedding Coach premieres next month. For a look at what’s to come, check out the new trailer above.

The Wedding Coach premieres Wednesday, April 7 on Netflix.

Unscripted vet Mioshi Hill is heading to Sirens Media. The former lifetime executive and longtime producer is joining the ITV America-owned company as president, replacing outgoing leader Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh — who is departing to pursue a new independent venture.

“We’ve had the privilege of working with Mioshi as a network partner at Lifetime and were continually impressed with her creative instincts and skilled leadership as an executive,” said ITV America CEO David George. “For us, this also feels like a wonderful homecoming with someone whose career began at High Noon; it’s been incredibly impressive to watch Mioshi build on her successes in independent production with an outstanding tenure at Lifetime. We’re extremely proud of the Sirens brand built by Jessica and the team over the years, and look forward to the label’s next chapter with Mioshi at the helm.”

Sirens Media is behind Bravo’s popular New Jersey iteration of the Real Housewives franchise, as well as Snapchat’s Nikita Unfiltered, TBS’ Lost Resort and upcoming comedy docuseries at Netflix.

“I’m excited to build upon Sirens’ legacy of edgy, pop culture savvy storytelling,” said Hill. “As our industry continues to experience this content renaissance and explosion, with fresh voices surfacing across all platforms, ITV America continues to be a leader in story innovation and premier production. I’m honored to join their ranks, which consist of some of the best creative and production minds in the business and cannot wait to dive in. With the ITV team behind us, Sirens is poised for continued success and a new wave of provocative, genre-busting and immensely entertaining content that leaves an impression.”

Most recently serving as vice president of nonfiction programming at Lifetime, where she worked since 2016, Hill worked on Swipe Swap, Little Women: LA, Finding Justice and numerous other titles. Prior to joining the network, she spent more than a decade in independent production — in roles as Hud:sun Media and High Noon Entertainment, working on titles such as E!’s House of DVF, Bravo’s Pregnant in Heels and TLC’s Cake Boss.

Hill assumes her new role at the top of February.

As her star rises, Nikita Dragun is learning the pitfalls of being a celebrity, fearing that she’ll get “canceled” in PEOPLE’s exclusive look at season 2 of Snapchat’s original docuseries Nikita Unfiltered.

“My career is bigger than ever,” the beauty influencer says in the trailer. “Every single move is blown up, because everyone is watching. … If I get canceled now, in my career, everything will be over.”

It’s unclear what controversy she is referring to, but Dragun and other popular internet stars made headlines last summer after throwing parties despite the COVID-19 lockdown. (Dragun later clarified that all her guests were “tested.”)

Of course, season 2 also promises plenty of fun for the successful star. “I’m back bi—es! Bigger and badder than ever,” she tells PEOPLE in a statement.

After struggling with her feelings for her friend and designer Oscar, Dragun decided to keep their relationship purely platonic at the end of season 1. Now, the 25-year-old influencer looks for new boys as her career takes off.

But with her fame growing, who is a real one — and who just wants the clout?

Full of glamorous outfits and stunning makeup, the season 2 trailer gives fans a sneak peek into Dragun’s world beyond Instagram and YouTube. The beauty maven gets real about sussing out fake friends — and reveals two budding romances.

With her heart on the line, Dragun has to choose between the “nice guy” and the “bad boy” while juggling photoshoots and a beauty empire.

“New boys, new craziness, new drama. But baby,” Dragun says in the trailer. “I like a challenge.”

Season 2 of Nikita Unfiltered premieres Saturday, with 10 episodes launching every other day on Snapchat Discover.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s 11th season is set to be more explosive than ever.

The trailer dropped on Wednesday, and features the cast facing cheating rumors and Teresa Giudice dating again following her divorce from Joe Giudice after 20 years of marriage.

“I want to get my peach kissed,” she bluntly tells the other women over dinner, as a few handsome men are shown. “When you love someone, you f**king lick them upside down.”

Meanwhile, Teresa is also creating drama for the other couples as she’s seen telling someone on the phone that her own sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga, has been texting with another man who isn’t her husband, Joe Gorga.

“Last night, the owner of the restaurant asked Melissa for her number,” she says. “They’ve been texting all day.”

Teresa also appears to allude to Jackie Goldschneider’s husband, Evan, being unfaithful.

“Why do I hear rumors, like when he goes to the gym he screws around?” she says at a party as the camera shows Jackie and Evan.

But the most emotional fight in the trailer is between Teresa and her brother, Joe. Joe and Melissa are upset that Teresa’s ex-husband has been talking publicly about them and Joe completely loses his cool.

“You’re going to defend him?” he shouts at Teresa, before slamming his fist onto the table. “F**k that piece of s**t. He put my mother in a f**king grave. Do you f**king understand that?”

Teresa and Joe’s mother, Antonia Gorga, died in March 2017. She was 66 years old. ET learned at the time that Antonia was admitted to a local hospital for pneumonia three months prior, and was never released.

Real Housewives of New Jersey season 11 premieres on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Meanwhile, Teresa recently went Instagram official with her new boyfriend, Luis Ruelas.

“The BEST thing that came out of 2020 ❣️” Teresa captioned a picture of the two.

It hasn’t even been a week on the job, and Mioshi Hill is already thinking of what revelatory (or juicy) reality series she should pitch next. The recently instated president of ITV America’s Sirens Media (and the successor of Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh) is a savvy storytelling veteran, having overseen a robust slate of unscripted projects at her former position of VP of non-fiction programming at Lifetime. There, she spent four years developing upcoming shows such as the Sarah Jessica Parker exec-produced “Swipe Swap,” “Finding Justice” starring Elizabeth Smart and “Vivica’s Black Magic,” led by “Soul Train” legend Vivica A. Fox. With more than a decade worth of independent production experience under her belt, Hill will now shepherd various Sirens Media projects currently in development, including an untitled comedic docuseries for Netflix and collaborations with Comedy Central, E!, We TV and Bravo, as well as shows already in existences like the long-running and always dramatic “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.”

Hill chatted with Variety on what her plans are at the Los Angeles-based company, and where she sees the future of unscripted programming on linear and streaming.

Sirens Media has a very diverse slate of programming with lots of different stories and voices being given a space and a moment on television. Why do you think that representation should be prioritized in unscripted programming?

As an African American woman, it is incredibly healing and affirming to take a leadership position during a time when women and people of colors’ perspectives and life experiences are at the center of pop culture and social change. I love the fact that Sirens has always had a history of being face-forward when it comes to trying to be more inclusive and to make sure that the invisible is more visible. I hope to expand upon that. Right now we have learned that a great story is really the most powerful thing in the universe because that’s the only thing that can change hearts and minds — and particularly in the nonfiction space because this is a mirror of life. We’re putting a spotlight on what people’s real-life experiences are and their real perspectives. It’s not only a responsibility but also an absolute privilege to helm a label that has always been about representation. I absolutely intend that every project that we pay out leaves an impression on the versatility of the story, the diversity of the cast and the diversity of the subject matter.

Sirens Media was in the midst of producing a practical jokes Quibi show with Cara Delevigne — and, well, you know Quibi’s fate. What’s going on with that now that the platform shut down?

The good news is that I think the Quibi experiment was one that the marketplace was ready for and there were so many great content creators that ran towards it. Sirens was one of those content creators that said, “Hey, this is a new platform that resonates with how we’re watching and consuming content and we should go for it.” I think there’s a lot of reasons why they had to press pause on that venture, but I feel very proud that Sirens was one of the first to the punch to create for them. As to where that show is now, I know that there are a lot of deals in and at play right now, but we may not be able to share all those details just yet. We’re so proud of the program that we created over there and we’re excited to see if there’s another home for it.

What do you think the future of unscripted programming is on streaming? What are the differences between what works for cable versus streaming?

It’s two-fold for the streamers. On one hand, they’ve learned how to make it okay to be super niche because it is all programmed for that specific viewer. You can pull up what you want, and they can watch your viewing habits. So, you have these programs and concepts that I think 10 years ago you couldn’t have found an audience for because they weren’t broad enough. The streamers have made it possible for everyone to get a piece of the pie. On the business side what that has created is an insatiable beast for programming. So that absolutely shifts how we ideate and how we develop programming because we have to stay fresh. We can’t be afraid to take risky swings to make sure that our programming speaks to the moment because, two months from now, that’s going to be different. It changes the development arc because, in the cable landscape, that arc is just traditionally a little longer. They’re both feeding into each other, and it’s exciting because they’re pushing each other. It’s like watching two racehorses try to run across the finish line.

Season 11 of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” will debut Feb. 17 on Bravo. “Nikita Unfiltered” will be back for Season 2 on Snapchat, but the exact timing has yet to be announced.

If you’ve ever wondered what really goes on at those exotic-looking wellness retreats, TBS’ new reality show Lost Resort might be your next great summer TV escape.

The series, which premieres next month and arrives via the executive producers of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, aims to take viewers inside the world of “extreme spiritual healing” via a social experiment centered around nine strangers exploring alternative therapies.

What constitutes an alternative therapy? Things like rage rituals, vulnerability circles and orgasmic healing, all of which you see glimpses of in the exclusive first look above.

“In this retreat, we’ve got to work through the healing journey,” says a lively guide/guru-like woman in the trailer, over footage of the guests beginning their therapies. “We’ve got to cleanse you! This is a life-changing experience.”

From there the trailer offers brief introductions to the various guests, what they’re working on and the increasing levels of drama that ensues among them, and via their “treatments,” over the course of their three-week journey of self-discovery.

The nine guests include a married couple, a mother/daughter duo, a man who hasn’t done much activity of any sort in four years, plus a few singles who eventually (obviously?) hook-up.

“It’s crazy as hell!” says one guest over footage of the rituals and drama that starts to unfold. “I need to leave, I don’t want to do this anymore,” whines another who looks to be packing bags. The clip is also interspersed with motivational mentions of “spiritual surgery” and letting go of control from one of the healers/guides.

The vibe, reality show-speaking, seems to be an entertaining mix of Housewives-meets-Goop Lab-meets-Love Island.

The 10-episode series, which wrapped production well before the COVID-19 pandemic, premieres July 23 on TBS.

TBS has greenlighted Lost Resort, an upstairs/downstairs look at the booming subculture of exotic wellness retreats. The announcement was made today during its panel at the TCA winter press tour.

Produced by ITV America’s Sirens Media, the 10-episode unscripted series follows a group of strangers who are immersed in a three-week Costa Rican retreat led by a colorful team of alternative healers. From a married couple on the brink to a mother/daughter pair with serious trust issues and a hothead with a painful past, the guests come from all walks of life hoping to leave transformed. At their breaking points and fed up with traditional Western therapies, they’ll experience everything from rage rituals and shamanic cacao ceremonies to orgasmic dance. But the drama only intensifies between sessions as this motley crew hooks up, breaks up and opens up in ways they’d never expect.

“Lost Resort is an inside look at the exclusive, explosive and often hilariously experimental world of self-help retreats,” said Corie Henson, EVP and head of unscripted programming for TBS, TNT and truTV. “Wait until you see the lengths people will go in their quest for happiness.”

Added Sirens Media president and executive producer Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh: “The vibrant world of alternative wellness in Costa Rica is the perfect catalyst for uninhibited, visceral behavior. Equal parts provocative, comedic and downright deep, we’re thrilled to bring this unique and wildly fun series to TBS.”

Sebastian-Dayeh, Jordana Hochman and Sarah Howell and Michael Bloom serve as executive producers for Lost Resort, which has wrapped production and will premiere in 2020.

First, there was Match.com, then there was Tinder and shortly after came Bumble and Raya. Now, Quibi is looking to revolutionize the tech-driven dating experience with the ultimate real-time, interactive dating series The Hot Drop. The first of its kind new series is the first of its kind and will be produced by ITV America’s Sirens Media and by ITV Studios Entertainment.

With Quibi’s technology, The Hot Drop will start each week by dropping a profile of one of the most desirable and eligible singles of all genders and sexual preferences in America — and this is where the fun begins. Through the Quibi app, the audience can submit videos for the chance to go on a dating adventure with the aforementioned single. That same week, Quibi will reveal the top three candidates. From there, it’s up to the Quibi community to determine who goes on the date.

By the end of the week, the audience will watch the eligible single and the winning candidate meet for the very first time and go on their date. This will all culminate with a decision for the single to either continue dating “off the app” or stay single. It’s a combination of old school TV dating shows like Love Connection and modern dating apps like Tinder.

“We see The Hot Drop as a major step toward modernizing the ‘dating’ genre,” said Executive Producer and Sirens Media President Jessica Sebastian. “From the casting to its cinematic style, it will be a fresh and edgy new entry in the space, and we’re excited to enlist the Quibi audience’s help in putting together the perfect match.”

Angela Jain, Managing Director, ITV Studios Entertainment adds, “We are delighted Quibi saw the potential in The Hot Drop as much as we did, their support throughout has been fantastic. This is a major step forward in the growth of ITV Studios Entertainment and we are delighted to be partnering with Sirens Media to produce what we believe will be a distinctive, contemporary and entertaining take on the dating scene.”

The show will be executive produced by Jessica Sebastian, Simon Thomas and Cassie Lambert Scalettar for ITV America’s Sirens Media, and Angela Jain, Gail Harman and Martin Lau for ITV Studios Entertainment.

Cara Delevingne is the latest name to join the Quibi content push.

The “Suicide Squad” and “Carnival Row” actor is set to host and executive produce a practical joke-based show for the fledgling short-form content platform.

In each episode of the show, Delevingne and a group of female accomplices will “wreak havoc,” executing a new stunt or practical joke which will put them in “unwieldy and unpredictable situations in the process.”

“I am so excited to be partnering with such a revolutionary streaming service like Quibi and cannot wait to unleash some necessary mischief,” said Delevingne. “As someone who watches so much content on my phone, this feels like such a perfect partnership.”

The series is being produced for Quibi by ITV America’s Sirens Media, with the company’s president Jessica Sebastian serving as executive producer.

“Cara’s an icon in so many ways, and it’s a privilege to partner with her to develop something that authentically encapsulates her unique energy and sensibility,” added Sebastian. “As far as I know, a series in this space with this level of female guidance and representation, both in front of and behind the camera, is unprecedented, and we’re ecstatic to bring this new take on the genre to the ideal platform in Quibi.”

Delevingne is represented by The Lede Company, WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

The prospective show is one of dozens in the works at the Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman led platform, which is slated to launch in April 2020.

The company is attracting A-list talent across the board, and has announced a slew of projects including Steven Spielberg’s “After Dark,” a horror series users will be able to watch only between sundown and sunrise local time. Other partners include Guillermo del Toro, Antoine Fuqua, Sam Raimi, Jason Blum, Steven Soderbergh, Catherine Hardwick, Anna Kendrick, Doug Liman, Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Curry’s Unanimous Media. Quibi also has ordered shows featuring Tyra Banks, Chrissy Teigen, Don Cheadle and Idris Elba as well as a remake of MTV’s “Punk’d.”

Snap continues to plow money into original shows for Snapchat, which it says draws audiences of millions — and millions of repeat viewers — among its millennial and Gen Z user base.

On Tuesday, the mobile messaging and media company announced a slate of eight new Snap Originals. Those include documentary series on controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine (from Complex Networks) and transgender beauty icon Nikita Dragun (Sirens Media) as well as “Everything’s Fine,” a scripted comedy about a bipolar college student from Paul Feig’s Powderkeg that features music by Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz. The shows will begin airing this fall on Snapchat’s Discover page.

Snap also announced renewals of three serialized originals for second seasons: “Bringing Up Bhabie,” a docu-series about rapper Bhad Bhabie from Invent TV (premiering winter 2020); scripted drama “Two Sides” from Whistle’s New Form (spring 2020); and scripted comedy “Kappa Crypto” from Indigo Development and Entertainment Arts, Snap’s joint venture studio with NBCUniversal (spring 2020).

In addition, Snapchat Original “The Dead Girls Detective Agency,” based on the YA novel of the same name, returns this fall for Season 4. The series is produced by Indigo Development and Entertainment Arts, Insurrection Media and Keshet Studios.

With the new slate, Snapchat is delving into new formats it hasn’t tried before, said Sean Mills, Snap’s head of content. The new series span a range of genres, including character-driven docu-series, unscripted shows, and serialized scripted dramas, thrillers, and comedies.

“While we have been doing this for some time, we’re still in an experimental phase and trying things for the first time,” he said.

As part of its development process, Snap gleans info about the personalities and topics that are most interesting to Snapchatters by analyzing media consumption on its Discover platform, Mills said. For example, the company greenlit scripted basketball series “Players” after seeing the popularity of Overtime’s “Hype School” with highlights of high-school hoops.

Mills declined to say whether Snap’s investment in original programming is profitable. “We believe this is really valuable investment in our business — we think about our content business as part of the holistic engagement on Snapchat,” he said.

Over the past year, the time spent watching Snapchat Shows has more than tripled and the total daily time spent by users watching Discover increased by over 60% and the number of daily viewers has grown by 35%, according to the company. (Snap isn’t releasing actual overall viewership numbers.) In the U.S., Snapchat claims to reach 90% of all 13-24 year-olds and 75% of all 13-34 year-olds.

“People come to a Show page with great intention,” Mills said. “It’s a stronger relationship with the show than if they were mindlessly scrolling down a feed.”

Snap continues to plow money into original shows for Snapchat, which it says draws audiences of millions — and millions of repeat viewers — among its millennial and Gen Z user base.

On Tuesday, the mobile messaging and media company announced a slate of eight new Snap Originals. Those include documentary series on controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine (from Complex Networks) and transgender beauty icon Nikita Dragun (Sirens Media) as well as “Everything’s Fine,” a scripted comedy about a bipolar college student from Paul Feig’s Powderkeg that features music by Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz. The shows will begin airing this fall on Snapchat’s Discover page.

Snap also announced renewals of three serialized originals for second seasons: “Bringing Up Bhabie,” a docu-series about rapper Bhad Bhabie from Invent TV (premiering winter 2020); scripted drama “Two Sides” from Whistle’s New Form (spring 2020); and scripted comedy “Kappa Crypto” from Indigo Development and Entertainment Arts, Snap’s joint venture studio with NBCUniversal (spring 2020).

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In addition, Snapchat Original “The Dead Girls Detective Agency,” based on the YA novel of the same name, returns this fall for Season 4. The series is produced by Indigo Development and Entertainment Arts, Insurrection Media and Keshet Studios.

With the new slate, Snapchat is delving into new formats it hasn’t tried before, said Sean Mills, Snap’s head of content. The new series span a range of genres, including character-driven docu-series, unscripted shows, and serialized scripted dramas, thrillers, and comedies.

“While we have been doing this for some time, we’re still in an experimental phase and trying things for the first time,” he said.

As part of its development process, Snap gleans info about the personalities and topics that are most interesting to Snapchatters by analyzing media consumption on its Discover platform, Mills said. For example, the company greenlit scripted basketball series “Players” after seeing the popularity of Overtime’s “Hype School” with highlights of high-school hoops.

Mills declined to say whether Snap’s investment in original programming is profitable. “We believe this is really valuable investment in our business — we think about our content business as part of the holistic engagement on Snapchat,” he said.

Over the past year, the time spent watching Snapchat Shows has more than tripled and the total daily time spent by users watching Discover increased by over 60% and the number of daily viewers has grown by 35%, according to the company. (Snap isn’t releasing actual overall viewership numbers.) In the U.S., Snapchat claims to reach 90% of all 13-24 year-olds and 75% of all 13-34 year-olds.

“People come to a Show page with great intention,” Mills said. “It’s a stronger relationship with the show than if they were mindlessly scrolling down a feed.”

Budgets for Snap Originals productions vary but they can “exceed what you see in cable,” said Mills. About half of the company’s originals are developed from incoming project pitches, but Mills said it’s looking for bespoke programming that is designed for Snapchat’s mobile, short-form formats: “We’re not shopping off the rack.”

More details on Snap’s new originals slate:

• “Tekashi69 VS The World” (Complex): Docu-series traces the rise and fall of Tekashi 6ix9ine (real name: Daniel Hernandez) from his days growing up in Brooklyn, through his chart-topping career and star-studded collaborations — to the rapper’s arrest on racketeering, weapons and drugs charges, and his plea deal on nine felony counts. Premiering this fall, it’s the first installment in Snap’s new “VS The World” franchise covering big names in hip hop, sports, and entertainment.
• “Nikita Unfiltered” (Sirens Media): YouTube influencer and transgender beauty mogul Nikita Dragun reveals a vulnerable new side to herself that her fans haven’t yet seen as she starts to date as a woman for the first time. Premieres winter 2020.
• “The Honeybeez” (Leftfield Pictures): The Honeybeez, Alabama State’s plus-size dance squad, is here to prove that dance is for everyone. The dancers let the haters be their motivators as they showcase their talents on the biggest collegiate stages. Premieres winter 2020.
• “Driven” (MGM’s Big Fish Entertainment): This entourage of young entrepreneurs at PTG365 deliver flashy, custom cars to their high roller clients using nothing but their phones and a whole lot of hustle. The high end, exotic car industry will never be the same. Docuseries premieres Winter 2020.
• “Mind Yourself” (Barcroft Studios): In this unscripted anthology series, each episode paints an intimate portrait of a young person suffering or recovering from a mental health issue, from OCD and body dysmorphia to depression and PTSD. Premieres winter 2020.
• “Everything’s Fine” (Powderkeg): Gemma is a college junior with big plans to kill it in the music industry while coping with a brand-new bipolar diagnosis in this scripted comedy with an unflinching point of view on what it takes to manage a mental health condition while striving to be an overachiever. Premieres spring 2020; working title.
• “Players” (Loud Labs Media and One Push): Scripted series follows Nash Brooks, son of famed NBA player Oscar Brooks and a rising star himself, who relocates from Indiana to L.A. when his dad is traded. No longer a big fish in a small pond, he has to prove his worth at a fancy West L.A. private school where he’s not even guaranteed a starting spot on the basketball team. Premieres fall 2019.
• “Save Me” (Loud Labs Media and One Push): In this scripted thriller, isolated home-schooler Jason discovers that his online classmate and crush goes missing — and takes it upon himself to find and save her. But when his search leads him to an off-the-grid “conscious community” that promotes human connection over digital devices, Jason’s character is tested in real life. Premieres winter 2020.

On the advertising front, Snap is selling six-second, non-skippable commercials for the premium shows. Snap recently announced new video ad features for advertisers, including the ability to add swipe-up actions on commercials. In Snap Ads, advertisers can now optimize for 15-second video views and the duration of skippable Snap Ads is increasing to a maximum of three minutes.

In addition, Snap is leveraging the augmented reality (AR) features of the Snapchat app to promote its originals. The company currently has two AR-enabled billboards on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles: One lets fans of the “The Dead Girls Detective Agency” scan the Snapcode on the billboard to watch the new trailer for season 4, and the other gives Snapchatters a sneak peek at zombie-invasion thriller “Dead of Night,” currently airing on Snapchat.

Other stats Snap provided to bolster its case that its originals strategy is resonating (note that these stats are reported by the company and unverified by third parties):

• In its first 24 hours, the premiere episode of “Bringing Up Bhabie” drew over 10 million unique viewers in February 2019.
• “Endless Summer,” Snapchat’s first reality series, starring teen YouTube creator Summer Mckeen and produced by Bunim-Murray Productions, reached over 28 million unique viewers in its first season, and more than 90% of viewers who completed the first season went on to watch season two in its first month.
• For “The Dead Girls Detective Agency,” 80% of viewers who completed season 2 went on to watch season 3 (which premiered in August) and 55% of viewers who completed the first episode of season 3 went on to watch the entire season.
• “Deep Creek” reached over 18 million unique viewers in its first season.
• Of the audience for ESPN’s daily “SportsCenter on Snapchat,” more than 60% watches at least three days per week.
• More than a third of NBC News’ “Stay Tuned” Snapchat audience watches five or more days per week.

Garden State, represent! That’s right: The Real Housewives of New Jersey has been confirmed to return for Season 9 at a later date.

Back in December, Siggy Flicker confirmed her exit from the show. “After much reflection and Bravo’s support, I have decided that this will be my last season on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. I am grateful to the network for allowing me to be part of this successful franchise and wish only the best for Teresa, Melissa, Dolores, Danielle and Margaret. At this time, I want to focus on my beautiful family, my growing business and some exciting new projects.”

Bravo also confirmed that The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Real Housewives of Orange County, Married to Medicine, Don’t Be Tardy, and The Real Housewives of Dallas will also return.

Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh has been named president of ITV America unscripted production company Sirens Media, with founders Rebecca Toth Diefenbach and Valerie Haselton taking new posts.

Sebastian-Dayeh (pictured) will jointly report to ITV America CEO David George, who replaced Brent Montgomery this January, and ITV America president Adam Sher.

Sirens founders Toth Diefenbach and Haselton will transition to creative director roles, and remain hands on as creators and producers.

In her new role, Sebastian-Dayeh will have responsibility for all content creation across a range of genres for broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.

She joins Sirens from her role as senior VP of development at ITV Entertainment, also part of ITV America.

Since 2016 she has spearheaded development for the production label, creating and producing series and formats such as The Four: Battle for Stardom for Fox, Four Weddings for TLC and The Real Housewives of New Jersey for Bravo.

Sirens, which was formed in 2005, was acquired in 2013 by Leftfield Entertainment, which subsequently was acquired by ITV in 2014.

George and Sher said: “As a high-level executive with network and production expertise, and serious creative chops in pop culture-driven content, Jessica is perfectly positioned to lead Sirens Media as it heads into a new chapter at ITV America.

“We’re thrilled that Rebecca Toth Diefenbach and Valerie Haselton will be working with ITV America as creative directors, with emphasis on Sirens Media’s crime-focused programming.

“Their expertise in this space cannot be overstated; it has been transformative for Sirens and for the unscripted industry.”

A+E Networks has secured an overall first-look development and production deal with Elizabeth Vargas, the Emmy Award-winning journalist and former ABC 20/20 presenter.

As part of the deal, Vargas will become the face of A&E’s newly minted non-fiction primetime journalistic banner ‘A&E Investigates’, which will offer a premium stable of unscripted series and specials that provide an unfiltered look at the untold stories of people and events in society that have a profound impact on our culture.

Vargas will work with A+E Networks to develop and produce new non-fiction programming through the newly launched non-fiction content development company A+E Originals, spearheaded by Paul Buccieri, president of A+E Networks Portfolio Group & A+E Studios.

The deal marks the second overall deal for A+E Originals, after the previously announced pact with Leah Remini.

Vargas, who has been co-hosting ABC’s 20/20 for 14 years, announced in December 2017 that she would be leaving the network this May, following the culmination of the investigative journalism and news magazine’s 40th season, to pursue new ventures.

“Elizabeth is a brave storyteller and one of the most trusted journalists who is an expert at bringing audiences closer to the heart of stories that have never been told in order to reveal genuine moments of truth,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP and head of programming at A&E Network, in a statement. “Her honest and authentic brand is the perfect fit for our audience that always seeks the truth and we are fortunate that she chose A+E Networks as her new home.”

The first planned projects under the ‘A&E Investigates’ banner include Cults and Extreme Belief (9 x 60 minutes, The Intellectual Property Corporation; debuting May 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT), which examines how controversial organizations use their influence to prey upon people’s desperation to create powerful and often destructive belief systems; and two-hour documentary The Plot Against America (Hot Snakes Media; debuts June 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT), which investigates the Russian enemy sleeper cells strategically placed throughout America.

Slated to premiere Summer 2018 is The Untitled Word of Faith Fellowship Project (w/t) from Collins Avenue, a 6 x 60-minute docuseries which follows the decades-long controversy surrounding the Word of Faith Fellowship Church in Spindle, North Carolina; and Sirens Media’s two-hour Child Brides (w/t), which premieres fall 2018 and investigates the stories of underage children forced into marriage in the U.S. and reveals the stories of child marriage victims who have escaped their dire circumstances.

A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for all projects under the ‘A&E Investigates’ banner.

Discovery Channel’s slate in the new year includes a series that searches for answers surrounding the death of inventor and futurist Nikola Tesla, and the mysterious disappearance of his files and research.

Produced by Sirens Media, the tentatively titled Tesla, will follow Tesla historian Cameron Prince (pictured, left) and military investigator Jack Murphy (right) as they journey across the globe in search of information regarding some of the the innovator’s research, missing from his safe since his death in a New York hotel room in 1943.

The team of investigators will travel from Shoreham, New York to Tesla’s homeland of Serbia to seek missing documents and new data in order to build and test-fire a prototype of Tesla’s “Death Ray”, a superweapon claimed capable of ending all war. If lead engineer Aron Koscko can prove that constructing and activating this particle beam projector is plausible, it could provide a motive for murder.

Also featured in the five-part series will be a rare conversation with Tesla’s closest living relative.

Tesla will debut on Discovery Channel on Jan. 2 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The premiere will be preceded by a special highlighting Tesla’s contributions to communication and transportation technologies on Dec. 22.

Sirens’ Rebecca Toth Diefenbach, Valerie Haselton Drescher , Lucilla D’Agostino, Faith Gaskins, John Collin and Casey Dale serve as executive producers. For Discovery, Joseph Schneier and Michael Gara are executive producers and Maryna Harrison is producer.

Real Housewives of New Jersey producer Sirens Media has tapped veteran TV executive and producer Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh as president. In addition, company founders Rebecca Toth Diefenbach and Valerie Haselton will transition to creative directors of Sirens Media, part of ITV America production group.

In her new role as president, Sebastian-Dayeh will have responsibility for all content creation across a range of genres for broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. She will report jointly to ITV America CEO David George and ITV America President Adam Sher.

Sebastian-Dayeh joins Sirens Media from her role as SVP of development at ITV Entertainment, also part of ITV America, where since 2016 she has spearheaded development for the production label, creating and producing series and formats such as The Four: Battle for Stardom for Fox, just picked up for its second season, and Four Weddings, which returns to TLC later this year.

Founded in 2005 by producing partners Toth Diefenbach and Haselton,Sirens Media will continue to focus on female and pop-culture-focused content such as hit docuseries The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which just finished its 8th season on Bravo, and crime-focused programming such as Discovery’s The Killing Fields, ID’s Who Killed Jane Doe?, among others. Sirens Media was acquired in 2013 by then-independent Leftfield Entertainment, which subsequently was acquired by ITV in 2014. Toth Diefenbach and Haselton will remains hands-on as creators and producers.

“As a high-level executive with network and production expertise, and serious creative chops in pop culture-driven content, Jessica is perfectly positioned to lead Sirens “Media as it heads into a new chapter at ITV America,” said George and Sher in a joint statement. “We are confident her talent, skill and ingenuity will continue to resonate with buyers as she shepherds compelling content that elevates and evolves the Sirens brand.”

George and Sher added, “We’re thrilled that Rebecca Toth Diefenbach and Valerie Haselton will be working with ITV America as creative directors, with emphasis on Sirens Media’s crime-focused programming. Their expertise in this space cannot be overstated; it has been transformative for Sirens and for the unscripted industry.”

“ITV America’s culture of teamwork and creative risk-taking, balanced with the highest levels of client service and fiscal responsibility, has been a great fit for me and a key part of my trajectory at ITV Entertainment, and now at Sirens Media,, addied Sebastian-Dayeh. I am thrilled for the opportunity to lead this unique brand and I look forward to bringing even more exciting, edgy and unique content to the marketplace.”

“We feel very fortunate to have built Sirens Media at a time when unscripted was changing the face of television, and to have grown the company while the industry was also maturing,” said Toth Diefenbach and Haselton. “We know that in the hands of Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh, Sirens will be at the forefront of the next wave of programming, delivering for the powerful and discerning female audience. We want to express our appreciation to David George and Adam Sher as well, and we look forward to, quite literally, remaining their partners in crime!”

Prior to her tenure at ITV Entertainment, Sebastian-Dayeh was head of alternative programming at USA Network where she oversaw production on multiple seasons of hit series Chrisley Knows Best, as well as the series First Impressions with Dana Carvey and WWE’s Tough Enough, among others. Previously, she was vice president of current and development at Electus, and also served as senior director of development at the Style network and as vice president of development at Original Media.