Reality Beat: ‘The Bachelorette’ announced plans to skip 2025 season, NHL Animated Games For Kids

Uche Ikejimba

Docusoaps: Temptation Island’s new season announced to be streamed on Netflix. The show will follow couples looking to test their relationship as they are tempted by single men and women looking to break their relationships. Mark Walberg will continue to host the series as in the past and will have executive producers David Goldberg and David Friedman.

Uche Ikejimba, Nigerian Big Brother producer, unveiled two upcoming projects for two docusoaps Lagos Love Stories and Alex From Oil & Gas which will look into modern romances in Nigeria. Lagos Love Stories will follow ten relationships in the Nigerian capital, while Alex From Oil & Gas will follow a catfish story.

Netflix’s Final Draft, Badly in Love and Welcome Now, Get Lost teased three unscripted series to its Japanese slate. Final Draft is Netflix’s first survival reality series and will take former professional athletes as they compete in nearly impossible competitions where the winner will win 30 million yen. Badly in Love will take outsiders, who love their friends and hometowns, to risk leaving everything for love. Welcome, Now Get Lost as comedians navigating an unwelcoming village with host Koji Higashino.

Harry King TV announced a new program Curiosity on MIP London fronted by antique expert Raj Bisram and comedian Henning Wehn

“The unscripted world needs more outlandish and curious shows,” said Sercombe. “Having worked with many of the funniest and creative talent out there we thought it was the right time to bring that attitude from the world of scripted to the land of formats and docs. All of the shows we develop have heart, humour, and a bit of cheekiness to them. After all, the world needs more laughter. And this format, along with our new division, exists to subvert the ‘traditional’ model and bring things to digital, streaming and linear with a raft of excellent talent attached right from the start.”

Bisram added: “The TV industry has been buying and selling the same formats for years, so we thought it was time to shake things up. Curiosity is all about finding hidden gems in unexpected places, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with this show. It’s a fresh take on unscripted TV, made for modern audiences who love great stories, real characters, and a bit of mischief. I can’t wait for people to step into our world and see what treasures we have in store.”

ABC’s The Bachelorette released information that the series will take a brief pause skipping the Summer 2025 season following Jenn Tran's season. 

Married at First Sight found a new home on Peacock where the series will stream three more seasons following singles searching for their life partner, who are matched through relationship experts.

“We don’t take the opportunity to make these shows for granted, and I think that pays off,” Kinetic CEO Chris Coelen told Variety in 2023. “It’s really, really hard and time consuming, but ultimately, I think the quality of our storytelling stands up against any series — scripted or non-scripted. I’m really proud of the shows we do and the way we produce them.” 

The roshans - netflix

Docuseries: Netflix's The Roshans, directed by Shashi Ranjan, teased a four-part documentary on the legacy of one of Bollywood’s most influential families in Indian cinema. The documentary compiles 300 hours of raw footage on Rakesh Roshan, Rajesh Roshan, and his son Hrithik Roshan, with videos and interviews behind the 77-year presence in Bollywood.

Mel B - Jeff Spicer

Competition Series: Former Spice Girl and judge of America’s Got Talent Mel B announced to return to the series for season 20 by NBC. The season will debut on May 27 as she joins judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and host Terry Crews.

MTV’s The Challenge announces the theme for its upcoming fortieth season as an All-Stars as it re-debuts on MTV. The season of all-stars will follow the series rivals, taking all-star rivals and pairing them up.

ITV is in the early developing stages of a UK version of Zenith, a gauntlet-style singing competition series. The format takes 24 singers from different generations to be judged by 100 judges from Boomers to Gen Z singing old and current hits, crowning a generational singer.

The end goal is “to crown a winner at the end of the season: an artist who has been able to captivate all generations, a singer whose timeless voice suits all styles, genres, and eras,” according to the show’s synopsis.

Fawesome launches a new competition series Family Game Show hosted by LaTangela Fay where two teams will compete in reimagined classic games such as Pictionary, Scrabble, Boggle, word chains, and Family Feud where the winning team takes home $1,000.

“Our data shows that families are shifting dramatically to streaming, these original series create the perfect environment for advertisers to connect with engaged family audiences,” said Mathur, who is co-founder of Fawesome parent Future Today. “We’re offering advertisers a unique opportunity to reach the primary purchasing decision-makers in brand-safe and premium environments that prove to drive results.”

M-Net and production company Red Pepper Pictures forced to evict contestant Florence Mphirime or KayB over sexual assault on Big Brother Mzansi. The contestant reportedly grouped and touched other contestants forcing her to be the first eviction from the house. The show last week was a part of a scandal as Ashley Ogle and Bingiwee Booi made comments about KayB after she was revealed she was a victim of sexual assault.

"In light of a conversation in the Big Brother Mzansi house concerning Beekay who claimed that he was physically violated by KayB, Big Brother investigated the matter further as the safety of all housemates is of utmost importance".

"After careful consideration, taking into account of the serious nature of the claim, Big Brother has decided that KayB be disqualified from the Big Brother house.:

"This decision closely follows an educational session that was held with all the housemates this past Sunday to raise awareness and instil knowledge about gender-based violence."

Prime video

Sports: Prime Video ordered a docuseries to follow the National Women’s Soccer League stars  Alex Morgan, Trinity Rodman, Croix Bethune, and Marta Vieira da Silva through the 2024 playoffs and championship game. The NWSL saw an increase in viewership in the 2024 season, leading Prime to capitalize on the success of the League.

“The series will take fans behind the scenes of one of the most thrilling seasons in NWSL history, chronicling the intensity, resilience, and passion that define the league’s top teams and star players as they battle for the ultimate prize: the Championship trophy,” Prime Video said of the series. “Through exclusive interviews, locker-room access, and heart-pounding match highlights, the documentary captures the nostalgia, emotion, and fierce competition that shapes a playoff run within the fastest-growing league in the world.”

The National Hockey League planned tested release of animated versions of their recent games through “Hockeyverse” through Walt Disney Co. to make games more tailored for kids by making short recaps of regular season matchups.

“By using avatars, vibrant animations and youthful commentary, NHL Hockeyverse Matchup of the Week will further connect young fans and families to the NHL and build upon the League’s recent national and local animated telecast successes,” said David Lehanski, the league’s executive vice president of business development and innovation, in a statement. “We’re delighted to air NHL Hockeyverse Matchup of the Week on Sportsnet and NHL Network, to continue expanding the use of NHL Edge Positional Data, excite new and existing young fans in Canada and the United States, and deliver even more innovative and unique ways to experience our great game.” 

WWE and Tubi announced a new series WWE Evolve an original series taking WWE prospects as they wrestle intending to make it on NXT, Smackdown, and Raw. The show will premiere on March 5, 2025 on Tubi.

“We are excited to work with our incredible partners at Tubi to showcase our young, rising talent to the WWE Universe, as they start their in-ring journey competing each week to fulfill their lifelong dream of becoming a WWE Superstar,” said WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels. 

“The next generation of professional wrestling will unfold through the brand new series WWE EVOLVE on Tubi,” said Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer, Tubi. “Tubi offers WWE access to a broad base of young, multicultural audiences who represent a wide array of fandoms and we’re proud to partner as WWE develops the superstars of the future. To quote CCO Paul Levesque, ‘Are You Ready?’” 

The Hurt Syndicate’s MVP promised big things for the faction following members Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin as AEW Tag Team Champions.

“Right now, we’re going to have a nice long run with the tag titles because we want everybody to understand that our group dynamic is in place. When we’re ready, we’ll vacate these titles and we’ll be onto most likely the AEW World Title and the TNT Title.”

Dustin Rhodes announced plans on Tim and Eli’s podcast Battleground to retire after three or so more years of wrestling. 

“I have. I keep it close to the vest about my opponent. I have had this planned the last couple of years of who I want to finish up with. That’s going to take place in three years,” Rhodes said. “It’s going to be tough to step away. By no means am I anywhere on Sting’s level, but I want that same kind of out. I think I’ve earned it. To finish it off on a pay-per-view and cut a heart-wrenching emotional promo after is what people like. It’s not like the old days. I want to win. I want to win that last match. I don’t want to lose. It means a lot to me, and I have been putting a lot of thought into it. I would say probably about three years. Things change. We’ll see where they take us. It’s hard enough to even say, ‘It’s almost time, Dustin.’ That’s tough. It’s been part of my life for so long. It’s going to be very emotional. Getting out of the business is a big step because you’re changing something you’ve done for long. What do you do? You have to find things to do in the interim to keep your mind right. I’ll be coaching and still producing, which I’m doing right now anyway. I love that. Passing all my knowledge to the young kids, that’s the payoff. When I teach them something and they go out and do it and it works. That’s the payoff, me passing on my knowledge and experience to the younger generation.”

Shinsuke Nakamura weighed in on a potential reunion with Hiroshi Tanahashi during his in-ring farewell tour. The former duo last worked together in 2016 on the Road to New Beginning Tour before Nakamura’s signing with WWE.

Tanahashi said, “They say, ‘Never say never.’ I hear people talking about it, but when you think about the reality of the situation — you can say whatever you want about emotions, but you have to clear up practical issues. There are probably some things I shouldn’t say, and I can’t promise anything. I can’t take responsibility for that.”

Former Women’s WWE Champion Melina posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that her daughter hopes to join WWE like her mother.

Jordynne Grace, a former TNA Knockout Champion, after signing a main roster deal announced to work on WWE NXT the company’s developmental brand in Orlando, Florida. After her contract expired in January with TNA, Grace would sign with WWE and compete in 2025’s Women’s Royale Rumble.

Mustafa Ali, former WWE star, signed a contract with TNA Wrestling continuing to perform for the company for several years. With TNA’s connection, there is a possibility that Ali could compete with WWE NXT. In Sports Illustrated’s  The Takedown offered his ideas on the potential to be on WWE again.

"NXT does have these live event loops but the real experience comes from live TV," Ali said. "Having that pressure of hitting your times and cues, and listening to the audience and seeing what works and doesn't work, and there's just a different feel that comes to TV. I feel like having those NXT talent being able to come get some minutes, some reps, and work with guys like Tommy Dreamer down at TNA, it's only gonna benefit them."

A new deal between MultiChoice and South Africa Public Broadcaster was announced to funnel content from SuperSport’s SuperSport School to SABC+ to broaden and strengthen commercial relations. 

Rendani Ramovha, SuperSport CEO, says "We want to encourage participation in sports at a grassroots level and reignite interest in sports across all schools in the country. Both SuperSport and the SABC share a common vision of providing young athletes with a platform to shine and inspiring future generations of sportsmen and women".

Nomsa Chabeli, SABC CEO, in a prepared quote, states "We are proud to be part of this life-changing partnership that extends beyond the fulfilment of the SABC’s mandate, by offering South Africans from all walks of life, a platform that nurtures young talent and provides unparalleled opportunities for personal and professional development".

Fulwell 73 and SpringHill Co.

Industry: Fulwell 73 and SpringHill Co. have officially merged under the umbrella of Fulwell  Entertainment, led by key figures from both companies, including LeBron James and Maverick Carter. The company will maintain the SpringHill brand while expanding its reach through upcoming projects like The Kardashians and Netflix’s Untold.

The Turners Networks: TBS, TNT, and TruTV announced plans to create more sports adjacent unscripted shows to fill hours on the network. Foul Play, one of these new unscripted shows, will take professional basketball Anthony Davis and the stars of impractical jokers in a new prank show. Other shows the network hopes to debut/market include Stupid Pet Tricks hosted by Sarah Silverman, The Cube hosted by Dwayne Wade and Friday Night Lights hosted by Nina Parker and Kevin Fredricks.

Sarlanis said that the hope is that this backdoor pilot will lead to a full series. “We’re testing it behind the All-Stars game this year, and I believe that should go to series personally. We’ll see how that does,” he said. “We’re definitely in a time where we’re analyzing the T-Nets strategy and making sure that we are setting it up for success. I think just giving it a little bit of time, letting Channing [Dungey], Brett [Paul] and Howard [Lee] come in so that we can make sure that whatever strategy we’re on, this reinforces that, given that those networks have a sports lean.”