or


[10/26/21 - 09:15 AM]
CBS Studios Launches "25 Stories," A New Partnership with Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman
The new studio pod will be led by veteran network executive Bruce Evans, who joins as executive vice president.

[via press release from CBS]

CBS STUDIOS LAUNCHES "25 STORIES," A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH JENNY LUMET AND ALEX KURTZMAN

Prestige Label to Amplify and Develop Voices of Color

Longtime Network Executive Bruce Evans to Run New Production Entity

Writing Partners Lumet and Kurtzman Are Both Under Overall Deals with CBS Studios

CBS Studios has established a new multiplatform production entity 25 Stories, a partnership with Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman aimed at amplifying voices of color and creating sustainable career paths, from staff writer to showrunner. The new studio pod will be led by veteran network executive Bruce Evans, who joins as executive vice president.

In the new venture, CBS Studios will support Lumet, Kurtzman and Evans as they develop content for linear, premium cable and streaming platforms. Lumet already has an overall deal with the Studio, as does Kurtzman's Secret Hideout (run by Heather Kadin), one of the largest and most well-respected independent producers in the marketplace. 25 Stories is being built independently of Secret Hideout, with its own team and objectives.

"25 Stories began in my kitchen in 2017 during a marathon screenwriting weekend for about 25 women of color, all extraordinary writers," said Lumet. "I knew I wanted to bring prestige television by writers of color to the marketplace, and I began to think about how to create a space where marginalized voices are centered. A space where both seasoned and newer voices have room to breathe. I thought a lot about scale: intimate stories, family stories, positive stories. I wanted people to emerge from their experience with 25 Stories with the tools to start their own companies. Ultimately, a space that will launch creators. Those 25 writers in my kitchen led me right here."

Kurtzman said: "I've been so lucky to do work I'm proud of in collaboration with brilliant people. The best way to stand up for everything Jenny and I believe in is to stand behind the mission of 25 Stories. Creating a company solely dedicated to this mission felt like an important next step, to expand on the work we've done at Secret Hideout. We're thrilled Bruce is joining us, and we're grateful to CBS Studios for believing in this effort enough to make it a reality."

"It is imperative for us as a studio to support the growth of diverse storytelling, by providing a nurturing environment for creative voices to emerge and thrive. This new imprint is in line with the evolving goals of the studio to be more diverse, thoughtfully inclusive, and strategically equitable in telling more kinds of stories," said David Stapf, President, CBS Studios. "And no one is better suited to support those voices than Jenny, Alex and Bruce. Their combination of experience and creative acumen makes them the ideal trio to lead this venture. We're honored to be the home of this new and important company."

Evans is a leader in the industry's efforts to increase diversity both in front of and behind the camera. Notably, Evans joined forces with his peers and co-founded Colour Entertainment, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of diverse professionals in all aspects of the entertainment community. Mr. Evans still passionately continues his efforts in this regard and serves on the board as its vice president.

Evans most recently served as Executive Vice President, Current Programming, NBC Entertainment. At NBC, Evans worked on series such as "This Is Us," "Manifest," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "The Good Place," "New Amsterdam," "The Blacklist," "Grimm," "Blindspot" and the entire Dick Wolf-produced "Chicago" and "Law and Order" franchises. Additionally, Evans has worked with some of the top names in the industry, such as Dan Fogelman, Mike Schur, Eric Kripke, Shawn Ryan, Warren Leight, Neal Baer, Mindy Kaling, Martin Gero, Dan Goor, Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, Jeff Rake, Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, to name a few.

Lumet is an accomplished writer and showrunner. She is co-creator and co-showrunner of the upcoming THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, and co-created CLARICE with Kurtzman. Also in partnership with Kurtzman, she co-wrote the episode "Runaway" for the Emmy-nominated series STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS and is an executive producer on STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and a co-creator and executive producer with Kurtzman and Akiva Goldman on STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS. In addition, Ms. Lumet serves as creator, executive producer and writer on Showtime's "Blackbird: Lena Horne and America," which is based on the life of her grandmother, the incomparable entertainer and activist Lena Horne.

In the world of film, Lumet wrote the screenplay for "Rachel Getting Married," for which she received a 2008 NAACP Image Award, the 2008 New York Film Critics Circle Award, 2008 Toronto Film Critics Association Award and 2008 Washington D.C Film Critics Association Award. She is also the writer of the screen adaptations of The Center Cannot Hold and The Language of Flowers, and she served as a script doctor on the films "Remember Me," "Bobbie Sue," "Honeymoon with Harry" and "The Mummy." She's also written several other original screenplays, including "Kingdom of Louie" and "Sambo."

Lumet generated and lead the first Diversity Caucus when she served on the council of the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and served on the board of the Writers Guild Initiative. She is an executive director of Bindercon, a conference for women and non-gender-conforming writers, and holds screenwriting seminars for women of color and women over 40.

Kurtzman is responsible for spearheading the production of the entire "Star Trek" canon for CBS Studios, including the award-winning STAR TREK: DISCOVERY; the critically acclaimed STAR TREK: PICARD, featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard; STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS; the upcoming animated STAR TREK: PRODIGY, in partnership with Nickelodeon, that will expand the franchise to young kids; and for 2022, STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, featuring beloved characters Pike, Spock and Number One. In addition, Secret Hideout is in development on a "Star Trek" project based on "Section 31," with Michelle Yeoh attached to star and to be run by Craig Sweeney.

Kurtzman also served as executive producer of the limited series "The Comey Rule," based on the James Comey book A Higher Loyalty, which premiered September 2020 on Showtime. He will also serve as executive producer on the series "Kavalier and Clay," an adaptation of Michael Chabon's acclaimed novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Kurtzman also serves as an executive producer and co-creator with Jenny Lumet on THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, which will air on Showtime and feature multiple episodes directed by Kurtzman.

Outside of TV, Kurtzman has co-written some of the decade's biggest films, including "Star Trek," "Star Trek: Into Darkness," "The Amazing Spider Man 2," "Transformers" and "Mission: Impossible III," and has directed films such as "The Mummy" and "People Like Us." Additionally, he executive produced the romantic comedy "The Proposal" as well as the "Now You See Me" franchise. Overall, his writing and producing credits have earned over $4 billion worldwide.

About CBS Studios:

CBS Studios is one of the industry's leading suppliers of programming with more than 70 series currently in production across broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other emerging platforms. The Studio's expansive portfolio spans a diverse slate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed scripted programming, genre-defining franchises including the ever-growing "Star Trek" universe, award-winning late night and daytime talk shows, and an extensive library of iconic intellectual property.





  [october 2021]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[10/15/25 - 01:01 PM]
Season 2 Announcement - "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Deathwatch"
In this first-ever adaptation of the acclaimed stealth video game franchise, legendary agent Sam Fisher is drawn back into the field when a wounded young operative seeks out his help.

[10/15/25 - 01:01 PM]
Video: Apple TV Debuts First Look at "Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age," Featuring the Playful Snow Sloths of the Pleistocene
Narrated by Golden Globe and Olivier Award winner Tom Hiddleston, with an original score by Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman, and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music, the five-part series premieres globally on Apple TV on November 26.

[10/15/25 - 12:30 PM]
Follow Chris Hemsworth and His Father, Craig, on a Deeply Emotional Road Trip Back in Time in "Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember"
The one-hour special premieres Sunday, November 23 at 9:00/8:00c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

[10/15/25 - 12:01 PM]
Next on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN - November 2025
Highlights include the premiere of Hulu's "All's Fair"; the return of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives"; and the debut of "A Very Jonas Christmas Movie" on Disney+.

[10/15/25 - 11:14 AM]
"OWN For the Holidays" Returns for Its Seventh Year with Three Festive New Movies
"Fake Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The Christmas Showdown," and "Very Merry Mystery" will premiere on successive Saturdays beginning November 29.

[10/15/25 - 11:01 AM]
National Geographic Documents Athlete Jim Morrison's Unprecedented, Historic Ski Descent on North Face of Mount Everest on October 15, 2025
National Geographic Documentary Films once again teams with Oscar and BAFTA Award-winning directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin to film the exhilarating and heartbreaking odyssey for the upcoming documentary "Everest North" (wt).

[10/15/25 - 11:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces New Stand-Up Comedy Special "Kathleen Madigan - The Family Thread"
The one-hour special will premiere November 21 on Prime Video.

[10/15/25 - 10:01 AM]
"His & Hers" - Official First Look & Date Announcement
From visionary filmmaker William Oldroyd, this six-episode, twisty psychological thriller is adapted from Alice Feeney's novel of the same name and stars Tessa Thompson (who also executive produces) and Jon Bernthal.

[10/15/25 - 10:01 AM]
HBO and Raw Are in Production on a Documentary Series About the Epic Release of a Famous Whale
The series, directed by Becky Read, will debut on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

[10/15/25 - 09:37 AM]
Viaplay November 2025 Exclusive U.S. Premieres: "Vanguard"; "Meaning of Life," Season 2; "A Life's Worth"
"Vanguard" is a five-part, award-winning drama series featuring high-stakes deals, groundbreaking innovation, and fierce family rivalries.

[10/15/25 - 09:14 AM]
MGM+ Greenlights "Bosch: Start of Watch," A New Prequel Series to the Iconic Detective Franchise
The series stars Cameron Monaghan as rookie cop Harry Bosch and Omari Hardwick as veteran officer Eli Bridges.

[10/15/25 - 09:13 AM]
"Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films" to Premiere Exclusively on Disney+ November 7
The two-part documentary provides a fascinating glimpse into the making of the Oscar-winning box office phenomenon "Avatar: The Way of Water" and a first look at the upcoming "Avatar: Fire and Ash," features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, concept art, and interviews with cast and filmmakers.

[10/15/25 - 09:05 AM]
Video: NBC Releases Official Season 2 Trailer for Comedy Series "St. Denis Medical"
The series returns Monday, November 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC with back-to-back episodes and will be available to stream on Peacock.

[10/15/25 - 09:02 AM]
Sirens On: BAFTA-Winning "Blue Lights" Returns to BritBox for Explosive Third Season
Other November highlights include "Belgravia," "Friday Night Dinner," and "Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators."

[10/15/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "All's Fair" - Meet the Women of All's Fair - Hulu
Starring Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close, "All's Fair" tells the story of a team of fierce female divorce attorneys who leave a male-dominated firm to start their own.