Turner – that is, TNT, TBS, CNN, truTV, Turner Sports, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang – presented a consolidated pitch for the first time at its upfront presentation Wednesday.

Centered on the tagline “Turn It Up,” Turner leveraged its varied but unified brand portfolio for its storytelling- and data-driven pitch.

“For the first time, all of Turner is together on one stage,” said Donna Speciale, president of Turner Broadcasting Ad Sales. “We’re focusing all our assets on your business needs, to help drive your results. To do that, all of our divisions are working together, re-inventing what it means to be a content company. To us, change means opportunity, and we are disrupting our own business model to grab hold of all the incredible opportunities ahead. That’s what we mean when we say, ‘TURN IT UP!’”

Overall, Turner’s plans include a major rebrand for TBS, and an original drama focus for TNT.

“We’re on the move in a big way at TNT and TBS,” said Kevin Reilly, president of TBS and TNT and CCO for Turner Entertainment. “We’re doing a proactive makeover of these networks. We’ll double the number of our original series on TBS and TNT over the next three years. And we’ll sharpen the point of view and be even more adventurous in our programming choices.”

Below are a few of those:

TBS:

Turner has plans to begin rebranding TBS by the end of the year with more original programming in the works, including what Reilly called “awesomely in-your-face and effortlessly diverse live-action comedies, original animation, big unscripted ideas with attitude.”

Former Daily Show correspondents Jason Jones and Samantha Bee are the creative forces behind The Detour, in which Jones will also star, as well as a new “issues-oriented” show hosted by Bee:

Also slated are Separation Anxiety, a relationship game show; Wrecked, an ensemble comedy; and The Group, an alien abduction comedy.

TNT:

Previously announced series Public Morals, Proof and Agent X join new shows The Alienist, an eight-part thriller based on a book by Caleb Carr; Will, about a young William Shakespeare; and Animal Kingdom, a family crime drama set in a surf community.

truTV:

The network is adding to its “Way More Fun” programming with Impractical Jokers specials, a pilot from CollegeHumor’s Jake and Amir, investigative comedy Adam Ruins Everything and unscripted series The Driver’s Seat.

Billy Eichner’s Billy on the Street will also join the lineup with his street game show/comedy:

Turner Sports:

Turner’s Inside the NBA team provided pre-game and halftime commentary for the presentation, also celebrating their multiyear extensions for Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal.

Bonus: Barkley also shared his thoughts on the ad sales and analytics segment of the pitch, saying: “You know I hate analytics. This is what I think analytics are: Rich people have to give their son-in-law a job, and they can’t just say he married money, so they call it analytics.”

Adult Swim:

Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander joins the network with his new live-action comedy created by Silicon Valley’s Adam Lustick.

Tags:


  Save as PDF