Tyler Perry Signs Multi-Year Content Partnership with Viacom

Viacom Inc. announced on Friday it has entered into a comprehensive, multi-year content partnership with the award-winning writer, director, producer, actor and playwright Tyler Perry, encompassing television, film and short-form video.

Under the terms of the agreement, Perry will produce approximately 90 episodes annually of original drama and comedy series for BET and other Viacom networks, and Viacom will have exclusive licensing rights on this programming. In addition, Viacom will have exclusive distribution rights to Perry's short-form video content, and Paramount Pictures will have exclusive "first look" rights on any new feature film concepts created by Perry.

The film agreement is effective immediately, with the partnership on Perry's TV and short-form video content to go into effect in May 2019, following the expiration of Perry's exclusive agreement with OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Viacom's agreement will extend through 2024.

DirecTV and Viacom Reach Agreement

DirecTV and Viacom have reached an agreement to bring the Viacom channels back to DirecTV. Nick-at-Nite's HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS and TeenNick's DEGRASSI are two of the primetime soaps impacted by the disagreement.

From DirecTV:
DirecTV has reached a new long-term agreement with Viacom to restore 17 channels (including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, Spike, CMT, TV Land and ten other channels) that Viacom had taken away from  DirecTV customers on July 10. Viacom has returned all affected networks.

NEWS ROUNDUP: Aaron Sorkin Fires NEWSROOM Writers; Plus, King Sisters, Perry Fenwick, Epix, Grace Phipps, David Hasselhoff

King sisters are making their mark in Hollywood
Hunter King, 18, stars in HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS while her sister, Joey, 12, has a role in the new Dark Knight movie. Hunter finished shooting the first season of HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS this week. She plays Adriana, the daughter of Grayson McCouch's Don.

Aaron Sorkin fires THE NEWSROOM's Season 1 writers
Most of the writers on the cable drama about a Keith Olbermann-type television news demagogue have been fired, sources with knowledge of the show told The Daily. "They're not coming back, except for Sorkin's ex-girlfriend [Corinne Kinsbury]," one source said. [Sorkin is currently dating SEX AND THE CITY actress and MELROSE PLACE alum Kristin Davis.]

NEW ROUNDUP: Kassie DePaiva Visits Ailing Father. GH Recast? 3C Infringement? Plus, Lori Loughlin, Viacom vs. DirecTV, Freddie Smith & More

"3C" cast Jake Silbermann, Anna Chlumsky and Hannah Cabell

New play "3C" concludes run despite cease and desist order from THREE'S COMPANY
Most playwrights have jitters on opening night, but David Adjmi was in a panic amid the festivities last month for “3C,” his darkly comic deconstruction of the 1970s sitcom “Three’s Company.” That same day he learned that the copyright owner of “Three’s Company” had sent a cease-and-desist letter to the play’s producers charging that Mr. Adjmi had infringed on the copyright by borrowing so many elements from the TV series, including its premise about a man who pretends to be gay to live with two female roommates.

The show went on — but the copyright fight remains far from resolved.