Commentary

'Cosmo' Inspires Cable TV Series

The trend of magazines spawning TV shows is continuing. Iconic women’s lifestyle magazine Cosmopolitan is the inspiration behind a new TV drama, “The Bold Type,” set to debut on Disney’s Freeform cable network this summer.

The 12-episode drama is based on the life of Cosmo’s former editor-in-chief Joanna Coles, whose experiences and attitudes have encapsulated the world of contemporary American women much as her predecessor Helen Gurley Brown did for a previous generation.

After serving as EIC of Cosmo, Coles was elevated to the position of Chief Content Officer at Hearst Magazines.

In “The Bold Type,” editor-in-chief Jacqueline, inspired by Coles, edits a dishy women’s magazine “Scarlet,” clearly based on Cosmo, while she and her staff live all out all the magazine’s main themes, dealing with sex, fashion and modern female identity.

The show was originally developed for NBC by Universal Television with The District under the name “Issues,” but has landed at Freeform in an out-of-network deal.

Cosmo and Coles are also the stars of a reality TV show called “So Cosmo,” which is set to debut on E! in February.

As noted, deals bringing together magazine brands and TV networks are on the upswing.

Back in October, Hearst Magazines Digital Media (HMDM) joined forces with A+E Networks to air branded videos produced by Hearst on A+E Networks’ channels and Hearst’s digital sites.

The videos are airing on A&E, Lifetime, History, FYI and Viceland. Meanwhile articles, galleries, ad units and social media from the partnership will run on HMDM digital sites, including Cosmopolitan.com, ELLE.com, GoodHousekeeping.com and Delish.com.

A+E Networks is jointly owned by Hearst and Disney-ABC Television Group.

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