Upfront Dispatches: Paramount Hawks ‘60 Minutes’ in … 60 Minutes (More or Less) - Hollywood Reporter

After a solid two and a half days of giddy media buyers breathing in one another’s faces, unleashed on Manhattan en masse for the first time in three years, it was Paramount that finally implored upfront attendees to mask up during its Wednesday evening presentation.

A welcome respite from looking at the same, unobscured faces for the fifth, sixth or seventh presentation in a row, the festivities also marked the first time that Paramount held an integrated pitch to advertisers since … well, quite a lot has happened.

There was the 2019 ViacomCBS merger that coupled broadcast, cable and studios and, just months ago, a rebrand to Paramount — the new name for both the conglomerate and its streamer.

Colbert, sidelined at The Late Show twice this spring with a COVID-19 diagnosis, mocked his own sick leave when he took the stage at Carnegie Hall shortly after the presentation’s start.

A 54-seasons-old newsmagazine may seem like the least sexy property on the ad-sales auction block this week — but, in a world of fuzzy streaming numbers and unpredictable subscriber growth, 60 Minutes regularly ranks as the most watched telecast on television.

Much of the cast of CBS freshman breakout Ghosts performed a musical number, exiting Late Late Show host James Corden held a mini-roast and Wayne Brady hosted a Paramount-themed game show with Tony Dokoupil, Nate Burleson and, in her third upfront appearance of the week, the incredibly busy Nicole Byer.

(George and Tammy star Jessica Chastain might have stood a chance of one-upping Costner, but she somehow took the stage without a proper introduction.) Hollywood may have a weird relationship with Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount franchise

Ross and Colbert more or less made good on their promise of keeping things at just over an hour, but it wouldn’t be an upfront week visit to Carnegie Hall without a look at the schedule