| | | | Ongoing changes at Showtime have reached the network’s development slate, which has been cut down significantly as a slew of projects have gotten a pass.
The slate has been under the microscope since Chris McCarthy added Showtime to his purview following the exit of longtime CEO David Nevins in October. The process accelerated last month when, following the January announcement that the premium cable network will be integrated into Paramount+ on digital and renamed as Paramount+ with Showtime on linear, it was revealed that Showtime will merge with MTV Entertainment Studios.
McCarthy at the time set new programming leadership for the network and now the release of a ton of development that had been bought by the previous regime shows the extent to which Showtime is altering its approach to programming. >>>3 Content Lanes |
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| Deadline Exclusives & Originals |
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Secret 'Agent' Story - Netflix yesterday gave The Night Agent a quick Season 2 pickup only six days after the action-thriller from creator Shawn Ryan and Sony Pictures TV launched. However, the streamer initially was not very impressed by Ryan's pitch. A few things from that original concept changed before the series reached the air, mainly, taking out the Secret Service storyline from the pilot script and delaying its introduction to Episode 3. >>> Location Changed From Italy
"Billions And Billions" - Legendary astronomer and astrophysicist Carl Sagan, who expanded scientific understanding of the universe and helped millions (or as he liked to say about the stars, "billions and billions") appreciate the wonders of the cosmos, will be the subject of an upcoming documentary feature from National Geographic Documentary Films. >>>Seth MacFarlane Producing
BBC Belt-Tightening - The BBC has revealed that it will cut its television originals budget by close to £100M ($123M) over the next 12 months as its funding freeze bites. The BBC’s TV budget will decline by £96M from £1.84B to £1.75B over the coming year. The vast majority of the TV budget is spent on original shows. >>>Diverting Resources To Radio
It's A Match - In a highly competitive situation, Picturestart has acquired the rights to Carrie Soto Is Back, the 2022 novel by Daisy Jones & The Six author Taylor Jenkins Reid. The fictional Carrie Soto is a top tennis player whose determination to win at all costs sees her become the best the world has ever seen, but when her record is about to be broken by a hot new player, she comes out of retirement at age 37. >>> Caps Off 4 Interconnected Books |
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Exclusive Brothers Josh and Benny Safdie have begun rounding out the cast for their new Netflix movie, with Megan Thee Stallion now in talks to star alongside their Uncut Gems collaborator Adam Sandler. Exclusive Corbin Bernsen is set for a key recurring role opposite Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson in J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan’s HBO Max period drama Duster. |
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BY THE NUMBERS
$1 - The amount Gwyneth Paltrow countersued for and won in a civil trial to decide which party caused a 2016 ski collision between the actress and retired optometrist Terry Sanderson |
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More News
💉 Hollywood’s Covid protocols will expire on May 12, and the vaccination mandate will end for all productions except those that were implemented prior to that date. The Return-to-Work Agreement had been set to expire on Saturday.
🥀 The Bachelor creator/executive producer Mike Fleiss’ recently announced departure from the hit ABC reality franchise came after he had been investigated over workplace misconduct allegations. Walt Disney Television Alternative was in talks with Fleiss over a deal, described by sources as a first-look or development arrangement.
📺 The BBC's already-tough savings target has rocketed by 40% to £400M ($493M), according to its Annual Plan. The UK public service network has responded by cutting 1,000 hours-worth of shows per year. Its deficit is projected at £352M for 2023/24.
↩️ More BBC news, as the Corporation considers a U-turn on closing BBC4 as a TV channel, amid solid ratings and backlashes against cuts. Last year, it was announced the highbrow arts, docs and comedy net would become "digital-first," but sources are suggesting management is considering a rethink.
💡 Amazon Studios has signed an exclusive first-look deal with former Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada. Under the deal, Quesada will be developing series and films for Prime Video, focusing on adapting existing and new comic book IP. | |
Trending  Paramount+ made its debut on Nielsen's weekly streaming charts, with NCIS viewership on the Paramount Global platform added to the procedural’s weekly audience on Netflix.
🔻 The media and tech sector layoffs continue, with Roku pink-slipping 200 employees and ABC News cutting 50 positions. |
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On the Radar
Fri - NCAA Women's Final Four; PaleyFest starts
Sat - NCAA Men's Final Four
Mon - Disney annual shareholder meeting
Tue - Warner Bros. 100th anniversary; Trump to surrender in NY |
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Stormy Thursday - Broadcast and cable networks broke in for special reports starting around 5:40 p.m. ET on Thursday as news of Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan DA broke. Michael Cohen made lengthy appearances on both CNN and MSNBC. Some news outlets, including Reuters, trained cameras on Mar-a-Lago waiting for the ex-president's supporters to rally. Others focused on Trump’s private jet, anticipating the former president will soon be trekking to New York from Florida. |
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