I usually start with non-TV cuteness here, but this is too perfect:
Grouches gonna grouch on Sesame Street. đź’š Thanks for visiting our neighborhood @BrettGoldstein! We love you! pic.twitter.com/frguVpTJpE
— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) February 15, 2022
All Other TV News
Yesterday, ViacomCBS hosted its investor meeting and unleashed a firehose of news, renewals, and show announcements. Just take a peek below. The biggest news of the day at the ViacomCBS investor meeting is that ViacomCBS will be no more — as of today, it is now just going to be known as Paramount.
They are going all-in on streaming and placing all their bets on Paramount+. To that end, they are planning on spending $6 billion a year on streaming by 2024. They will also be integrating Showtime into the Paramount+ app (though, both will remain separate apps, too, if that’s your preference). The new bundle will cost either $11.99 to $14.99 a month, depending on whether you go ad-free or not. Also, beginning in 2024, all Paramount theatrical releases will stream on Paramount+ after being released in cinemas.
As of the end of 2021, Paramount+ and Showtime had 56 million subscribers combined, having added 9.4 million new subscribers last year — most of which were new Paramount+ subscribers. They are hoping to reach 100 million subscribers by 2024.
Meanwhile, adding to the onslaught of TV news, HBO was at the Television Critics Association today. A few things that we learned:
- HBO hasn’t renewed And Just Like That … yet because they’re waiting for Michael Patrick King and Sarah Jessica Parker to make the call.
- The reason we don’t have a premiere date of House of Dragon is that they are worried there’s a chance they might have to shut production down because of COVID and then what?
- Also, some of the other Game of Thrones projects are looking “good.”
- The Sopranos series that was hinted at is not happening.
- The True Blood reboot remains in development.
- But there’s no news on the Harry Potter series that was rumored to be in development.
- There’s a good chance there will be a season four of True Detective.
- There’s a good chance there will be another season of Mare of Easttown.
- And if Larry feels like it, there will be another season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
- It’s up to Jesse Armstrong, the showrunner of Succession, as to whether or not season four will be the last.
- The Last of Us will not be returning in 2022.
- The woman playing Julia Child in the HBO Max series, Julia, had never heard of Julia Child until the movie Julie and Julia came out. HOW??
- The Staircase will explore the owl theory, and if none of those words mean anything to you, you’re clearly not a big true crime fan.
And going back to And Just Like That … Sarah Jessica Parker explained on Watch What Happens Live! that the reason Carrie didn’t leap into action when she found Mr. Big collapsed on the floor is that she was in “suspended animation.”
“It’s this moment where everything stops, and then whatever collapsing of time that happens doesn’t stop her from taking care of somebody in a fashion that you would expect from your partner or husband or wife,” she continued. “In my head, she struggled through this moment and tried to get him to be responsive, and then she, you know, came to her senses — I’m going to say after about two to three seconds.”
Parker also refused to say whether or not Che is funny. (They aren’t.)
Speaking of Che and Miranda, Cynthia Nixon is baffled by people’s negative reactions to their relationship. Of course, as Buzzfeed points out, Miranda has always kinda been the worst.
112 million people watched the Super Bowl this year.
But no one is watching the Olympics, part two.
Alec Baldwin and the Rust producers have been sued by the estate of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins for wrongful death. As you can imagine, Baldwin and the producers have called the allegations “false.”
Love is really dead, part two.
Renewals
- Peacemaker has been renewed for season two at HBO Max.
- RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars has been renewed at Paramount+.
- 1883 has been renewed for more episodes at Paramount+.
- Billions has been renewed for a seventh season on Showtime.
- How I Met Your Father has been renewed for a second season on Hulu.
- Super Pumped has been renewed for a second season on Showtime ahead of the premiere.
- Halo has been renewed for a second season ahead of the premiere on Paramount+.
- Queen of the Universe has been renewed at Paramount+.
- The Real World Homecoming has been renewed for season three at Paramount+.
- Tha God’s Honest Truth has been renewed for a second season on Comedy Central.
- Too Hot to Handle has been renewed for season four on Netflix.
- The Challenge: All Stars has been renewed at Paramount+.
- Acapulco Shore has been renewed for a second season at Paramount+.
- Rio Shore has been renewed for a second season at Paramount+.
- Los Enviados has been renewed for a second season at Paramount+.
- Cecilia has been renewed for a second season at Paramount+.
- La Frontera with Pati Jinich has been renewed for a second season on PBS.
Cancellations
- Promised Land will finish its first season on Hulu, and is effectively canceled at ABC before the first season has fully aired.
- The Prince has been canceled at HBO Max after one season.
- In Treatment has been canceled at HBO after four seasons.
In Development
- Bloom County is being turned into an animated series at Fox.
- 1932, another Yellowstone prequel series, has been ordered at Paramount+.
- Sexy Beast is being adapted into a series at Paramount+.
- BioShock is being turned into a film at Netflix.
- A Friend of the Family, a limited series based on the true-crime story told in the Netflix docuseries Abducted in Plain Sight, has been ordered at Peacock. Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton will star.
- Aftershock has been picked up at Hulu.
- All Star Show, a competition series featuring a bunch of reality stars, is coming to Paramount+.
- There are three new SpongeBob Squarepants movies in the works at Paramount+.
- The Dynasty, a docuseries about the New England Patriots, has been ordered at Apple TV+.
- A Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff series featuring Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) is being developed at Paramount+.
- A live-action Dora the Explorer series is being developed at Paramount+.
- A new CG-animated Dora The Explorer series is also in the works at Paramount+.
- A new series of animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films are coming to Paramount+.
- Blue’s Big City Adventure, a live-action/hybrid film, is coming to Paramount+.
- A SEAL Team movie is being made for Paramount+.
- The Challenge: War of the Worlds has been ordered at Paramount+.
- Love, Classified is being made at Hallmark Channel.
- I Am Legend is either being turned into a series, or maybe a sequel is being made at Warner Bros.
- Ink Master is moving to Paramount+.
- A Gentleman in Moscow is coming to Paramount+.
- Simon Beckett’s The Chemistry of Death, a psychological crime series, has been greenlit at Paramount+
- Yonder, a sci-fi drama, has been greenlit at Paramount+.
- A docuseries about Anna Sorokin is being made by Bunim/Murray Productions.
- Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun is being turned into a film at Netflix.
- The Madison Knight novels are being adapted into a TV series.
- Melissa Joan Hart has signed a multi-year deal with Lifetime. She will star in a hoarding film Dirty Little Secret on the network and will star in, direct and produce many more films.
- Mindy Kaling has set up a book “studio” with Amazon that will also look for books to be made into films for Prime Video.
- Salma Hayek has signed a first-look deal with Univision and Vix.
- I mention these films because they will all be coming to Paramount+: A third Sonic the Hedgehog movie is in development at Paramount.
- Star Trek 4 is going ahead at Paramount.
- Quiet Place 3 is in the works at Paramount, but won’t come out until 2025.
Casting News
- Billy Bob Thornton will star in Land Man on Paramount+.
- Zoe Saldaña will star in Lioness on Paramount+.
- Melissa Fumero has joined Blockbuster at Netflix.
- Quentin Tarantino is the narrator for Super Pumped on Showtime.
- Tyler Posey, Holland Roden, Shelley Hennig, Crystal Reed, Orny Adams, Linden Ashby, JR Bourne, Seth Gilliam, Colton Haynes, Ryan Kelley, Melissa Ponzio, and Dylan Sprayberry will star in the film revival of Teen Wolf at Paramount+. Dylan O’Brien, Arden Cho, and Tyler Hoechlin are not reviving their roles, Cho revealing that she was offered half the salary of her white counterparts.
- Ian Petrella, Zack Ward, Scott Schwartz, and R.D. Robb will join the cast of A Christmas Story Christmas at HBO Max.
- Kelsea Ballerini, Walker Hayes, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, Parmalee & Blanco Brown Featuring Brooke Eden, Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde will perform on the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards Live on Prime Video.
- Caitlin Carver will guest star on Chicago Fire on NBC.
- Katie Phang will be getting her own time slot on MSNBC.
Mark Your Calendars
- Our Flag Means Death will premiere on HBO on March 3.
- Pieces of Her will debut on Netflix on March 4.
- Windfall will premiere on Netflix on March 18.
- The Boys Presents: Diabolical will debut on Prime Video on March 4.
- The Good Doctor will return on ABC on February 28.
- The Courtship will premiere on NBC on March 6.
- Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. will debut on Netflix on March 16.
- Rat in the Kitchen will debut on TBS on March 31.
- Rich & Shameless will debut on TNT on February 19.
- The Big D will premiere this summer on TBS.
- Welcome Home Nikki Glaser? will debut on E! on May 1.
- Downton Abbey: A New Era will premiere in theaters on May 20.
- Barry will return on HBO on April 24.
- The Staircase will debut on HBO in the spring.
- Julia will debut on HBO on March 31.
- We Own This City will premiere on HBO on April 25.
- The Survivor will premiere on HBO on April 27.
- George Carlin’s American Dream will premiere on HBO in May.
- The Twist …? She’s Gorgeous will premiere on Netflix on March 15.
- The Amber Ruffin Show will return on Peacock on February 25.
- The Julia Child Challenge will premiere on March 14 on Food Network and Discovery+.
- Moonshot will premiere on HBO Max on March 31.
- Father of the Bride will premiere on HBO Max on June 16.
- House Party will premiere on HBO Max on July 28.
- The Challenge: All Stars will return on Paramount+ on May 11.
- The Time Traveler’s Wife will premiere on HBO sometime this spring.
- Temptation Island will return on USA on March 16.
- The Billboard Music Awards will air on NBC on May 15.
- Fuller House will begin airing on GAC on February 28.
- The Challenge: CBS will air this summer on CBS.
- Freddy’s Nightmares is now available to stream through Screambox.
- The Witchfinder will debut on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer soon.
R.I.P.
P.J. O’Rourke, Political satirist, NPR commentator, author, editor-in-chief for National Lampoon, and writer for Playboy, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic Monthly, The American Spectator, The Weekly Standard, Car and Driver, and The Daily Beast and Real Time Real Reporter” for HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.
Kathryn Kates, Actress who appeared in Seinfeld, Law and Order, The Many Saints of Newark, The Good Fight among others
Bappi Lahiri, Indian singer, composer, and record producer
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