Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Monday, January 30th, 2023

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Monday, January 30th, 2023.

PARAMOUNT+ AND SHOWTIME TO MERGE
It's not exactly a shocker, given that Paramount executives have been suggesting for months this is where the two streaming services were headed. 

But according to a memo sent out by Paramount CEO Bob Bakish on Monday, the Showtime cable network will undergo a rebrand later this year, at which point it will be called… Paramount+ With Showtime. There are no changes on the cable network, other than the branding. 

The details and timing are still a bit undefined (at least publicly), but according to the memo, The streaming service Paramount+ Premium tier will also be rebranded as Paramount+ With Showtime and will be adding shows from Showtime into its mix. Although apparently not all of Showtime's programming, at least according to several people I spoke with after the news broke. The Paramount+ Essential tier ($4.99/month with ads) will host Paramount+ original series only. 

Not changing anything on the cable side (other than the branding) will help deliver continuity on Showtime's linear feed and will allow Paramount to keep its current deals with MVPDs and vMVPDs in place. 

The streaming side, however, is going to be a lot more complicated in the short term. There are a few different rates in place for Paramount+, depending on which deal you received when you originally subscribed. So there are likely to be some unhappy people as subscriptions are renewed and moved around.

But overall, this seems like a fine idea. It's been talked about in the industry for months and it's a win-win deal for both Showtime and Paramount+.

One of the many unanswered questions is whether these changes will impact Paramount's other smaller streamers, such as kid-oriented Noggin or BET+. There is a case to be made that while rolling both services into Paramount+ would cost Paramount revenue in the short run, combining BET+'s catalog and original programming with the black-oriented VH1 primetime programming would give the service a nice foothold in that market. And while the Noggin catalog consists of older programming (some of which was originally created when Noggin was a stand-alone analog channel), adding those programs to Paramount+ would be a....plus. Of course, that would only work if they created a Noggin hub that didn't include commercials and allowed parents to limit their kids viewing outside the Noggin hub.

YOU'LL BE SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT EXECUTIVES LIED ABOUT THE UPSIDES OF A MERGER UNTIL IT WAS FINALIZED
As it prepares for negotiations for a new film & TV contract – and a possible writers strike in May – the WGA West is blasting Warner Bros Discovery again for going back on its promise that the merger would create more opportunities for content creators:

“Warner-Discovery is the latest disastrous merger to demonstrate the harms of consolidation, and particularly the threat to diversity when gatekeepers combine to increase their power,” Laura Blum-Smith, the guild’s director of research and public policy, said in a statement. “Almost immediately after closing, Warner Bros. Discovery broke the hollow promises it had made of merger benefits. As a result, writers – including many women and people of color – have lost opportunities and future income, while consumers are left with reduced variety and choice of content.”

The shocker to me is that anyone believed Warner Bros Discovery executives when they made those promises. It was clear from the beginning of the merger process that there were going to be substantial cuts and consolidation in order to make all the numbers work. And when there are cuts, it almost always falls on underrepresented people, who are often seen as less mainstream and less likely to grab a wide audience.

THIS WEEK ON ALLYOURSCREENS
A relatively light week for streaming original premieres, especially from Netflix.

The following shows will be reviewed on AllYourScreens and they were generally post the day before the premiere, unless there is an embargo or I didn't receive screeners ahead of time. As an FYI, any show marked with an * is one in which I received a screener.

MONDAY, JANUARY 30TH, 2023:
History's Greatest Mysteries Season Premiere (History)
* Independent Lens: The Picture Taker (PBS)
Prisoner Of The Prophet (Discovery+)
*The Watchful Eye Series Premiere (Freeform)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31ST, 2023:
Grassroots Series Premiere (MHz Choice)
La Brea Spring Premiere (NBC)
* Pamela, A Love Story (Netflix)

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST, 2023:
* Gunther's Millions (Netflix)
Taiwan Crime Stories (Hulu)
* The Ark Series Premiere (Syfy)
The Chorus: Success, Here I Go (Disney+)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, 2023:
Flordelis: A Family Crime (HBO Max)
Super Villains, The Investigation (HBO Max)
* The Reading (BET+)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD, 2023:
Children Ruin Everything (The Roku Channel)
Class (Netflix)
* Dear Edward Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
Infiesto (Netflix)
* Killing County (Hulu)
Rowdy (Freevee)
Secrets In The Marriage (Showtime)
Viking Wolf (Vikingulven) (Netflix)

ODDS AND SODS
* Cindy Williams, who played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne on Laverne & Shirley, has died, her family said Monday. Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Jan. 25 after a brief illness.

* Showtime has shelved Three Women and canceled American Gigolo and Let The Right One In after one season.

* Fox Entertainment and Hulu have closed a new multi-year deal for in-season streaming rights to the broadcast network’s primetime series. The agreement also includes an extensive multi-platform marketing partnership.

* Starz announced today that Power Book II: Ghost has been renewed for a fourth season ahead of its March 17th season three premiere.  Production has just begun in New York, with Michael Ealy (Barbershop, Takers) joining the cast as a new series regular for season four.

* FX has canceled Kindred after one season

TWEET OF THE DAY

WHAT'S NEW FOR MONDAY:

History's Greatest Mysteries Season Premiere (History)
Independent Lens: The Picture Taker (PBS)
Princess Power (Netflix)
Prisoner Of The Prophet (Discovery+)
The Watchful Eye Series Premiere (Freeform)

Click Here to see the list of all of the upcoming premiere dates for the next few months.

SEE YOU TUESDAY!

If you have any feedback, send it along to Rick@AllYourScreens.com and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.