Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Tuesday, February 15th, 2022

The company previously known as ViacomCBS announced an impressive amount of new programming.

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, February 15th, 2022. 

LOTS OF NEWS OUT OF THE VIACOMCBS INVESTORS DAY
ViacomCBS held an investors presentation on Tuesday and there were a lot of programming announcements that came out of the call. But perhaps the biggest news came before the event, when a memo from Bob Bakish and Shari Redstone announced the company was changing its name to Paramount. 

"For more than a century, the name Paramount has been synonymous with great entertainment and industry leadership," Bakish and Redstone wrote in the memo. "It’s part of our history, as pioneers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. But as Paramount+ has made clear, it’s also about our bright future. And, not least, it’s an idea: a promise to be the best. "

"As Paramount, our name will reflect who we are, what we aspire to be, and all that we stand for. It will help advance our strategy of harnessing all our strength and breadth in building the businesses of tomorrow. And it will capture the collective power of our global assets, from our amazing brands— CBS, Showtime, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Nickelodeon, Smithsonian, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, Pluto TV and more — to our global reach and our diverse audiences. All of which adds up to Paramount being the pre-eminent home to, and producers of, the world’s greatest content."

And here is some of the news that came out of the investor call: 
* Starting in the summer, Paramount+ will offer a streamlined signup for Showtime programming within the app. That means Paramount+ subscribers will not have to move to the Showtime stand-alone service to watch hits like Dexter: New Blood.

* The top ten titles that viewers to Paramount+ were NFLonCBS, 1883, iCarly,  PAW Patrol, A Quiet Place Part II, Infinite, The Clifford movie, SpomgeBob, South Park and UEFA.

* Paramount+ in Australia has ordered the series NCIS: Sydney. It will also be available on the American version of Paramount+.

* Speaking of Paramount+ in the U.S., the service has ordered a SEAL Team movie. No other details so far.

* Halo: The Series will premiere March 24th on Paranount+. The streamer had previously announced it had already ordered a second season.

* Billions has been renewed for a seventh season.

* Showtime has renewed the Super Pumped anthology series and season two will focus on Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg.

* Starting in 2024, all Paramount+ will become the exclusive streaming home for all new Paramount movies.

* Paramount+ will reintroduce the classic monsters of Monster High to a new generation. This includes a live-action musical movie, an animated series, and a new toy line from Mattel.

* The movie Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be released theatrically in 2023 and is the first of three new installments. A new animated series from Nickelodeon arrives this fall. And in 2024, the franchise expands further with a CG animated Transformers theatrical film.

* A new Paw Patrol movie is coming to theaters in 2023 and a spin-off TV series is coming to Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

* Three new SpongeBob character-driven movies are coming exclusively to Paramount+, and a big theatrical tentpole is in the works.

* A Sonic 3 movie is officially in development from Paramount and Sega. And a new Knuckles series starring Idris Elba will premiere on Paramount+ next year.

* 2023 will bring a flurry of new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle projects, including a theatrical film from Seth Rogan and a series of villain-driven movies for Paramount+.

* The Beavis & Butthead revival is being moved from Comedy Central to Paramount+.

* JJ Abrams says a new Star Trek film "with the original cast" will start shooting by the end of the year. When he says "original cast," I assume that means the original cast of his first Star Trek reboot film.

* The entire South Park catalog will come to Paramount+ in 2025, after the current HBO Max deal ends.

* A new Blue's Clues movie, Blue’s Big City Adventure, is coming to Paramount+ this year, and a full-length Baby Shark movie is coming in 2023.

* Paramount+ is bring back Dora The Explorer with a new animated series for preschoolers, as well as a live-action series for teens in the spirit of the recent movie.

* Later this year, MTV's Teen Wolf returns with a new Paramount+ Original movie that will set up a new Paramount+ Original series called Wolf Pack, based on the books by Edo van Belkom.

* Paramount+ has secured the rights to the Women’s Super League. The service is also adding the English Premier League in Mexico and Central America.

* Paramount+ continues to expand its Jersey Shore franchise internationally Brazil's Rio Shore and Mexico's Acapulco Shore have been picked up for a second season and the streamer has ordered an additional seven more regional versions of the format.

* Paramount+ has ordered Challenge: War Of The Worlds, which the streamer describes as "the first-ever globally connected competition series." There will also be a version of The Challenge coming to CBS this summer.

* Paramount+ also announced a third season of The Real World Homecoming with the original New Orleans cast and additional seasons of The Challenge: All Stars, RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars and Queen of the Universe.

TWEET OF THE DAY

ABC SHIFTS 'PROMISED LAND' TO HULU
ABC is moving its Latino-focused drama Promised Land to Hulu after airing four episodes, effective immediately. The Good Doctor will take over the Mondays at 10:00 p.m. slot starting February 28th.

The move is seen inside the industry as the equivalent of a cancellation, given that NBC had previously made the same move with the network's low-rated Connecting and with Mike Schur’s Sunnyside.

"Promised Land remains in production and will deliver all 10 episodes, as originally ordered," an ABC spokesperson said in a statement released on Tuesday. "We are continuing to pursue an audience-first approach in an effort to make sure that all of our shows find the right audience, regardless of platform – and this move aligns with our company strategy that there is a home for every show."

It's likely that initial 10-episode order will be it for the series. But there is another scenario that would make sense and while it's not a cheap option, in the universe of what Hulu is paying for the production of some of its original programming, this is what I would do if I were Craig Erwich — who oversees both Hulu originals and ABC entertainment.

I would announce that while Promised Land is moving to Hulu, it is a decision based on trying to find the best audience for the show. Promised Land will be not only complete its 10-episode first season, but Hulu will pick up the show for a second season of 10 episodes, which will be brand the show as a "Hulu Original." 

Yes, it's a bit of a financial risk. But this is a show that already has a passionate audience, albeit a small one. And while it's a tough decision to make if you're basing it strictly on ratings, "saving" the show and ordering a second season makes an important statement to both the industry and Hulu customers.

Erwich could give a couple of interviews arguing that Promised Land is not just a good show, it's a show with a point of view that deserves to be heard. "We talk a lot about equity in this industry." Erwich could say. "But if we don't put our resources behind a quality show that speaks to our Latino viewers, then everything else we do is just talk."

Think of this move as being similar to several of the canceled show pick-up moves Netflix made early in its streaming existence. Every programming decision is based partly on ratings or viewer numbers. But pick-up decisions are also a branding and marketing opportunity, if done correctly. Most Hulu customers would be hard-pressed to define what a "Hulu Original" series looks like. Picking up Promised Land would be a massive move in the right direction.

ODDS AND SODS
* Apple TV+ has ordered the New England Patriots docuseries The Dynasty and will chronicle the rise and historic 20-year run of the Patriots during the Brady-Belichick-Kraft era.

* ALLBLK will premiere the anti-crime documentary Beyond Ed Buck on February 24th.

* E! has greenlit a new reality series featuring comedian, podcast host, and roastmaster Nikki Glaser. Welcome Home Nikki Glaser premieres on Sunday, May 1st.

* Hulu has ordered a second season of the comedy spin-off How I Met Your Father.

WHAT'S NEW FOR TUESDAY
Here's a quick rundown of all the new stuff premiering today on TV and streaming:

AI Love You (Netflix)
American Experience: The American Diplomat (PBS)
Frontline: American Reckoning (PBS)
Icahn: America's Restless Billionaire (HBO)
Love Is Blind Japan Series Premiere (Netflix)
Luda Can't Cook Series Premiere (Discovery+)
Ridley Jones Season Three Premiere (Netflix)

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

SEE YOU WEDNESDAY! 

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