Showtime will no longer exist in its current state after its merges withParamount Plus. They will be combined into the new “Paramount Plus with Showtime” package that will be sold in the US.
In the world of entertainment integration, studios buying each other up or buying up networks means major changes and entire divisions getting upended. One recent example was Disney disappearing almost everything Fox had made before buying the studio. Another one that’s set to shake up the market is Paramount sliding Showtime into itsParamount Pluslineup, whereYellowjacketswill sit alongsideYellowstone.
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As networks tighten their belts and close in on themselves to reign in the money expenditure and try to please their shareholders, shows will inevitably be on the chopping block, and more importantly, their staffs and casts. The latest to join the mash-up train is Paramount, who will incorporate their HBO-alike Showtime into one big streaming package with “Paramount + with Showtime” coming to the US first (there’s no word on when the package would expand beyond America’s hallowed shores). Along with that comes an idea of what to expect, with the company saying that it’s looking only to divest from underperforming areas that account for less than 10% of views.
That type of wording is vague for audiences looking to know what will happen to their favorite series. With the recent Discovery acquisition of Warner Bros., entire movies that were already filmed,including the cancelledBatgirlmovie, and entire series that were either renewed or had completed new seasons were tossed in the studio’s garbage pile to be recycled as tax rebates, wasting years of actor and staff time. This means actors who put off other jobs or writers who didn’t reach out to other rooms were deprived of work for a year or more in the name of a studio saving money. With that said, Paramount at least gave an idea of what fans could expect.
While the heads of Paramount Network and Showtime sent out letters to their staffs, it was the Showtime letter that gave an idea of what to expect:
Powerful Worlds:High-stakes powerful worlds likeBILLIONSandHOMELAND
Metro-Cultures:Culturally diverse takes likeTHE CHIand the forthcomingFELLOW TRAVELERS.
Shows like those listed or in the vein of those listed will probably find a home on the network. But shows like the currentLet the Right One Inseries or experiments likeTwin Peaks: The Returnmight never see the light of day again. It’s up in the air at the moment.Yellowjacketshas a third-season renewaland will soon be with Paramount’s other series for American audiences.
