The hottest new shows of the fall TV season are old school (and in some cases: Old people!), with CBS and ABC leading the way: We’ll look at freshmen hits Matlock and High Potential. These network detective procedurals have even more in common than meets the eye… but will you be able to crack the case with us?

Plus: Could Agatha All Along usher in a new era of budget-concious Marvel shows? How confusing could the DirecTV/Dish merger get? And what’s the TV crossover of our dreams and how is it actually happening?!?

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: CBS and Next-Day on Paramount+
• 🗓️ Episodes: 1 (Thursdays at 9 PM ET)
• 📚 Related Titles: Matlock
• 🤩 Starring: Kathy Bates
• ⚠️ Spoiler Warning for first episode starting at 15:15

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: ABC and Next-Day on Hulu
• 🗓️ Episodes: 3 (Tuesdays at 10 PM ET)
• 📚 Related Titles: HPI (Original French series)
• 🤩 Starring: Kaitlin Olson
• ⚠️ Spoiler Warning for first 2 episodes starting at 33:17

———

• Marvel's Brad Winderbaum on 'Reasonable Budget' of 'Agatha All Along' – Joe Otterson, Variety
• From AOL Time Warner to DirecTV and Dish: 20 years of media mergers – Wes Davis, The Verge
• Abbott Elementary, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Will Cross Over – Michael Schneider, Variety
• TV Ratings: CBS’ ‘Matlock’ Makes Solid Opening Argument – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• When Does 'Matlock' Episode 2 Air? — CBS Series Returns October 17 – Matt Webb Mitovich, TV Line
• Kathy Bates Retiring After 'Matlock': 'This Is My Last Dance' – Claire Franken, TV Line
• ABC’s ‘High Potential’ Nears 11M Viewers for Second Episode (Exclusive) – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter

———

Spooky Season has arrived and Disney+ is leaning into it with the long-awaited (and repeatedly retitled) WandaVision spin-off Agatha All Along. It’s got a killer cast, but can it shake the Marvel curse?

And speaking of Marvel: We’re assembling our own coven… of shows! Join us as we each draft a team of 6 Marvel shows that we hope Kevin Feige resurrects for another season. Which one of us will assemble the Avengers of Avengers-adjacent characters?

But first, in the news:

• Wake up, babe. New bundle dropped!
• And we begin the bittersweet farewell to satellite TV.

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Disney+
• 🗓️ Episodes: 9 (Wednesdays at 9 PM ET)
• 🔄 Renewal Status: TBA
• 📚 Related Titles: WandaVision
• 📚 Where to Stream Related Titles: Disney+
• 🤩 Starring: Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Debra Jo Rupp, Patti LuPone, Aubrey Plaza
• 🧑‍🎨 Created By: Jac Schaeffer
• ⚠️ Spoiler Warning for first 4 episodes starting at 42:46

———

• Charter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year – Wes Davis, The Verge
• Charter Spectrum Cuts Carriage Deal With NBCUniversal, Adding Peacock to Pay-TV Packages – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• DirecTV Placed on Credit Watch Negative After Unveiling Deal to Merge With Dish – Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘WandaVision’ Recap: What to Remember for ‘Agatha All Along’ – Andi Ortiz, The Wrap
• 'Agatha All Along' Ratings: 9.3 Million Views in One Week on Disney+ – Selome Hailu, Variety
• Agatha All Along Nude Scene Wasn't Scripted Says Kathryn Hahn – Diego Ramos Bechara, Variety
• Agatha All Along’s practical effects were key to bringing its magic to life – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge

———

Everyone is suddenly rewatching the iconic HBO comedy Veep but with 7 seasons available to stream where should you start? Relax, because we’re here to be your tour guides through the halls of almost-power.

But first: Bundle Watch! Sportspocalypse! And with The Olympics kicking off we ask the eternal question: What’s the deal with Peacock?!

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Max
• 🎟️ Originally Premiered: April 22, 2012 on HBO
• 🍂 Seasons: 7 (65 episodes)
• 🤩 Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Matt Walsh
• 🧑‍🎨 Created By: Armando Iannucci (Showrunner Seasons 1-4), David Mandel (Showrunner Seasons 5-7)
• ⚠️ Spoiler Alert for all episodes starting at 38:10

• S1E1 – Fundraiser
• S1E2 – Frozen Yoghurt
• S3E2 – The Choice
• S3E9 – Crate
• S4E2 – East Wing
• S4E10 – Election Night (Armando Iannucci’s last episode)
• S5E10 – Inauguration (Season 5 Finale)
• S7E7 – Veep (Series Finale)

———

• Warner Bros. Discovery Sues the NBA After League Rejects Matching Rights Proposal – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• NBA Loss Sinks Warner Bros. Discovery Stock – Bad For Max, Could Hasten Linear Decline, Wall Street Fears – Jill Goldsmith, Deadline
• Comcast President Touts NBA Rights: Will Put “Weight of Our Entire Company” Behind Deal – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• Peacock Quarterly Loss Narrows to $348M as Subscribers Drop to 33M – Georg Szalai, Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter
• 'Homicide: Life On the Street' Set to Stream on Peacock in August – Michael Schneider, Variety
• ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Is About to Find New Life on the Streamers – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone
• Why Redbox has been powering down – Janko Roettgers, The Verge
• Veep’s Creator Wants You to Stop Comparing Kamala Harris to Selina Meyer – Sam Adams, Slate
• ‘Veep’ Creator Armando Iannucci Comments on Real-Life Political Comparisons and Gives a Warning – Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter

———

It’s hot out, so why not stay inside with two of the most influential (and bingeable) shows from the mid-2000s? It’s a Summer Show Swap that pits one of Dianne’s favorite series against one of Chris’s. Which side will you take?

• ✈️🏝️ Can Dianne convince Chris that iconic ABC drama Lost (now streaming on Netflix) is worth the 6-season binge? We discuss the pilot and how it redefined network TV.
• 🏡🍃 And will Chris convince Dianne that Showtime hit Weeds (now streaming on Hulu) overcomes its tonally inconsistent pilot to deliver one of the all-time best second seasons of TV? We’ll break down the first 3 episodes of the series and how the show was retooled after the pilot. (Bonus: Chris will tell you which seasons you can skip!)

But first! News!

• A shocking twist in the Paramount Death Watch!
• We introduce you to a brand new streaming service, because there really aren’t enough already!
• And Warner Bros. Discovery rebrands 5 high-profile “Max Originals” under the HBO umbrella, because apparently people actually liked the HBO brand? Who knew!

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Netflix
• 🎟️ Originally Premiered: September 22, 2004 on ABC
• 🍂 Seasons: 6 (118 episodes)
• ⚠️ Light Spoilers for the 2-part Pilot Episode starting at 25:25

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Hulu (or Peacock, supposedly)
• 🎟️ Originally Premiered: August 7, 2005 on Showtime
• 🍂 Seasons: 8 (102 episodes)
• ⚠️ Light Spoilers for the first 3 Episodes starting at 43:49

———

• It’s Official: Skydance Wins the Battle for Paramount Global – Alex Weprin, Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter
• Sony’s Out: Won’t Return To Mix During Paramount’s 45-Day “Go Shop” Window – Anthony D'Alessandro, Jill Goldsmith, Deadline
• Paramount Must Get Skydance Approval for Paramount+ JV, Bundle Deals – Todd Spangler, Variety
• What Now for Paramount? How Things Will (or Won’t) Likely Change – Pamela McClintock, Rick Porter, Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter
• Hallmark Launching New Streaming Service in September – Lynette Rice, Deadline
• Max Originals ‘The Penguin’ & ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Moving To HBO – Peter White, Deadline
• 20 ‘Lost’ Episodes You Can Skip When Bingeing or Rewatching – Michael Alan Connelly, Vulture
• Hulu was down for a lot of people, but now it’s fixed – Richard Lawler, The Verge

———

Julio Torres (Los Espookys) is back on HBO with a new 6-episode series that blends sketch comedy with a surreal narrative about a lost oyster earring, a concerning mole (or maybe it’s just a birthmark), and Julio’s struggle to find a new apartment without providing his “proof of existence."

We’ll take you on our dream-like experience watching the first three episodes, featuring guest stars like Aidy Bryant (in a wild informercial bit), Jaboukie Young-White (as a influencer confronted by The Algorithm), and Tilda Swinton (as the voice of water). But first!

• We’ve got the latest news from the Paramount Death Watch, including the $2 Paramount+ price hike that will probably solve everything.
• Netflix is launching permanent retail spaces in two U.S. malls. We try to imagine the synergistic experiences that await.
• It’s Pride Month so we’re sharing our favorite LGBTQIA+ shows from the Streamageddon back catalog and check in with series like Interview with the Vampire and Ripley.
• And find out which late night talk show host Chris has completely blocked from his memory in a round-up of news from 11 PM and beyond! (Hint: It’s a CBS host!)

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: HBO and/or Max
• 🗓️ Release Schedule: Weekly on Fridays at 11 PM ET (HBO and Max)
• ✅ Renewal Status: TBA
• 🤩 Starring: Julio Torres
• 🎬 Created By: Julio Torres (Los Espookys, Problemista)

• 🦄 Light Spoilers for the First 3 Episodes: Starting at 52:33

———

• The Action Isn’t the Best Part of Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ – Zach Kram, The Ringer
• Paramount's Failed Merger Talks: What Went Wrong in the Company Battle – Cynthia Littleton, Variety
• Paramount+ Raises Prices for Ad-Tier and Premium Plan – Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter
• Netflix House: Dallas, King of Prussia Are First Two Cities for 2025 – Todd Spangler, Variety
• Late Night With Seth Meyers is breaking up with its live house band – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club
• Jon Stewart Feels “Reinvigorated” By His Return To ‘The Daily Show’ – Peter White, Deadline
• Jon Stewart To Host ‘The Daily Show’ Live After Presidential Debates – Peter White, Deadline
• ‘The Daily Show’ Going Live With Jon Stewart at Political Conventions (Exclusive) – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter

———

In a shocking twist of events the Paramount Death Watch is back! We’ll discuss Shari Redstone’s last-minute decision to kill the Skydance deal and what comes next for the beleaguered home of CBS. Will a new buyer swoop in? Will Warner chief David Zaslav make a move? And what’s all this talk from Paramount’s three-headed CEO about a possible joint venture with another streamer? Will Paramount+ and Peacock team up for a new Hulu (a Nulu, if you will)??

Then we’re dusting off our Jedi robes and heading to Disney+ to discuss the intriguing new Star Wars prequel The Acolyte. There’s a lot to love, but also the same frustrations that plague most of Disney’s streaming strategy. Can they make these 8-episode “seasons” work? Or are they pulling from the wrong playbook?

But wait, there’s more!

• The 2024 Box Office is back, baby! We’ll break down the big weekends from Pixar and the Bad Boys.
• Warner Bros. Discovery is serving up some tennis, but can it fill the Charles Barkley sized hold in sports fans’ hearts?
• Peacock has a new deal just in time for the Olympics, but can NBC convince you to stick around after?
• And Max is raising prices… to the max!

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Disney+
• 🗓️ Release Schedule: Weekly on Tuesday Nights (3 out of 8 Episodes Available Now)
• ✅ Renewal Status: TBA
• 🤩 Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae
• 🎬 Created By: Leslye Headland

• 🚨 Spoilers for the First 3 Episodes: Starting at 30:55
• 👍 Spoiler-Light Discussion of Disney’s TV Strategy: Starting at 47:18

———

• Box Office: ‘Inside Out 2’ Delivers Historic $155M U.S. Opening and $295M Globally in Huge Pixar Comeback – Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter
• Sony Puts Summer Back On Track As Will Smith & Martin Lawrence’s ‘Bad Boys: Ride Or Die’ Clocks $56M Opening – Sunday AM Update – Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline
• Warner Bros Discovery Snares U.S. Rights to French Open – Brian Steinberg, Variety
• Charles Barkley Says He Will Retire From Warner's NBA Coverage – Brian Steinberg, Variety
• No Deal: Shari Redstone Nixes Skydance Offer for Paramount Global – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• Why Is Shari Redstone so Upset? – Kim Masters, Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• It’s the End of Paramount+ As We Know It (and That’s Fine) – Josef Adalian, Vulture
• Streaming Bundles Lower Consumer Intent To Churn By 16%, New Study Finds – Dade Hayes, Deadline
• You can grab a year of Peacock Premium for just $20 ahead of its impending price hike – Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge
• 'St. Denis Medical' Gets Season 1 Extension to 18 Episodes on NBC – Selome Hailu, Variety
• Max Hikes Prices For Ad-Free Plans Effective Immediately – Denise Petski, Deadline
• The Acolyte took Star Wars back in time by taking things away – Andrew Webster, The Verge
• The Acolyte Ratings: 4.8 Million Viewers, Biggest Disney Show of 2024 – Selome Hailu, Variety

———

Did streaming break the box office? It sure seems like it, with attendance and ticket sales in a perpetual slump, layoffs plaguing juggernauts like Pixar, and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claiming that he could’ve made the Barbenheimer without a theatrical release (we disagree, Ted!). We’ll break it all down and preview this weekend’s new Netflix movie Hit Man, which Dianne saw during its brief theatrical run.

But first! Summer also means it’s time for a parade of new streaming shows you’ve probably never heard of! Can you pick the real shows from the ChatGPT-created hallucinations? Find out when we play our newest game: Show or No?!

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Netflix
• 🗓️ Release Schedule: Available Now
• 🤩 Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Retta
• 🎬 Directed By: Richard Linklater
• 📝 Written By: Richard Linklater, Glen Powell

• 👍 Extremely light spoilers for the premise of the movie: Starting at 29:08 ———

• Ted Sarandos Says ‘Barbie’ & ‘Oppenheimer’ Would Be Just As Big On Netflix; Credits Algorithm For ‘Baby Reindeer’s Success – Armando Tinoco, Deadline
• Pixar Lays Off 14% of Its Staff and Will Stop Making Shows for Disney+ – Brooks Barnes, The New York Times
• Pixar, struggling for a new strategy, predictably turns to reboots, sequels, and "mass appeal" – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• ‘Knives Out’ Sequels: The Whodunit Behind Netflix’s $469M Power Play – Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Knives Out 3’ Sequel Title Revealed – Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter
• Kerry Washington Joins ‘Knives Out 3’ – Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter
• Knives Out watch: Wake Up Dead Man drafts requisite Marvel star – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club

———

Season 3 of the Max Original Hacks just wrapped and it’s so good we can’t figure out why it’s not on HBO already. It’s a sharp, laugh-out-loud comedy reminiscent of Barry, Veep, and Silicon Valley, and the best part is that it just keeps getting better.

Whether you’re new to the show or a diehard Deborah Vance fan, we’ve got you covered with both an introduction to the series and a full season 3 review.

But first!

• The fallout from Amazon’s hit series Fallout continues: The wildly popular video game series drove millions of viewers to the wildly popular show… which drove millions of players back to the wildly popular video game series!
• Speaking of fallouts: We check in with activist investor Nelson Peltz after losing the battle for Disney’s board.
• FX on Hulu’s smash hit The Bear is coming to… FX on FX??
• And in Sportspocalypse: Can Warner Bros. Discovery “nourish” sports fans without a big helping of NBA? We’re about to find out!
• Plus: Legitimately breaking news from the Paramount Death Watch!

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Max
• 🗓️ Release Schedule: All 3 Seasons Available Now
• ✅ Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 4
• 🤩 Starring: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter
• 🎬 Created By: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky

• 👍 Spoiler-Light Introduction: Starting at 29:08
• 🚨 Spoilers for Season 3 (All Episodes): Starting at 44:07

———

• 'Fallout 76' Crosses 20 Million Players Amid TV Series, Future Games – Jennifer Maas, Variety
• Skydance Sweetens Paramount Bid for Non-Controlling Shareholders – Todd Spangler, Variety
• Paramount's special committee agrees to recommend Skydance deal, WSJ reports – Reuters
• Mission Accomplished? Despite Losing Proxy Fight, Billionaire Nelson Peltz Reportedly Sells Entire Disney Stake For $1B In Profit – Dade Hayes, Deadline
• 'The Bear' Sets FX Debut With Season 1 Marathon Ahead of Season 3 – Emily Longeretta, Variety
• David Zaslav Says WBD Remains In Talks With The NBA, But The Company’s Sports Portfolio Would Still Be “Very Robust” Without It – Dade Hayes, Deadline

———

The fallout from Season 1 of Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout is still going strong, with ratings juggernaut Nielsen declaring the show a much-needed hit for the #1 streaming service that also sells toilet paper.

We’ve finished the full season and are ready to dish on all the twists and turns, whether the binge model worked for us, and what we expect (and hope for) in Season 2. Plus we revisit our predictions and grade our TV Tarot!

But first!

• We dissect Disney’s earnings and the latest strategy shift at Marvel in a brand-new installment of What’s That, Bob?!
• And with the abbreviated 2023-24 TV season coming to an end, both streamers and traditional TV networks are courting advertisers with some big announcements about their upcoming shows. That means it’s time for an extra-large edition of Renewed or Canceled?!

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
• 🗓️ Release Schedule: All 8 Episodes Available Now
• ✅ Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 2
• 📚 Related Titles: Based on the Fallout franchise of games
• 🤩 Starring: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan
• 🎬 Created By: Jonathan Nolan (Director/Executive Producer) and Lisa Joy (Executive Producer)

• 🚨 Spoilers for ALL of Season 1: Starting at 26:44

———

• Disney’s streaming business gets closer to becoming profitable – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Bob Iger Details “Reduced” Marvel Output: “At Most” Three Films Per Year, Two Series – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Fallout’ Blasts To Top Of Nielsen Streaming Charts In Debut Weekend, Becoming Amazon’s Most Successful Title To Date – Katie Campione, Deadline
• Broadcast TV Cancellations In 2024-25: Photo Gallery – Lynette Rice, Erik Pedersen, Deadline
• ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ to End With Season 5 – James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter
• 'Night Court' Renewed for Season 3 at NBC – Joe Otterson, Variety
• ‘Shogun’ Seasons 2 and 3 in the Works at FX, Hulu – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Shōgun’ To Continue: FX & Hulu Eye Two More Seasons Of James Clavell Adaptation – Nellie Andreeva, Lynette Rice, Deadline
• FX Will Submit ‘Shōgun’ In Drama Category For Emmys – Lynette Rice, Deadline
• “Shōgun” Becomes FX’s Most Watched Show Ever On Streaming Platforms – Roger Palmer, whatsondisneyplus.com
• ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ Renewed for Season 2 at Amazon – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• The Boys renewed for Season 5 on Prime Video – Mekeisha Madden Toby, aboutamazon.com

———

It’s a new era at Netflix: Ads, sports, and live specials galore! We’ll dig deep into the big strategy shift, including our review of John Mulaney’s limited-run live talk show Everybody’s in L.A.

We’ll try to explain the appeal of this one-of-a-kind live show, highlight some of our favorite segments, and recommend the best episode to check out (EARTHQUAKES!). From David Letterman to Conan O’Brien to John Mulaney interviewing David Letterman: We’re taking a full-circle journey through a very specific sub-genre of late night… that just might be the perfect fit for streaming.

But wait! There’s more!

• We’ll catch you up with the latest from the Paramount Death Watch 💀
• Brace yourself for more price hikes at Peacock and Max 💸
• What’s the deal with the new Uber-bundle from Disney and Warner Bros Discovery (Iger and Zaz, together at last?) 💕
• And yes, we finally have a sports segment: It’s the SPORTSPOCALYPSE 🤯

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Netflix
• 🗓️ Release Schedule: All 6 Episodes Available Now
• ✅ Renewal Status: We’re begging you, John. Give us more!
• 🤩 Starring: John Mulaney, Richard Kind
• 🎬 Created By: John Mulaney

———

• Bob Bakish To Step Down As Paramount Global CEO Amid Skydance Talks – Jill Goldsmith, Deadline
• Sony and Apollo’s Plan for Paramount: Break It Up – Benjamin Mullin, Lauren Hirsch, The New York Times
• Warner Bros. Discovery Hits $86M Streaming Unit Profit, 99.6M Subs, Studios Profit Drops 70 Percent – Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter
• Max may raise streaming prices again, following Netflix and Disney Plus' lead – Henry St Leger, TechRadar
• A Disney, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle is on the way – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Why you don't really want Big TV to bring back 'the bundle' for your streaming services like Hulu, Max, and Netflix – Peter Kafka, Business Insider
• Venu Sports: Disney, Fox, WBD Unveil Name of Sports-Streaming Venture – Todd Spangler, Variety
• Netflix snagged global streaming rights for NFL Christmas Day games – Richard Lawler, The Verge
• Katt Williams Outdraws Tom Brady in Netflix Rankings – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• John Mulaney's Everybody's in L.A. Moved to Emmys Talk Series – Clayton Davis, Variety

———

Join us in the Wasteland as we spend the entire episode discussing the latest prestige video game adaptation: Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout.

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
• 🗓️ Release Schedule: All 8 Episodes Available Now
• ✅ Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 2
• 📚 Related Titles: Based on the Fallout franchise of games
• 🤩 Starring: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan
• 🎬 Created By: Jonathan Nolan (Director/Executive Producer) and Lisa Joy (Executive Producer)

• 🚨 Spoilers for the first 5 episodes: Starting at 0:58

———

• 'Fallout' Nabs 65 Million Viewers in First Two Weeks of Availability – Joe Otterson, Variety
• Boosted by the Fallout TV Show, Fallout 76 Sees Over One Million Players in a Single Day - IGN – Wesley Yin-Poole, IGN
• ‘Fallout’ Looks Certain For Season 2 With $25M Tax Credit Award & Relocation To California; ‘NCIS: Origins’ Among Shows Receiving Incentives – Dominic Patten, Deadline
• Amazon’s Fallout show gets the postapocalyptic vibes exactly right – Ash Parrish, The Verge
• Fallout premiere: A bloated but promising start to the nuclear apocalypse – William Hughes, A.V. Club

———

It’s been 2 years since the “Netflix Correction” and we’re here to correct the record: How did Netflix become the sole survivor of an industry-wide crisis kicked off… by Netflix itself? We’ll take stock of the changes that helped solidify Netflix’s place at the top of the streaming food chain and what that means for the future of the little guys.

And speaking of little guys: Peacock! Comcast is eager for their streamer to offset the never-ending losses in their cable TV division, and guess what? It might be working?!

Plus it’s the most jam-packed edition of Daily Show Host(s) Watch yet!

It’s so much podcast we had to push the review of Fallout to next week! But you can get caught up on Amazon Prime Video now (we’ll be reviewing episodes 1-5).

———

• Peacock Quarterly Loss Narrows to $639M as Streamer Hits 34M Subscribers – Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Moving to Peacock for Season 5 – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Daily Show’ Audience Has Stuck Around Since Jon Stewart’s Return – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘The Daily Show’ Signs Up Josh Johnson, Troy Iwata & Grace Kuhlenschmidt As Correspondents – Peter White, Deadline

———

It’s our 2024 Emmy Awards Spectacular! Join us as we review the live show and break down the coronation of FX chief John Landgraf (with one hilarious exception!).

———

• FX Outduels Bigger Rivals to Collect Huge Emmy Haul – John Koblin, The New York Times
• Emmys 2024 Voters Finally Decide ‘The Bear’ Is Not a Comedy – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone
• TV Ratings: Emmys Jump by 55 Percent, Stop Streak of All-Time Lows – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• Casey Bloys On ‘Hacks’ Surprise Comedy Series Emmy Win & Category Debate; ‘White Lotus’, ‘The Last Of Us’, ‘Euphoria’ & ‘Harry Potter’ Updates – Nellie Andreeva, Deadline

———

This week we’re playing hide and seek with the ever-talented Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) in the new Netflix original series Ripley. He’s a conman traipsing through the black-and-white vistas of the Italian coast (let’s call it shabby chic) in this prestige adaptation of the classic novel.

But first!

• Chris plays hide and seek with the Hulu content buried in the new Hulu Hub on Disney+ (it’s like Hulu, but worse!)…
• Dianne breaks down the big network TV vibes coming to Max…
• And all of us marvel at the $40 million Disney spent fighting off an activist investor (that’s a whole 1.5 episodes of She-Hulk!).

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Netflix
• 🗓️ Release Schedule: All 8 Episodes Available Now
• 📚 Related Titles: Based on The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (Novel)
• 🤩 Starring: Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn
• 🎬 Created By: Steven Zaillian (Writer/Director/Executive Producer)

• 🤫 Light spoilers for first 2 episodes: Starting at 37:57
• 🚨 Major spoiler for episode 3: Starting at 51:00 This spoiler is mentioned in most of the show’s reviews.

———

• Disney D-Day: Bob Iger Celebrates Board Battle Win & End Of “Distracting Proxy Contest”; Nelson Peltz “Disappointed” Then Tries To Spin It Into A Win – Dominic Patten, Deadline
• DirecTV, Dish Back Fubo in Disney-Fox-WBD Sports Streaming Fight – Lucas Manfredi, The Wrap
• It’s true: people like leaving their TVs on in the background – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Streamers Are Rediscovering the TV Procedural – Josef Adalian, Vulture
• ‘FBI’ Trio Renewed At CBS With Flagship Series Scoring Three-Season Deal – Peter White, Deadline
• Ripley review: Mr. Ripley is as talented as ever – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club (Contains Spoilers!)

———

It’s our Spring Streaming Spectacular featuring our favorite show of the year-so-far: FX’s Shogun (streaming on Hulu!). We’ll share our thoughts before digging into spoilers, plus:

• Which streamers should you add, keep, and cancel this spring? We have the answers in a shocking edition of Add / Keep / Cancel!
• And looking for even more Spring shows? We’re doing our first-ever Vibe Check to help you triage your watchlist.

———

• Overview: Light Spoilers for Episode 1 (starting at 37:35)
• 🚨 Full Spoilers through Episode 5 (starting at 55:27)

• Where to Watch: FX and Hulu
• New Episodes: Tuesdays through April 23

———

• Shōgun is here for a good time, not for a long time, creators say – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• ‘Shogun’ Bosses Detail “Painstaking Process” to Recreate Feudal Japan and Likelihood of Season 2 – Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter

———

Netflix rescued the 30 Rock-infused Peacock comedy Girls5Eva and it’s a comeback we can get behind… even if we’re worried no one is watching. The show has more jokes in a single song than an entire season of Emmy-winning comedy The Bear but, like so many Peacock comedies, has struggled to find an audience. We’ll give you plenty of reasons to binge the 22 episodes now streaming on Netflix…

But first!

• What’s Peacock’s deal anyway? How did it take 4 years for them to figure out that their brand is… NBC?
• Is there any hope for Paramount? (We’re not holding our breath!)
• Max goes global! (-ish!)
• And we’ve got good news and bad news from Hollywood (where intrepid reporter Dianne is live on the ground!)

All that and a jam-packed edition of America’s Favorite Game Show: Renewed or Canceled?!

———

🚨 Light Spoilers (But No Big Ones for Season 3) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 3 (All Episodes Available)
• Renewal Status: To Be Announced
• Where to Watch Now: Netflix
• Where It Started: Peacock

———

• Strikes Delayed TV’s Top Hits, But Audiences Came Back – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• Why film and TV production has been slow after strikes - Los Angeles Times – Christi Carras, Marisa Gerber, The L.A. Times
• Judd Apatow on Why It’s “Scary” Netflix Can License HBO Shows: “Cheaper Than Making New Ones” – Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter
• Max to Launch in European Countries in May Ahead of Olympics – Elsa Keslassy, Variety
• All six seasons of Community are coming to Peacock – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club
• Sara Bareilles on “Beautiful Collaboration” Writing Songs for ‘Girls5eva’ Soundtrack – Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter
• Pete Davidson is done with Bupkis – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Showtime decides to un-save Neil Patrick Harris' Uncoupled – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• CNN To Air Repeats Of ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ On Saturdays – Peter White, Ted Johnson, Deadline
• 'The Bear' Renewed for Season 4, Filming Back to Back With Season 3 – Ethan Shanfeld, Variety
• 'Evil' to End With Season 4 at Paramount+ – Joe Otterson, Variety
• 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive' Renewed for Season 7 at Netflix – Kasey Moore, whats-on-netflix.com
• Percy Jackson And The Olympians renewed for season 2 at Disney+ – William Hughes, A.V. Club

———

TV is back and so are we! After a half-season delay (due to last year’s strikes) CBS and ABC are back with their hit sitcoms Ghosts and Abbott Elementary. Despite the extended hiatus both shows are entering their third seasons with a ton of momentum and a stacked (and growing) ensemble. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a brand new viewer: We’ll tell you what you need to know to dive into two of our favorite comedies.

Plus: Jon Stewart is back on The Daily Show and bringing in the highest ratings the show has seen since… Jon Stewart was on The Daily Show (go figure!). We’ll share some hot takes on the evolution of late night and the show’s precarious future.

But it’s not all laughs in Hollywood: Pilot season has all but vanished, with spring sitcom production down over 90% from a decade ago. Can comedy survive the industry’s historical contraction? We’ll debate the future of funny as we catch up on a lighting round of streaming news! ⚡️

———

🚨 Light Spoilers (starting at 43:22) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 3 (Season In Progress)
• Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 4
• Where to Watch: ABC, Hulu
• Where to Stream Past Seasons: Hulu

———

🚨 Light Spoilers (starting at 56:20) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 3 (Season in Progress)
• Renewal Status: TBA (CBS will almost definitely renew it— it’s just early for the announcement)
• Where to Watch: CBS, Paramount+
• Where to Stream Past Seasons: Paramount+
• Spinoff Of: Ghosts (UK)

———

• ‘Our Flag Means Death’ Creator Says It’s “The End Of The Road” After Comedy Fails To Find New Home – Denise Petski, Deadline
• 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' on YouTube will now be delayed – Abner Li, 9to5 Google
• Old True Detective and new True Detective aren’t getting along – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Max to Start Cracking Down on Password Sharing, Too – Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter
• 'Tacoma FD' Canceled After Four Seasons at TruTV – Joe Otterson, Variety
• TruTV Adds Nightly Sports Block With New Programs and Big Games – Brian Steinberg, Variety
• Bob Iger Pushes Back on Marvel Fatigue, But Says Disney Quietly Canceled Movies – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• Netflix Enters Boxing Ring; Streamer Sets Live Fight Between Mike Tyson & Jake Paul – Peter White, Deadline
• A potential season two of Beef is looking at an insanely stacked cast – Emma Keates, A.V. Club
• ‘Beef’ Season 2 Eyes Charles Melton, Cailee Spaeny, Jake Gyllenhaal & Anne Hathaway: The Dish – Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline
• Even more people really wanted to watch Jon Stewart this week – Emma Keates, A.V. Club
• NBC declares sitcoms about witches are finally back, baby – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Reba McEntire Is Returning to TV With a New NBC Comedy: Details – Jackie Manno, NBC
• Tim Allen Returning to ABC With Comedy ‘Shifting Gears’ – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• Hollywood Contraction: Actors Struggle To Find Jobs As TV Castings Dry Up – Nellie Andreeva, Deadline
• ‘Ghosts’ Showrunners Discuss Season 3 Premiere’s Big Reveal & Future Consequences Of That Character’s Departure – Katie Campione, Deadline
• Abbott Elementary is a local landmark in an exclusive clip from Sunday's post-Oscars episode – Saloni Gajjar, A.V. Club

———

Hihi, this week we’re going undercover with Donald Glover and Maya Erskine on their new Amazon Prime Video original Mr. & Mrs. Smith. It’s inspired by the 2005 blockbuster Brangelina action rom-com, but this new darkly comedic martial thriller has more in common with FX’s The Americans than the title suggests…

…and speaking of FX: Peak TV prognosticator (and veteran FX chief) John Landgraf is back with his annual tally of scripted originals and an ominous prediction. With the number of new series in decline, is the era of Peak TV is truly over? (He’s only predicted it twice before, so this time might be for real!)

But first!

• Sony once again poses the question: Should you start hoarding physical media in the attic?
• Chris explores the wide world of Plex channels…
• …and Dianne plays a brand new game called Plex or Not?!

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes (starting at 20:35) 🚨

• Total Episodes: 8 Episodes (All Episodes Now Streaming)
• Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
• Renewal Status: TBA
• Related Titles: Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

———

• Crunchyroll Adds All Funimation Content, Sony Phasing Out Funimation – Todd Spangler, Variety
• Funimation is shutting down — and taking your digital library with it – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Streamer Plex launches its long-promised movie rentals store | TechCrunch – Sarah Perez, TechCrunch
• Peak TV Is Officially Over: FX Tallies 14 Percent Drop in Scripted Series for 2023 – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• Amazon’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith series is a clever interpolation of the classic spy fantasy – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge
• Donald Glover and Maya Erskine on Real-Life Marriage, Professional Divorce and When to Walk Away – Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter
• Donald Glover also compares Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith exit to divorce – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club

———

We’re closing the case on our Cozy (and/or Spooky) Winter Mysteries Tour with this winter’s buzziest, prestige-iest detective show: HBO’s True Detective: Night Country. Premiering a decade after the original season— with a whole new creator and showrunner— it’s a show that poses the question “So, like, what is a True Detective, man?” [Insert your best McConaughey voice here.]

But first! Will cartoon villain David Zaslav ruthlessly murder Coyote vs. ACME… again?! Can Taylor Swift save Disney+? Can hastily retooling a Moana streaming series as Moana 2 save Disney’s holiday box office? Can anyone explain what Bob Iger is talking about?? And whoops! They made a Sports Hulu!

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes (starting at 36:38) 🚨

• Total Episodes: Anthology, 6 Episodes
• New Episodes Drop: Sundays at 9 PM ET (through February 18)
• Where to Watch: HBO (Streaming simultaneously on Max)
• Related Titles: True Detective (2014)

———

• Coyote Vs. Acme is probably getting scrapped anyway, in appalling movie news – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• The Final Days of ‘Coyote vs. Acme': Offers, Rejections and a Roadrunner Race Against Time | Exclusive – Drew Taylor, The Wrap
• Taylor Swift Sells 'Eras Tour' Concert Film to Disney+ for $75 Million – Todd Spangler, Variety
• Disney is re-tooling a Moana TV show into Moana 2, shoving it into theaters this November – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Disney Plus will start its password-sharing crackdown this summer – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Hulu is cracking down on password sharing, just like Disney Plus and Netflix – Sean Hollister, The Verge
• Disney invests $1.5 billion in Epic to create ‘persistent universe’ tied to Fortnite – Andrew Webster, The Verge
• Streaming ESPN without cable should launch in 2025. – Richard Lawler, The Verge
• ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. are putting together a juggernaut sports streaming app – Emma Roth, The Verge

———

It’s week two of our Cozy Winter Mysteries Tour and we’re headed to the south of France for vintage cars, red wine, and a whole lotta Clive Owen (literally) in Monsieur Spade.

But first! The Marvels hits Disney+ just as new questions plague the future of the MCU’s streaming plans (RIP our beloved She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law) and we try to unravel Max’s decision to give arch-rival Netflix the keys to Carrie Bradshaw’s kingdom.

All that plus a thrilling installment of BUNDLE WATCH. It’s an episode of Streamageddon you can’t afford to miss!

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First Episode (starting at 31:16) 🚨

• Total Episodes: Limited Series, 6 Episodes
• New Episodes Drop: Sundays (through February 18)
• Where to Watch: AMC+
• Related Titles: The Maltese Falcon (1941)

———

• You’ll be able to watch The Marvels on Disney Plus very soon – Amrita Khalid, The Verge
• Tatiana Maslany says She-Hulk: Attorney At Law has likely been thrown out of court – Emma Keates, A.V. Club
• Vincent D'Onofrio wants Kingpin to get his own Joker – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Max grounds Kaley Cuoco's The Flight Attendant – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• HBO’s ‘Sex and the City’ Is Coming to Rival Netflix – James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter
• Netflix Premium and Starz is $25.99 per month for Verizon customers – Sheena Vasani, The Verge
• T-Mobile's 'Hulu on Us' perk now available - 9to5Mac – Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

———

The streamers have decreed: Winter is time for cozy mysteries and hard-boiled detective hijinks! We’re investigating this intriguing trend, starting with a review of Hulu’s new series Death and Other Details, starring Mandy Patinkin and a slew of beautiful people who will make you go “I think I know them from something!”

But first!

• The 2023 strikes come back to haunt us… with good news?!
• Has our (late) night watch come to an end? We’re here with the most unexpected edition of Daily Show Host Watch yet.
• And is Netflix just, like, cable now? Hit the proverbial bong with us and get ready to have your mind and/or budget blown by the latest moves from the streaming king.

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 3 Episodes (starting at 35:32) 🚨

• Total Episodes: 1 Season, 10 Episodes
• New Episodes Drop: Tuesdays (through March 5)
• Where to Watch: Hulu

———

• DGA Announces Revisions To Film & TV Contract, Including Addition Of Streaming Bonus To Match WGA’s – Katie Campione, Deadline
• Jon Stewart Returns to 'Daily Show' as Monday Host, Executive Producer – Brian Steinberg, Variety
• John Oliver “Surprised” That Jon Stewart Is Returning To ‘The Daily Show’ & Backs Amber Ruffin Or Roy Wood Jr. To Be Permanent Host – Peter White, Deadline
• Holy crap, look how small and old 'The Daily Show's' audience has gotten – Peter Kafka, Business Insider
• Netflix is turning into cable TV – Alex Cranz, The Verge
• Netflix Adds 13M Subscribers In Blockbuster Earnings Report – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• Netflix is going to take away its cheapest ad-free plan – Emma Roth, The Verge

———

Whoops, we accidentally predicted the future too well in our last episode! So we’re back to catch up on the doom and gloom at Paramount+, the mass hysteria surrounding Amazon Prime Video’s turn to ads, and more news from the past month.

Then we’ll make the case for why Marvel’s new “Spotlight” series Echo breathes new life into their struggling TV formula… if you can make it through the first 25 minutes of franchise-mandated flashbacks.

Plus it’s a new year, so it’s time to get your streaming house in order. We’ll help you budget with the return of our awards-pending advice segment Add/Keep/Cancel.

———

🚨 Light Spoilers: First 3 Episodes (starting at 42:35) 🚨

• Total Episodes: 1 Season, 5 Episodes (all released)
• Where to Watch: Disney+ and Hulu
• Spinoffs: Hawkeye (Disney+)

———

• Warner Bros. Discovery in talks to merge with Paramount – Sara Fischer, Axios
• A merging of Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount would be very bad – Alex Cranz, The Verge
• Max sinks Our Flag Means Death after two seasons – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club
• Amazon Cutting Hundreds of Jobs at Prime Video and MGM Studios – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• Amazon Prime Video will start showing ads on January 29th – Chris Welch, The Verge
• The Mandalorian Has Become the Next Star Wars Movie – Germain Lussier, Gizmodo
• Star Trek races to announce it's getting a new movie too, okay? – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Echo review: A quietly lovely (and very bloody) entry in the superhero canon – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• All the 2024 TV Show Premiere Dates to Add to Your Calendar – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter

———

It’s our Second Annual Streaming Superlatives Spectacular! Featuring your favorite yearbook-inspired awards plus a host of new categories generated by the true star of 2023: ChatGPT.

Plus we predict which streaming service won’t survive the new year (spoiler alert: the headlines already indicate we might be right!).

———

• Life of the Party
• Class Sweetheart
• Class Clown
• Best Couple (Platonic or Romantic)
• Best Glow-Up (aka Most Improved)
• Best Hair and/or Best Dressed
• Most Likely to Succeed
• Returning Champion (Best Returning Series or Character)
• “Miss Congeniality” (The Best Show We Didn’t Review)

• Throwback of the Year (Best Reboot, Revival, etc.)
• Franchise of the Year
• Biggest Surprise of the Year
• Biggest Disappointment of the Year
• Villain of the Year (Real Life or Fictional)
• Best Finale (Season or Series)
• Best Thing You Watched This Year (In Any Medium/Genre)

• The Most Overrated Streaming Service of 2023
• The Most Underrated Streaming Service of 2023
• The Streaming Service You Couldn’t Live Without in 2023

• The Streaming Service Least Likely to Survive 2024 (we swear we recorded this before the headlines told us that we’re probably right!)

———

FX cleaned up at the 2024 Emmy Awards, but can they keep the winning streak alive? Could the engine behind Hulu’s premium content even be on track to surpass HBO as the de facto home of prestige TV?

We’re looking at both sides of that equation with a review of the new FX comedy English Teacher and a deep dive into David Zaslav’s latest swerve with Max (coming soon to a basic cable package near you!).

But wait! There’s more:

• The ABC Presidential Debate brought in big ratings across all the news networks, but did viewers punish CNN for hosting the infamous first debate?
• Speaking of that Cable News Network: The channel’s new leadership continues to undo the legacy of Zaslav’s first pick, Chris Licht. That means Brian Stelter’s back, baby!
• The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon becomes the final nail in the coffin for Friday night Late Night, with all the major shows down to 4 new episodes a week. With ratings in a free fall across all the networks what will the future of Late Night look like? (Maybe it’s more of an After Midnight style affair.)

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: FX and Hulu
• 🗓️ Episodes: 8, Releasing Weekly (Mondays at 10 PM ET)
• 🤩 Starring: Brian Jordan Alvarez, Stephanie Koenig, Enrico Colantoni, Sean Patton, Langston Kerman
• 🧑‍🎨 Created By: Brian Jordan Alvarez
• 🎬 Directed By: Jonathan Krisel, Brian Jordan Alvarez
• ⚠️ Light Spoilers for first 3 episodes.

———

• 67.1 Million People Watched Harris and Trump, Outdrawing Last Debate – Michael M. Grynbaum, The New York Times
• Over 67 Million Viewers Tune In for ABC News Harris-Trump Debate – Nielsen
• Trump: No more debates with Kamala Harris – Reuters
• Seth Meyers to Host Primetime ‘Closer Look’ Special After September Presidential Debate – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• How Late Night TV Is Downsizing – Alex Weprin, Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• James Corden Bows Out - LAmag – Brian Stelter, LA Magazine
• In Major Deal, Max and Discovery+ Will Join Charter Video Bundle as Warners Makes Big Move – Erik Hayden, Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• Max to Grow by 6M Subscribers This Quarter, David Zaslav Says – Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter
• 'English Teacher' Review, FX School Comedy, Brian Jordan Alvarez – Dave Nemetz, TV Line

———

The holidays are here but we’re cursed with more streaming news for you!

• Find out the exciting new bundle of the week!
• Experience deja vu with the news of Showtime’s confusing rebranding!
• And you’ll never guess where Disney’s synergy is headed next!

Plus we review the first two episodes of Nathan Fielder’s The Curse. (You might not want to listen to that part with the kids…)

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes (starting at 11:52) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 1 (Season in Progress)
• Where to Watch: Sundays on Paramount+ with Showtime
• Content Warning: Descriptions of sex acts!

———

• 'Grey's Anatomy' To Be Available On Disney One-App – Nellie Andreeva, Deadline
• Showtime to be swallowed up by Paramount Plus, and shows are already getting canceled – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• The Curse is a fully bizarre and brilliant maze of a show – Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

———

The holidays are here and Bob Iger is celebrating by stuffing Hulu into the Disney+ stocking (some exceptions may apply). We’ll prepare you to answer your relatives’ streaming questions with everything you need to know about the historic level of Disney synergy sweeping the nation:

• Dianne walks us through the new Hulu Hub on Disney+
• Chris confesses his love for (Disney’s) Doctor Who and (Disney’s) Wheel of Fortune
• And we’ve got your one-stop guide to all five seasons of FX’s Fargo (streaming now on Disney’s Hulu Hub!)

Plus, updates from every corner of the Disney universe: From ABC to Pixar to Star Wars to Marvel. Even NatGeo makes an appearance! That’s right, Disney owns National Geographic, too!

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: The First 4 Episodes of Season 5 (starting at 1:08:51) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 5 (Season In Progress)
• Where to Watch: Tuesdays on FX (Next Day on Hulu)
• Where to Stream Past Seasons: Hulu
• Spinoffs: Yes, it is!

———

• Iron Man is not coming back – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• 'Star Wars': Dave Filoni Upped to Chief Creative Officer Lucasfilm, Talks 'Ahsoka' Season 2 – Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline
• Pixar’s Turning Red, Soul, and Luca are getting theatrical releases in 2024 – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge
• Hulu’s Only Murders In The Building is heading to regular TV – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• As 'Only Murders In The Building' Nears TV Run, Data Shows Minimal Hulu-ABC Overlap – Dade Hayes, Deadline
• 'Doctor Who' Has a Disney+ Release Date — But There's a Disappointing Catch – Dais Johnston, Inverse
• How the new Doctor Who specials are fixing the show's biggest misstep – Cindy White, A.V. Club
• Doctor Who On Disney+ Is A Massive Missed Opportunity – Kaillaby, Screen Rant
• Why Disney Plus’s new Hulu integration was such a huge, high-stakes challenge – Harry McCracken, Fast Company
• Disney+ Integrates Hulu Content for Bundle Subscribers in Beta Launch – Todd Spangler, Variety
• Disney Plus and Hulu’s one-app experience is launching in beta – Emma Roth, The Verge
• ‘Fargo’ Review: Jon Hamm, Juno Temple and Jennifer Jason Leigh Sink Their Teeth Into a Juicy Season 5 – Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter

———

Streaming bundles are all the rage these days! From Verizon’s new Netflix/Max deal to Instacart’s groceries and Peacock combo (a real thing, we swear!). Join us as we navigate the murky waters of the great big Bundle-verse and who knows? Maybe you’ll find a bundle of joy along the way.

Plus we’re revisiting this fall’s strike-fueled hit: The Golden Bachelor. And stick around at the end for our discussion of everything that went wrong (and right!) with The Marvels.

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Episodes (starting at 36:16) 🚨

• Renewal Status: Almost definitely renewed for season 2
• Where to Watch: ABC and Hulu
• Spinoffs: It’s Bachelor Nation, Baby. Everything has spinoffs.

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert for the full movie (starting at 1:03:32) 🚨

• Where to Watch: It might still be in a few theaters, but you’ll have to hurry!

———

• Peacock Hits 30M Subscribers; Comcast Exec Touts NBCUniversal as More Creator-Friendly Than Rivals – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• Verizon’s new Netflix and Max bundle costs $10 / month with ads – Emma Roth, The Verge
• PlayStation To Delete A Ton Of TV Shows Users Already Paid For – Ethan Gach, Kotaku
• Numlock News: December 4, 2023 • Godzilla, Garth Brooks, Lead Pipes – Walter Hickey, Numlock News
• TV Ratings: ‘Golden Bachelor’ Finale Hits 32-Month Franchise High – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Golden Bachelor’: Gerry Turner and Fiancée to Marry in Wedding Ceremony Airing Live on ABC – Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter
• The Golden Bachelor is a morally corrupt nightmare – Emma Keates, A.V. Club
• The Golden Bachelor’s Not-So-Golden Past – Suzanne O'Malley, The Hollywood Reporter

———

We’ve got sizzling Thanksgiving episode stuffed full of news, gossip, and… America’s favorite game show?!

• First: Will lackluster AI protections sink the SAG-AFTRA deal?
• Then we raise a glass to the latest victim of the streaming wars: Showtime Anytime.
• Speaking of Paramount-related news: IT’S DAILY SHOW HOST WATCH! (Second timers edition!)
• But wait, there’s more! Because after that we feast on an irresistible helping of David Zaslav news.
• And finally: We head the big (enough) screen and stream the new Netflix movie The Killer featuring Michael Fassbender as the titular assassin, framed by David Fincher’s direction.

All that, plus: Can you out-score Dianne on a post-strike edition of Renewed or Canceled?! We’ve got 12 shows across TV and streaming that have been hanging in the balance for months now. (Spoilers in the links below!)

———

🚨 Light spoilers only! (starting at 51:10) 🚨

• Where to Watch: Netflix

———

• SAG-AFTRA’s new contract hinges on studios acting responsibly with AI – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge
• Actors’ AI Protections Are a Step Forward, But There’s Reason to Worry – Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter
• How David Zaslav Blew Up Hollywood – Jonathan Mahler, James B. Stewart, Benjamin Mullin, The New York Times
• Behind CNN Turmoil, a Series of Shattered Friendships – James B. Stewart, Benjamin Mullin, The New York Times
• Congressman Slams Warner Bros. for Canceling ‘Coyote vs. Acme,’ Calls for Federal Investigation – James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter
• Warner Bros. Changes 'Coyote vs Acme' Decision After Filmmakers Rebel – Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter
• What's Warner Bros. Discovery's next move? David Zaslav and John Malone offer clues – Alex Sherman, CNBC
• The Killer review: David Fincher shoots to thrill – Brent Simon, A.V. Club
• ‘The Bear’ Renewed for Season 3 – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• Elle Fanning Speaks Out Following ‘The Great’ Cancellation: “I Discovered Parts of Myself I Didn’t Know” – Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Young Sheldon’ to End With Season 7 on CBS – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• Kaley Cuoco's 'Based on a True Story' Renewed for Season 2 on Peacock – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘The Boys’ Spinoff ‘Gen V’ Renewed at Amazon – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• Freeform’s Animated Comedy ‘Praise Petey’ Canceled – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Welcome to Flatch’ Canceled at Fox – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘The Rookie: Feds’ Canceled at ABC – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Futurama’ Lands Two-Season Renewal at Hulu – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• Futurama got renewed, so you can expect 30 more episodes on Hulu – Emma Roth, The Verge
• 'iCarly' Sequel Canceled at Paramount+ – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Fatal Attraction,’ ‘Rabbit Hole’ Canceled at Paramount+ – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter

———

Our long national nightmare is finally over!

(Are we referring to the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike or the Loki finale? You’ll have to listen to find out!)

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Episodes of Loki, also the last Ant Man movie, also probably some other Marvel stuff (starting at 20:49) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 2 (All Episodes Available)
• Where to Watch: Disney+
• Spinoffs: If a Spinoff is a Spinoff of a Spinoff is it actually called a Spinsoff?

———

• The Screen Actors Guild’s strike-ending deal has entered its final step – Wes Davis, The Verge
• So, what the heck did SAG-AFTRA actually get from all that striking? – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Disney will start testing a combined Disney Plus and Hulu app next month – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Previously: Disney will bring Hulu content into Disney Plus and raise its ad-free prices – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Marvel's The Marvels opens at the top of the weekend box office, and let’s leave it at that – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• Reports of The Marvels being good have not been greatly exaggerated – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge
• MacGuffin – Wikipedia
• Yeah, that's probably it for Loki – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Loki’s season 2 finale dug deep to find a meaning in all of Marvel’s madness – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge
• Loki Season-Finale Recap: This Is the Bad Place – Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture
• Loki season 2 finale: Loki ends, surprisingly perfectly – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Previously: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ End-Credits Scenes Tease Future MCU Villains – Sydney Odman, The Hollywood Reporter

———

It’s a big week for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (but please don’t make us call it that), and we’re celebrating with a deep dive into Loki ahead of this Thursday’s finale that seems destined to set up the next phase of Avengers mayhem (whether we like it or not).

We’ll be back in your feeds next week with our thoughts on the season finale, but that’s not the only Marvel-ing in the news: After months of reshoots and delays The Marvels hits theaters this weekend and promises to reunite us with some of our favorite characters from the Disney+ series WandaVision and Ms. Marvel (if only we can remember those long-ago shows).

We’ll dive deep into the interconnected Marvel mess and discuss whether the company’s new “Spotlight” branding for more standalone series will chart a new path forward.

But first! We’re asking the hard questions that the streaming universe refuses to answer:

• Just how much is a Hulu worth these days? (Disney is about to find out!)
• What’s going on with the forbidden episode of Bluey?
• Who has the better strategy to jam ads in our eyes: Netflix or Amazon?
• Why is YouTube willing to lose over a billion dollars a year just to carry NFL Sunday ticket?
• And should Marvel arch-villain Kang be replaced?? (Spoiler alert: Yes!)

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Episodes through Season 2, Episode 5 (starting at 46:45) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 2 (Season In Progress)
• Renewal Status: Doomed to set up another movie
• Where to Watch: Disney+
• Season Finale Premiers: Thursday, November 9
• Spinoffs: It’s more like an ouroboros at this point (get it?)

———

• Disney to acquire remaining stake in Hulu for expected $8.6 billion – Oliver Darcy, CNN
• In a first, Marvel’s Echo is coming to both Disney Plus and Hulu at the same time – Alex Cranz, The Verge
• I watched the forbidden episode of Bluey that Disney refuses to stream – Oli Welsh, Polygon
• Netflix’s ad-supported plan will reward binge watchers with ad-free episodes – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Fire TV banner ads are about to get worse – Jared Newman, Tech Hive
• YouTube's NFL Sunday Ticket Faces $1.27 Billion in Annual Losses – Anthony Crupi, Sportico
• Numlock News: November 6, 2023 • Sunken Treasure, Leap Seconds, Blizzard – Walter Hickey, Numlock News
• NFL TV Partners in Bind Despite Massive Ratings, Record Ad Rates – Anthony Crupi, Sportico
• Marvel’s new Spotlight branding will help you cut through the MCU’s noise – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge
• Inside Marvel's Jonathan Majors Problem: 'The Marvels' Reshoots, More – Tatiana Siegel, Variety
• In Marvel we no longer trust – Alex Cranz, The Verge
• Echo to launch new Marvel Studios label with less emphasis on "larger MCU continuity" – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• Disney hires Loki's Benson and Morehead to try to fix its busted Daredevil show – William Hughes, A.V. Club

———

1990s Pacific Northwest radio icon Dr. Frasier Crane is back, but is the new Boston-set reboot of Frasier really listening to what viewers want? We’ll share some of our favorite classic Frasiers and compare them to the new Paramount+ reboot (which, like the sherry at a Bean Town bar, we found… questionable).

But first!

• Chris shares his love of CNN Max (he’s aware this makes him a middle aged man now, thanks for asking!)
• The Daily Show announces more guest hosts (including some returning favorites!)
• Dianne learns the difference between Space Whales and Earth Whales (it’s a sci-fi thing!)
• Price hikes at both Netflix and Disney+ leave Chris and Dianne wondering how much spaceships and comic books are really worth these days…
• …and it turns out Marvel is asking itself the same thing?? We’ll explain!

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 3 Episodes 🚨

• Where to Watch: Paramount+
• New Episodes Release: Weekly, on Thursdays
• Spinoffs: Yes, it is.

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert for… oh come on, it’s Frasier! 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 11
• Where to Watch: Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu!
• Spinoffs: Yes, it is.

———

• CNN's New Streaming Counterpart Features A Big Chunk of Linear Schedule – Brian Steinberg, Variety
• Here are your Daily Show guest hosts for the fall – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club
• Hasan Minhaj reportedly out of contention for the Daily Show gig – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Here comes another Netflix price hike – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Netflix subscribers surge as company announces price hikes in some regions – Alexandra Canal, Yahoo! Finance
• Netflix is planning to launch retail destinations in 2025 – Andrew Webster, The Verge
• ‘Daredevil’ Hits Reset Button as Marvel Overhauls Its TV Business – Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter
• Marvel’s TV experiment wasn’t a failure—until Marvel decided it was – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• Disney reveals size of ESPN's biz for the first time – Sara Fischer, Axios
• 'Frasier' Best Episodes Ranked – LaToya Ferguson, Variety
• 21 Frasier Episodes That Defined Its Beloved Original Run – Bethy Squires, Vulture
• Frasier and Niles Were Supposed to Open a Theater Together – Devon Ivie, Vulture
• Why Frasier Needs Longer Seasons (and a Network Home) – Josef Adalian, Vulture
• Oops we forgot this one last time: Why Did The Golden Bachelor Have to Be Like This? – Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture

———

We’re celebrating the end of the WGA strike with a tribute to some of the most emotionally manipulative creative fiction on TV: The Golden Bachelor.

But first we’re wrapping up the big strike settlement, catching up on the return of late night TV, and sharing our streaming advice for YOU in an autumn edition of Add? Keep? Cancel?!

Join us as we bravely enter the Bachelor-verse, even though we’re generally Bachelor-averse!

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes 🚨

• Where to Watch Live: ABC (Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern)
• Where to Stream: Next Day on Hulu

———

• How the Writers Deal Got Done: Inside the Room – Kim Masters, The Hollywood Reporter
• Netflix is planning to raise prices... again – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Amazon is sticking ads in Prime Video shows and movies unless you pay more – Jess Weatherbed, The Verge
• Paramount turned Mean Girls into a Quibi to celebrate October 3, reportedly skirt residuals – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club
• Jimmy, Jimmy, and Stephen also returned, more or less as normal – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Roy Wood Jr. says he's leaving 'The Daily Show' but he doesn't hold a grudge – Eric Deggans, NPR
• Roy Wood Jr. Exits Daily Show Amid Host Search – Brian Steinberg, Variety
• Roy Wood Jr. is leaving The Daily Show – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• 'Suits' Breaks Nielsen's All-Time Overall Streaming Record – Denise Petski, Deadline
• Frasier director James Burrows doesn't know if sitcoms have a future – Emma Keates, A.V. Club
• Well, here are the candidates for The Golden Bachelor – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club

———

The rumors are true… Fall is here! And we’re celebrating with an Oktoberfest-themed German show swap: Babylon Berlin and Deutschland 83.

Plus: Is this the future of cable?!

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 4
• Renewal Status: Renewed
• Where to Watch: Netflix

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes 🚨

• Where to Watch: Hulu
• Sequels: Deutschland 86 & Deutschland 89

———

• Old Yellowstone still tastes pretty good to 6.6 million viewers – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club
• Max to Add Sports Tier for $10 Per Month After Promo Period, Launching in Time for MLB Playoffs – Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
• Cable’s Biggest Hit? A Paramount+ Show From 2021 – Josef Adalian, Vulture
• The cable bundle of the future is officially here – Alex Cranz, The Verge
• Loki’s second season will debut a day early – Jay Peters, The Verge

———

We’re teaming up and uncovering all the secrets inside the House of Mouse: From the drama over Bob Iger’s bathroom (really!) to the mysterious disappearance of ESPN and other Disney-owned channels for Charter and Spectrum cable customers. (We even have the latest details on the last-minute deal they struck on Monday!)

Plus: Why is Comcast eagerly moving up the Hulu sale? What does Brian Roberts know that we don’t?? And is it the identity of Ben Glenroy’s killer?!

Yes, we’re also digging into season 3 of Only Murders in the Building, which just passed the halfway point and is turning into quite the whodunit. Except this season one of the whos who might’ve dunit is none other than Meryl Streep. What does her celebrity star power do to the carefully-balanced gravity of our beloved Hulu comedy? Listen through to the end of the episode to find out our opinions on "the Meryl of it all" and our predictions about the identity of the latest killer stalking the halls of the Arconia.

But first! Join us as we…

• Catch up on the Hollywood strikes!
• Discuss Rolling Stone’s bombshell piece about the toxic culture at Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show.
• And pour one out for Quibi (again!).

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Episodes through Season 3, Episode 6 (starting at 41:23) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 3 (Season In Progress)
• Where to Watch: Hulu
• When to Watch: New episodes release Tuesdays

———

• Roku turns to layoffs (again) and removes streaming content to cut costs – Chris Welch, The Verge
• Roku Channel Content Removals Target Originals Unpopular With Viewers – Todd Spangler, Variety
• SAG-AFTRA is seeking authorization to strike against the video game companies, now, too – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• 'One Piece' Season 2 Scripts Are Finished, Producers Say – Jennifer Maas, Variety
• Warner Bros. TV suspends high-profile development deals, because studios don't want to pay anyone – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• AMC cuts a separate deal to keep filming Walking Dead and Interview With The Vampire – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• In a bid to build buzz, a whole lot of AMC shows are coming to Max ad-free – Wes Davis, The Verge
• Inside Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show: 16 Staffers Allege Erratic Behavior – Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone
• Jimmy Fallon Apologizes to ‘Tonight Show’ Staff Following “Toxic Workplace” Accusations – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• Marvel delays Agatha, What If...?, Echo, and X-Men '97 – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Comcast and Disney Move Up Hulu Sale Talks to September 2023 – Jennifer Maas, Variety
• ESPN’s standalone streaming channel is included in Charter and Disney’s new deal – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Disney and Charter reach deal to end cable blackout, expand access to streaming services – Lillian Rizzo, CNBC
• Disney Says Charter Dispute Is Driving A 60% Increase In Hulu + Live TV Subscriptions – Dade Hayes, Deadline
• Disney's wildest ride: Iger, Chapek and the making of an epic succession mess – Alex Sherman, CNBC
• Bob Iger and Bob Chapek’s CEO battle made Disney the pettiest place on Earth – Emma Roth, The Verge

———

One of our favorite New York shows is back and… headed to Hollywood?!

We’ll break down the bicoastal mystery in season 4 of Only Murders in the Building, and revisit all 3 seasons of Hulu’s hit comedy: From Tim Kono to Ben Glenroy, we’ll discuss all the ways the show has evolved since its surprising summer 2021 premier. Between its annual consistency and willingness to take big swings, we’re thrilled to hear the show has already been renewed for a season 5.

But first! We’re going down to South Park for some news!

• Yes, we’re talking about Comedy Central’s parent company Paramount and the literal parent bankrolling the Skydance merger (it’s on again!)...
• … and the news that South Park is sitting out the election (and the rest of 2024). Are creators Matt and Trey sick of politics, or are they sick of Paramount’s legal battle with Warner Bros. Discovery over streaming rights to one of TV’s most iconic animated comedies? (A deal that expires in 2025!)
• And speaking of animated comedies: Can you guess which two pillars of adult animation are current mainstays on the Nielsen streaming charts? We’ll take a look at the top 10 for the first week of August and celebrate the latest 2000s-era show to be crowned “cool again” by Netflix: Prison Break.

———

• 🧭 Where to Watch: Hulu
• 🗓️ Episodes This Season: 10 (Tuesdays at 3 AM ET)
• 🍂 Seasons: 4 (40 episodes)
• ⏳ Where to Stream Past Seasons: Hulu
• ✅ Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 5
• 🤩 Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton
• 🧑‍🎨 Created By: John Hoffman and Steve Martin
• ⚠️ Recap Spoiler Warning for seasons 1 through 3 starting at 42:55
• 🚨 New Episode Spoiler Warning for the first 2 episodes of season 4 starting at 1:01:13

———

• Paramount's Redstone to reap $180 mln in severance, benefits, Bloomberg News reports – Reuters
• ‘Prison Break’ Races To No. 1 On Nielsen Streaming List As Fox Series Finds New Life On Netflix; ‘Umbrella Academy’ Comes In Second – Katie Campione, Deadline
• ‘South Park’ Creators on Avoiding Trump, Revisiting Casa Bonita, and Experiencing TikTok Jealousy – David Canfield, Vanity Fair
• Judge sides with Paramount on some claims in Warner Bros. 'South Park' streaming lawsuit – Drew Richardson, CNBC
• ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Renewed for Season 5 – Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter
• In ‘Only Murders in the Building,’ This Actor Is Above Suspicion – Alexis Soloski, The New York Times
• 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 Review: Hulu Series Goes Hollywood – Alison Herman, Variety
• 'Only Murders in the Building': REDACTED’S Return Was Inspired by Pennsylvania's Parkour Prisoner Escape – Lucas Manfredi, thewrap.com
• Only Murders in the Building Season 4, Episode 2's Big Surprise Return – Ryan Schwartz, TVLine

———

We’re back from our hot streaming summer vacation and ready for a sweaty (and depressing) streaming fall! We’ll summon some laughs with our review of FX stalwart What We Do in the Shadows (wrapping its fifth season this week!) and try our best to conjure some good news after a bleak August.

But first! Get excited for a surprise round of Renewed or Canceled?! (Discouraging Vibes ONLY Edition) and a deep dive into the existential questions plaguing the streaming universe:

• What exactly will be airing on network TV this fall? And just how many of those things are Bachelor-themed?
• What’s the deal with the price hikes at Disney+ and Hulu? Listen in as we struggle to understand our options in real time!
• And speaking of Disney: What are they going to do with ESPN?!

———

🚨 Light Spoilers for this Vampire Comedy (starting at 26:15) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 5 (Season Finale This Week)
• Where to Watch: FX (Next Day on Hulu)
• Where to Stream Past Seasons: Hulu

———

• Fall TV Season Is Looking Mel Gibson-Bleak, and It’ll Only Get Worse – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone
• Dune: Part 2 delayed into 2024 as studios really start to panic – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• The Golden Bachelor takes over Grey's Anatomy's ancestral timeslot – Emma Keates, A.V. Club
• Disney Plus and Hulu are about to get even more expensive – Chris Welch, The Verge
• How ESPN Went From Disney’s Financial Engine to Its Problem – Kevin Draper, Brooks Barnes, The New York Times
• Walt Disney Pictures VFX Workers Move to Unionize – Jazz Tangcay, Variety
• 'The Idol' Canceled: The Weeknd/Sam Levinson Series Won't Get Season 2 – Selome Hailu, Variety
• 'A League Of Their Own' Canceled: No Second & Final Season On Amazon – Nellie Andreeva, Deadline
• A League Of Their Own and The Peripheral both just got their second seasons yanked away by Amazon – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• 'Nautilus' UK Series Not Going Forward At Disney+ – Nellie Andreeva, Deadline

———

We’re sharing life lessons this week with our favorite episodes of HBO’s How To With John Wilson (now in its third and final season) plus the inaugural edition of our new segment that helps you make the most of your streaming budget: Add / Keep / Cancel (like F@%& / Marry / Kill, but for streaming!).

But wait, there’s more! Because we’re digging into the Animayhem at Hulu, and playing America’s favorite game— with a twist! Yes, it’s a special all-animation edition of Renewed or Canceled!

———

🚨 Light Spoiler Alerts for… 🚨

• How To Find a Public Restroom (S3 E1)
• How To Make the Perfect Risotto (S1 E6)

• How To Throw Out Your Batteries (S2 E4)

• Number of Seasons Overall: 3 (Season In Progress)

• Renewal Status: Ending
• Where to Watch: HBO (a.k.a. “The Max App”)

———

• BREAKING: WGA Negotiations to Resume on Friday with Studio Response – Gene Maddaus, Variety
• RECENTLY: WGA & AMPTP Can’t Agree To Resume Negotiations; Strike To Go On Indefinitely – Peter White, Deadline
• WGA Introduces New Health Care Demands That Could Prolong Strike – David Robb, Deadline
• General Hospital is using scab writers, and it’s complicated – Ash Parrish, The Verge
• WandaVision background actors say Disney scanned them, didn't say why – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• With two strikes pummeling Hollywood, CBS pivots to Yellowstone for fall schedule – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club

———

We’re swapping shows and spending a night streaming in each other’s shoes:

• Will Chris jive with sad jazz law procedural The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix?
• And will Dianne boldly go where no Dianne has gone before watching a sci-fi rom com episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount+?

But first! In the predictably apocalyptic news:

• Comcast doesn’t want ESPN (we called it!) but maybe the sports leagues do?
• Marvel’s Secret Invasion was a bust, but Barbenheimer is a hit! What does that say about IP?
• Netflix is hiring a Quamputer expert in the midst of a double strike…
• … and speaking of the strike: Is Netflix really poised to outlast the competition? Or is their international strategy falling flat?
• Oh, and guess what? DVDs are back, baby! And we love to see it.

———

🚨 Extremely Light Spoilers for Season 1, Episode 1 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 2 (Season In Progress)
• Where to Watch: Netflix

———

🚨 Extremely Light Spoilers for Season 2, Episode 5 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 2 (Season in Progress)
• Where to Watch: Paramount+

———

• Comcast Exec Shoots Down Possibility of ESPN Deal With Disney – Todd Spangler, Variety
• Disney’s new vision for ESPN might include part ownership by the NBA, NFL – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Paramount Plus is (kind of) saving Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies with a DVD and digital release – Emma Keates, A.V. Club
• Netflix lists $900,000 AI job as actors and writers continue to strike – Lawrence Bonk, Engadget
• Netflix Global Content Strategy May Not Pay Off as Hoped – Tyler Aquilina, VIP+
• Netflix just axed its basic ad-free plan in the US and UK – Emma Roth, The Verge
• A theory on Netflix the killing ad-free Basic plan: The password sharing crackdown prompted mass downgrades and they panicked. US/Canada revenue is down from last quarter despite 1M+ new subscribers. – Jared Newman, Mastodon
• 'Star Trek': Jonathan Frakes on Directing Next Generation, Lower Decks – Adam B. Vary, Variety

———

We’re gathered in the Streamageddon war room with a clear-eyed (panicked), sober (not), and thoroughly researched (hastily googled) analysis of the shocking double strike that seems destined to paralyze TV and streaming productions for months to come. In less than 40 minutes we promise to (maybe) explain:

• Why Netflix might be willing to throw their “peers” in the AMPTP under the bus
• Which shows are still in production (and why!)
• Who stands to lose the most with the shift away from residuals
• And why that Black Mirror episode about AI CGI Annie Murphys was probably more accurate than we were willing to admit…

You’ll even learn why Ronald Reagan’s name was in the news again last week!

But that’s not even the only emergency-pod-worthy news we have for you!

• The Emmy nominations are here, they’re weird, and apparently we have to get used to calling The Bear a comedy now.
• Speaking of TV comedies: Wait, where did all the TV comedies go? And why aren’t any of them on NBC?
• At least ABC has Abbott Elementary… at least until Disney’s Bob Iger says something ominous that gets us asking our favorite question-slash-segment: “What’s That, Bob?”

Also, we have an extremely legitimate pitch for John Oliver to buy The Disney Channel. (Just hear us out, Bob!)

Finally, we’ll lighten the mood with two spoiler-free streaming recommendations!

———

• Actors say Hollywood studios want their AI replicas — for free, forever – Andrew Webster, The Verge
• Hollywood Studios Anticipate Writers Strike Lasting Until October – Dominic Patten, Deadline
• The Dune prequel series is still zigzagging forward during the strike – Emma Keates, A.V. Club
• 'House of the Dragon' Can Continue Filming Due to U.K. Union Rules – Manori Ravindran, Variety
• The CW’s Jesus show resurrected amid actors strike – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Emmy voters desperately need to watch more television – Saloni Gajjar, A.V. Club
• Are TV Comedies Disappearing? 2023 Emmy Nominations, Commentary – Dave Nemetz, TV Line
• Under Susan Rovner, NBC Universal Lost Its Voice – Daniel D'Addario, Variety

———

Hollywood is in turmoil but what does that mean for your fall streaming?! We’re digging into the upheaval with a super-sized round of Renewed or Canceled?! that will leave you screaming… and then apologizing to the people around you for screaming (tell them to subscribe!).

Then we’re digging into the show of the summer: The Bear.

Join us for some hospitality, won’t you?

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Episodes through Season 2, Episode 10 (starting at 34:46) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 2 (All Episodes Available)
• Where to Watch: Hulu

———

• ‘The Other Two’ Ending at Max Amid HR Complaints – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• The Other Two is the funniest, timeliest show on TV right now – Saloni Gajjar, A.V. Club
• HBO's 'A Black Lady Sketch Show' Will Not Return for Season 5 – Angelique Jackson, Variety
• 'Single Drunk Female' Cancellation Proves Millennials Are Left Behind – Samantha Bergeson, indiewire.com
• 'Single Drunk Female,' 'The Watchful Eye' Canceled at Freeform – BreAnna Bell, Variety
• Hulu to Remove ‘Alaska Daily,’ ‘The Company You Keep’ as Content Purge Continues – Lucas Manfredi, thewrap.com
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie will start streaming on Peacock in August – Jay Peters, The Verge
• GQ Editor Who Pulled David Zaslav Story Producing Movie for WB – Tatiana Siegel, Variety
• GQ pulls article slamming Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Zaslav after complaint – Will Sommer, The Washington Post
• Max begins fixing its ‘disrespectful’ creator credits – Jess Weatherbed, The Verge
• One of Disney's latest streaming movies had a shelf life of about 7 weeks – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Pretty Much Everyone Was Dying to Guest-Star on The Bear – Jen Chaney, Vulture
• The Bear season 2 should have been a weekly release – Saloni Gajjar, A.V. Club

———

Black Mirror is back, but in a truly shocking twist: One of us has never watched it! We’ll rewind time to 2011 and compare the original season 1 premier (“The National Anthem”) with the star-studded season 6 kickoff (“Joan is Awful”). Plus: Chris shares some of his favorite episodes from past seasons (no spoilers!) to help you find the perfect Black Mirror entry point for everyone in your streaming life.

But first! A dizzying trip through the headlines:

• Paramount+ pulls a “Max” and purges everything from Amy Schumer to Star Trek…
• … and purges their cheapest ad-free plan along the way (But hey, at least you get whatever’s left of Showtime included now!)
• Netflix tells new Canadian customers “No cheap ad-free tier for you, either!”
• Warner Brothers Discovery casually threatens to murder classic films
• And Wheel! Of! Fortune!

☀️ All that and more on a particularly summery Streamageddon. ☀️

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Episodes through Season 6, Episode 1 (But it’s an anthology, so don’t panic!) (starting at 25:06) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 6 (All Episodes Available)
• Where to Watch: Netflix

———

• Fran Drescher Talks SAG-AFTRA Strike On ‘GMA’: Making Headway “In Some Areas”, But “In Some Areas We’re Not” – David Robb, Deadline
• Wheel Of Fortune keeps on turning, gets new U.S. and U.K. hosts – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Graham Norton to Host 'Wheel of Fortune' U.K. Reboot on ITV, ITVX – Naman Ramachandran, Variety
• Netflix drops its cheapest ad-free plan in Canada – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Paramount Plus just increased the price of its cheapest plan – Emma Roth, The Verge
• TCM Fans Are Right to Worry – Josef Adalian, Vulture
• Scorsese, Spielberg, P.T. Anderson on Turner Classic Movies – Zoe Guy, Vulture
• Warner Bros. Signs Deal for AI-Driven Film Management System (Exclusive) – Tatiana Siegel, The Hollywood Reporter
• Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly looks to unload half of its music catalog – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club
• Star Trek: Prodigy, Rise Of The Pink Ladies, and more series canceled, to be removed from Paramount Plus – Saloni Gajjar, A.V. Club
• Star Trek: Prodigy Has Been Cancelled—and Will Be Removed From Paramount+ – Cheryl Eddy, Gizmodo
• Inside Amy Schumer among second round of series gutted by Paramount Plus – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Showtime gets its HBO on, removes exclusive shows from its streaming platforms – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club

———

BREAKING NEWS: Less than 12 hours after we said “yeah but they probably won’t fire him this week…” CNN CEO Chris Licht was driven to a beautiful farm upstate by WaBro Disco CEO David Zaslav. The Hollywood Reporter has a full obituary of the Chris Licht era.

We also apparently summoned the cancellation of I Love That For You on Showtime, so rest assured: We’re back from vacation and more cursed than ever before!

Join us for a trip through the latest strike news, the existential cringe at CNN, and some shows on MAX that you’ll actually enjoy watching (if you can ever find them in that garbage interface). And as a bonus: We score our TV Tarot predictions after the Succession finale! (Spoiler alert: We’re more Kendall than Tom, if you know what we mean.)

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Episodes through Season 2, Episode 3 (starting at 34:02) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 2 seasons, 20 years apart (and confusingly separate entries with identical names in the MAX app)
• Where to Watch: MAX (or is it “max” all lower case? WHO KNOWS!)

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert for All Episodes through Season 3, Episode 6 (starting at 47:08) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 3 Seasons
• Where to Watch: MAX (or “max”, your choice!)

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert for All Episodes (starting at 1:11:04) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 4 Seasons
• Where to Watch: StarGo

———

• 'I Love That For You' Canceled at Showtime – J. Kim Murphy, Variety
• Directors Guild Reaches Tentative Deal With Studios and Streamers – Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter
• Deadpool 3 has started filming—and Ryan Reynolds isn't allowed to improvise – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Thunderbolts becomes latest Marvel movie to be hit by writers’ strike – Jon Porter, The Verge
• This Max credits thing is apparently gonna be a big, stupid mess to fix – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Inside the Meltdown at CNN – Tim Alberta, The Atlantic
• Devastating profile dogs CNN boss Chris Licht – Mike Allen, Axios
• Chaos looms over CNN – Sara Fischer, Axios
• CNN drama, Act 2: Zucker's revenge – Mike Allen, Axios

———

The fall TV lineup is taking shape and it’s looking bleak if you’re a fan of… scripts. We’ll have the latest on the WGA strike, plus some big reveals from the biggest streamers:

• Disney loves Hulu (and ads)
• ~~HBO~~ Max loves bundles (and ads)
• And Netflix just loves ads!

Speaking of ads, we’re diving into the FAST-paced world of Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV with Amazon Freevee and the charmingly odd original series Jury Duty.

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes (starting at 33:00) 🚨

• Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 2
• Where to Watch: Amazon Freevee (all episodes streaming)

———

• ABC Unveils Strike-Proof Fall 2023 Schedule – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• ABC debuts a fall lineup almost completely devoid of writers – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• The CW Sets Acquisition-Heavy 2023-24 Schedule – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• Jimmy Fallon's Staff Being Put On 'Unpaid Leave Of Absence' During Writers Strike – Marina Fang, HuffPost
• Disney's planning an (optional) app that will smoosh Disney+ and Hulu together – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Hulu and Disney+ Content to Be Combined In One App, Services Stay Apart – Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter
• 'Only Murders In The Building' Gets Premiere Date On Hulu – Denise Petski, Deadline
• 'Loki' Season 2, 'Echo' Set Premiere Dates for Disney+ – Adam B. Vary, Variety
• Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav: It’s Time to Bundle More Streaming Services Together – Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter
• Warner Bros Discovery Posts Wider Loss In Q1, But Notes "Meaningful Turn" Toward Streaming Profitability A Year Ahead Of Schedule – Dade Hayes, Deadline
• Almost 5 million people are using Netflix’s ad tier – Jess Weatherbed, The Verge
• The future of streaming is ads – David Pierce, The Verge
• These are the FAST services you need to know about – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Tears of the Kingdom sold 10 million copies in just three days – Ash Parrish, The Verge

———

The Writers Guild of America is on strike demanding a more equitable deal for streaming rights and we’re here with the entirely biased news and analysis you deserve as a true connoisseur of streaming. Coincidentally (really!) we’re reviewing the $300 million Russo Brothers spy series Citadel that just premiered on Amazon Prime Video. (Spoiler alert: We think there are better ways to spend $300 million.)

Plus:

• We’ll take a look at which shows are immediately impacted by the strike.
• Roy Wood Jr. hosts the White House Correspondents Dinner.
• The Super Mario streaming story gets Super Confusing… again.
• And, oh yeah, the head of NBC got fired in a scandal that tangentially involves Vladimir Putin and somehow that’s not the biggest story of the week.

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes (starting at 40:53) 🚨

• Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 2
• Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video (Streaming Weekly)
• Spinoffs: Several reportedly in the works

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert for ALL EPISODES (starting at 1:00:38) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 1
• Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 2
• Where to Watch: Netflix

———

• Roy Wood, Jr. COMPLETE REMARKS at 2023 White House Correspondents' Dinner (C-SPAN) – YouTube
• Writers Strike Picket Lines Day 2: Bowen Yang, Krista Vernoff, Michael Schur, Cynthia Nixon – Sean Piccoli, Deadline
• Hollywood execs scrambling for response to writers strike literally everyone saw coming – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Writers Strike: TV Shows Affected Include Night Court, Cobra Kai – Denise Petski, Deadline
• Writers Strike Shuts Down Late-Night Shows After WGA Talks With Studios Fail – Peter White, Deadline
• Hollywood writers are striking over low wages caused by streaming boom – Jess Weatherbed, The Verge
• Directors Guild Set To Fight For More Global Streaming Residuals In Contract Talks – David Robb, Deadline
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie has made a cool $1 billion – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge
• The Mario Movie's Digital Launch Has Been Indefinitely Delayed – Josh Coulson, thegamer.com
• NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell Firing Involved an Affair, Egos and Putin – Tatiana Siegel, Variety

———

You might lose sleep over this meaty episode, because we’re digging into the 2 hottest new shows on Netflix this week: The Night Agent and BEEF. They’re both dominating dominating the charts, but they couldn’t have less in common. We’ll tell you why we’re obsessed with both of them and what their success says about Netflix’s ever-evolving strategy.

Speaking of Netflix… We picked apart the news from the company’s Q1 earnings call and (spoiler alert for your old roommates!) learned that the password crackdown is coming for U.S. customers any day now. But in a twist worthy of The Night Agent we also discovered a shocking truth: Netflix’s Basic with Ads plan might actually be… good now?!

Plus the latest on the looming Hollywood writers strike and, after months of anticipation, Dianne delivers a special report on Netflix’s Nike training collab. That’s right, we’re breaking a sweat so you won’t have to.

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert for First 3 Episodes (starting at 42:43) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 1
• Number of Episodes Overall: 10 (All Episodes Available)
• Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 2
• Where to Stream: Netflix

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert for First 3 Episodes (starting at 58:17) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 1
• Number of Episodes Overall: 10 (All Episodes Available)
• Renewal Status: TBD
• Where to Watch: Netflix

———

• As strike looms, The Bear, CSI: Vegas, and more TV writers tell us what it's really like behind the scenes – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Love Is Blind Livestream Problem Explained by Netflix CEOs – Jennifer Maas, Variety
• Netflix’s shares tumble as much as 12% as it struggles to attract new subscribers and stokes concerns that its big growth days are over – Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg (via Fortune)
• Netflix delays its password-sharing crackdown to sometime before July – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Downstream #42: The Sitcom-Industrial Complex – Relay FM
• Netflix is shutting down its original DVD business after 25 years – Jay Peters, The Verge
• Looking for Nike Fitness Classes on Netflix? Here's Everything You Need to Know About Nike Training Club – Amanda Richards, Tudum (The Netflix Blog)
• 'The Night Agent' Creator Shawn Ryan Interview: Plot Twists & Season 2 Ideas – Nellie Andreeva, Deadline
• 'The Night Agent' Renewed For Season 2 By Netflix – Nellie Andreeva, Deadline
• The Night Agent Climbs To No. 6 On Netflix Most Popular List – Katie Campione, Deadline
• Beef is the best show Netflix has had in recent memory – Alex Abad-Santos, Vox
• Netflix Submits 'Beef' for Limited/Anthology Series Emmys: Steven Yeun – Clayton Davis, Variety
• Beef's creator says he has three seasons planned for the Netflix series – Gabrielle Sanchez, A.V. Club

———

It’s our 2024 Fall TV and Streaming Preview Spectacular! We’ll dish on the shows we’re excited for… and also other shows! That also exist! (Surely someone is excited for all the Citadel spinoffs!)

Then we’ll channel the dark arts of streaming to transform our excitement into buying advice in a special Fall installment of Add? Keep? Cancel! (The segment where we spend your money for you!)

• Have I Got News for You with Roy Wood Jr. — CNN/Max, Premiers Sept. 14
• High Potential — ABC/Hulu, Premiers Sept. 17
• Marvel’s Agatha All Along — Disney+, Premiers Sept. 18
• The Golden Bachelorette — ABC/Hulu, Premiers Sept. 18
• The Penguin — HBO/Max, Premiers Sept. 19
• St. Denis Medical — NBC/Peacock, Premiers Nov. 12
• Only Murders in the Building (Season 4) — Hulu, Returned Aug. 27
• Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 2) — Amazon, Returned Aug. 28
• Abbott Elementary (Season 4) — ABC/Hulu, Returns Oct. 9
• Ghosts (Season 4) — CBS/Paramount+, Returns Oct. 17
• Elsbeth (Season 2) — CBS/Paramount+, Returns Oct. 17
• What We Do in the Shadows (Final Season) — FX/Hulu, Returns Oct. 21
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (Final Season) — Paramount+, Returns Oct. 24
• And more!

———

HBO Max is dead! Long live HBO… and, uh… Max! Just separately! But together! Also House Hunters is there! MAX!

(Don’t worry, we’ll explain.)

But first! Join us as we cruise through the week’s other big streaming stories sipping champagne with Conor and the gang (like the HBO loving coastal elite we know you are):

• The Mario Movie broke records, but finding it on streaming will only break your brain.
• WWE and UFC merged, but what will that mean for everyone’s favorite streaming bird: Peacock?
• Disney tries to reassure fans that Star Wars is definitely, maybe, probably going to make another movie…
• … and that they promise they won’t make us watch another season of Obi-Wan Kenobi (uhh… kind of a weird flex, but okay!).
• But no troubled franchise is troubled quite like Amazon’s The Rings of Power, which even fans struggled to finish. We’ll share the eye-popping details from Kim Masters at The Hollywood Reporter.
• Rumor has it the mad scientists at HBO are getting ready to invent prequel inception with a Game of Thrones prequel prequel…
• … but first we’re all taking a trip to Thailand with The White Lotus!

And, of course, we convene an emergency check-in after last weekend’s big episode of Succession.

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert for All Episodes through Season 4, Episode 3 (“Connor’s Wedding”) (starting at 34:20) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 4
• Renewal Status: Going out on top, y’all!
• Where to Watch: HBO, Sundays at 9 PM ET
• Where to Stream: HBO Max (Er, “MAX”)

———

• When The Super Mario Bros. Movie Starts Streaming – David Thompson, The Direct
• UFC owner Endeavor to acquire WWE in $9.3 billion deal – Sara Fischer and Tim Baysinger, Axios
• Kathleen Kennedy on 'Star Wars' Future, Daisy Ridley and Taika Waititi – Amon Warmann, Variety
• Star Wars not "actively" working on Rian Johnson movies or Obi-Wan season 2, says Kathleen Kennedy – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Inside Amazon Studios: Big Swings Hampered by Confusion and Frustration – Kim Masters, The Hollywood Reporter
• HBO is apparently considering another Game Of Thrones prequel, set before the other prequel – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• 'Game of Thrones' Prequel About Aegon's Conquest Eyed at HBO – Joe Otterson, Variety
• 'White Lotus' Season 3 Location: New Season Will Be in Thailand – Ethan Shanfeld, Variety
• ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3: Which Thailand Hotel Will Star? – Lisa Liebman, Architectural Digest
• HBO Max Renamed Max With Discovery+ Merger; Price and Launch Date – Todd Spangler, Variety
• Introducing Max - The One to Watch | Official Promo | Max – , YouTube
• HBO’s Run as a Mass-Market Streaming Brand Comes to a Merciful End – Felix Gillette, Bloomberg
• Newly minted "Max" announces a new Harry Potter series, a new Westeros series, and a whole lot more stuff – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Colin Farrell goes full Tony Soprano in The Penguin teaser – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club
• Max is charging more money for 4K, and that means it can’t suck this time – Alex Cranz, The Verge

———

Spoiler Alert, of course!

• How Brian Cox Felt About That Big Episode 3 Twist in ‘Succession’ – Austin Considine, The New York Times
• The Succession writers used "Larry David" as the code name for that big thing this week – Katie Chow, A.V. Club
• 'Succession' Season 4 Episode 3 Ratings: 2.5 Million Viewers – Selome Hailu, Variety
• Succession | Inside the Episode: Season 4, Episode 3 | HBO Max – , YouTube

———

See that “Explicit” content rating? That can only mean one thing: The final season of Succession is here and we’re dissecting the first episode (F-bombs and all) before sharing our predictions for the show’s ultimate winners, losers, and slime puppies. 🥰

But first! It’s a big week for Disney news: There’s a royal showdown in Florida, Mickey snubs the Metaverse, and personnel shakeups rock Marvel. But the real drama in the house of mouse? It’s the fate of Hulu, which might turn out to be a victim of its own success…

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: All Episodes through Season 4, Episode 1 (starting at 33:12) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 4 (Season In Progress)
• Renewal Status: Going out on top, baby!
• Where to Watch: HBO, Sundays at 9 PM ET
• Where to Stream: HBO Max
• Spinoffs: Yes, please!

———

• Disney’s Rock (ESPN) & Hard Place (Hulu) - 500ish – M.G. Siegler, 500ish.com
• Netflix announces that Arrested Development isn't going anywhere, actually – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• How I Met Your Father is coming to regular television – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• Disney's Reedy Creek Board Vote "Completely Circumvents" DeSantis' Authority – Tom Tapp, Deadline
• Disney reportedly eliminates metaverse division in first round of layoffs – Jon Porter, The Verge
• Marvel Entertainment Chairman Ike Perlmutter Let Go At Studio – Anthony D’Alessandro, Deadline
• The Saga of Victoria Alonso's Firing From Marvel Studios Heats Up – Germain Lussier, Gizmodo
• Jonathan Majors Charged With Assault and Harassment – Rebecca Rubin, Variety
• The hive is strong: Yellowjackets' season opener is Showtime's most-streamed premiere ever – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club
• Peacock adds 'Morning Joe' and 'Squawk Box' – Alex Sherman, Twitter
• ‘Succession’ Season 4 Episode 1 Hits Series High Ratings – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter

———

After over a decade off the air the comedy Party Down is back, but can it still serve the laughs? (First you’re going to have to figure out how to give STARZ your $3 to tune in, but we’ll get you caught up in meantime!)

Plus: Peacock doubles down on the success of Poker Face by reminding us that they’ve got plenty of Monk to tide you over until season 2 of the Natasha Lyonne hit. Oh, and maybe they’re threatening to kill off Monk in a new Monk movie? No biggie.

Speaking of movies: What the heck is going on with Netflix’s movie strategy and why don’t they want spend $180 million on the new Nancy Meyers romcom? (But $150 million was totally cool, obvi.)

And HBO celebrates another breakout hit with The Last of Us surpassing House of the Dragon, but that’s not enough to make Disney+ pay to keep streaming HBO’s content in India.

Wait, why is Disney streaming HBO’s content in India? Where’s MAX in all this mess? Someone get us David Zaslav, STAT! (And while we have his attention could he greenlight our Barry spinoff starring NoHo Hank?)

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: The first 3 episodes of Season 3, plus assorted spoilers from Seasons 1 & 2 (starting at 24:30) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 3 (Season In Progress)
• Where to Watch: STARZ
• Where to Stream Past Seasons: Hulu

———

• Great news, Shalhoubophiles: Monk is getting a revival movie on Peacock – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• ‘The Last of Us’ Passes ‘House of the Dragon’ in Full-Season Viewers – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• 'Gattaca' TV Series in Development at Showtime – Joe Otterson, Variety
• Barry Season 4 | Official Teaser – YouTube
• HBO’s ‘Barry’ Ending With Season 4 – Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
• Bill Hader Explains Why Season 4 of ‘Barry’ Will Be Its Last – Kate Aurthur, Variety
• Soon, not streaming on Disney+ Hotstar: HBO content – Manish Singh, TechCrunch
• Netflix Offloads Inheritance, House/Wife as Filmmakers Shop Projects – Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter
• Netflix Pulls Plug Ways With Nancy Meyers Next Project – Justin Kroll, Deadline
• Party Down’s new season says hustle culture is a scam – Alissa Wilkinson, Vox
• How Party Down became a cult phenomenon – Saloni Gajjar, A.V. Club
• ‘Party Down’ Is Back. Did You R.S.V.P.? – Alexis Soloski, The New York Times

———

There’s the threat of a writers strike looming over Hollywood, so this week we invited the new Bing chatbot to join us in the hopes of befriending our new cloud-based creative overlords. Take it away, Bing!

"Hello, this is Bing. Welcome to Streamageddon, the podcast where we review everything streaming and TV. In this episode, we’ll take a look at two mid-season network sitcoms: Not Dead Yet on ABC and American Auto on NBC.

"But that’s not all. We’ll also check in on the guest hosts at The Daily Show, discuss the impending end of Succession, try to explain Paramount’s new pricing strategy and play America’s favorite game: Renewed or Canceled?!

"You don’t want to miss this episode of Streamageddon!"

(Check out the bonus segment at the end of the episode where we fact check Bing!)

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes (starting at 48:36) 🚨

• Renewal Status: Not Announced
• Where to Watch: ABC
• Where to Stream: Hulu

———

🚨 Spoiler Alert: First 2 Episodes of Season 2 (starting at 1:02:19) 🚨

• Number of Seasons Overall: 2
• Renewal Status: Not Announced
• Where to Watch: NBC
• Where to Stream: Peacock

———

• Paramount Plus will go up in price when it combines with Showtime – Emma Roth, The Verge
• Here's why Warner Bros. is suing the South Park guys and Paramount for $200 million – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• 'The Daily Show' guest hosts (so far): Why Leslie Jones soared and D.L. Hughley sank – Eric Deggans, NPR
• Get set for March TV madness – Saloni Gajjar, Matt Schimkowitz, Tim Lowery, Mary Kate Carr, Jen Lennon, Cindy White, A.V. Club
• Pilot Season 2023: Volume Takes Another Dive Amid Looming Strike – Peter White, Deadline
• Glass Onion is getting a director’s commentary on Netflix today – Andrew Webster, The Verge
• Don't sleep on NBC sitcoms American Auto and Grand Crew – Saloni Gajjar, A.V. Club
• TV Ratings: ‘Magnum P.I.’ Drops in NBC Debut, ‘Not Dead Yet’ Gets Big Streaming Boost – Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter
• Two birds with one stone: Disney cancels The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers and Big Shot – Matt Schimkowitz, A.V. Club
• Goodbye, Goldbergs: ABC sitcom ending with tenth season – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Warner Bros. cancels Judge Mathis and burns down The People's Court – William Hughes, A.V. Club
• Judge Mathis is already getting a new TV show – Sam Barsanti, A.V. Club
• David Fincher confirms that Mindhunter was too expensive for Netflix to want more – Mary Kate Carr, A.V. Club
• Succession is ending later this year – William Hughes, A.V. Club

———