Discovery approves merger / CNN+ launch date / NBA objects to "Winning Time" / "Metal Lords" trailer

Plus the weekend calendar, "WWE Evil" trailer, Adele concert special, "The Boys" spin-off, A24's "Beef," and more

Inside.com Part of   Network March 11, 2022

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Discovery stockholders approved the company's proposed merger with AT&T's WarnerMedia, clearing one of the deal's final regulatory hurdles. The $43 billion transaction is expected to close by April. More: The merger will lead to the creation of a new company, Warner Bros. Discovery, to be led by current Discovery CEO David Zaslav. CEO John Stankey indicated during AT&T's Investor Day that the company will shift away from the entertainment business following the spinoffs of both DirecTV and WarnerMedia. The boards of both companies, as well as government regulators, have now all approved of the deal; Discovery will raise $30 billion in a debt offering this year to fund the transaction. DEADLINE

The CNN+ streaming service will officially launch on March 29. CNN executives and personalities will preview some of the platform's content during a panel at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, this weekend. More: The SXSW panel will feature correspondent Kasie Hunt, former NBA player Rex Chapman, food influencer Alison Roman, and journalist Audie Cornish, all of whom will host CNN+ shows. Regular CNN+ subscriptions will cost $5.99 per month or $59.99 for a year; anyone signing up for the service during the first month will be locked into a half-price monthly plan. Additional CNN+ shows will feature Anderson Cooper, Brian Stelter, Jake Tapper, Poppy Harlow, Kate Bolduan, Scott Galloway, and Eva Longoria, among others. VARIETY

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WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, MARCH 11 TURNING RED: 2022 animated film from Pixar centering on Mei (Rosalie Chiang), a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl in early '00s Toronto who mysteriously transforms into a giant red panda whenever she becomes excited or stressed. The voice cast also includes Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Wai Ching Ho, and James Hong. First-time director Domee Shi is now the first woman to solely direct a Pixar film; it's also the studio's first movie set in Canada. [Disney+] THE ADAM PROJECT: Sci-fi adventure film from "Free Guy" director Shawn Levy. Ryan Reynolds stars as a fighter pilot who travels back in time and enlists his 12-year-old self (Walker Scobell) on a mission to track down his lost father (Mark Ruffalo). Jennifer Garner, Catherine Keener, and Zoe Saldaña co-star. [Netflix] FORMULA 1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE: The behind-the-scenes docuseries returns for a fourth season, covering all the action on the 2021 Formula One circuit, including the controversial championship race. [Netflix] LIFE AFTER DEATH WITH TYLER HENRY: Reality series in which the former "Hollywood Medium" star and alleged clairvoyant travels the country giving readings while also investigating his own family's background. [Netflix] ONCE UPON A TIME... HAPPILY NEVER AFTER (ÉRASE UNA VEZ... PER YA NO): Musical fantasy-comedy series from Spain about a loving couple who are forced apart, but must reunite in their next life in order to break a curse that's been placed on their hometown. Sebastian Yatra, Nia Correia, and Mónica Maranillo co-star. [Netflix] THE LAST DAYS OF PTOLEMY GREY: Limited drama series based on the novel by Walter Mosley, who wrote the adaptation himself. Samuel L. Jackson stars as a lonely 93-year-old man with dementia who looks out for an orphaned teenager (Dominique Fishback) while pursuing a treatment that could temporarily restore his memories. Walton Goggins and Marsha Stephanie Blake co-star. [Apple TV+] THE SNOOPY SHOW: The animated series -- based on the classic "Peanuts" comic strip by Charles Schulz -- is back for a second season. This is the second "Peanuts" series to debut on Apple TV+, following "Snoopy in Space." [Apple TV+] UPLOAD: Satirical sci-fi comedy series from "The Office" vet Greg Daniels, set in the year 2033, when dying humans have the option of uploading their consciousness into a virtual (but still fiercely capitalist) afterlife. Robbie Amell stars as a newly-deceased computer programmer who finds himself in the digital afterlife of Lakeview; Andy Allo and Allegra Edwards co-star. It's back for a second season. [Amazon] PETE THE CAT: Animated musical series for kids, based on the books by James Dean. The show's "Second Season" has been going on since 2020, but new episodes nonetheless arrive today. [Amazon] THE GHOST TOWN TERROR: Six-part reality series that's also airing on Travel Channel, centering on an alleged haunting at the Montana ghost town and guest ranch Gunslinger Gulch. Owner Karen Broussard and her family have observed a variety of inexplicable and frightening phenomena since purchasing the property -- including unexplained scratches, apparitions, and disembodied voices -- and welcome paranormal investigators there for an inspection. [Discovery+] THE CRAFTSMAN: Debut reality series from Magnolia Network profiling master craftsman and woodworker Eric Hollenbeck, who takes on a variety of restoration projects around his hometown of Eureka, California. [Discovery+] SATURDAY, MARCH 12 CHARMED: The CW series -- a reboot of the classic WB series of the same name -- returns to TV on Friday night for its fourth season; new episodes will hit the CW app and website on Saturdays. In the new season, witch sisters Mel (Melonie Diaz) and Maggie (Sarah Jeffrey) are surprised to meet a brand new Charmed One, Kaela (Lucy Barrett). [CW] VICTOR AND VALENTINO: Season 3 of the Cartoon Network animated supernatural adventure comedy -- about half-brothers investigating the paranormal in the quiet town of Monte Macabre -- hits HBO Max today. [HBO Max] MULTIVERSE: Sci-fi drama about four university physics students who accidentally create an entangled parallel universe during an experiment gone awry, with both complicated and unsettling consequences. Paloma Kwiatkowski, Munro Chambers, Robert Naylor, Sandra Mae Frank, and Marlee Matlin co-star. [Hulu] SUNDAY, MARCH 13 GAME THEORY WITH BOMANI JONES: Late-night talk series in which journalist and commentator Jones breaks down timely issues in the world of sports. Filmmaker Adam McKay executive produces. [HBO Max] 75th BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS (BAFTAS): The BAFTAs will stream live in the US on BritBox from the Royal Albert Hall in London with host Rebel Wilson. "Dune" leads this year's nominees with 11 total nods, followed by "Power of the Dog" and "Belfast." [BritBox] HELP! MY HOUSE IS HAUNTED: CELEBRITY EDITION: Six-episode reality series from the UK in which paranormal investigators Ian Lawman, Barri Ghai, and Jayne Harris look into supposedly supernatural activity at the homes of notable British celebrities, including Frankie Essex, Charlotte Crosby, and Alex Best. [Discovery+]

According to a report from The Athletic, the NBA is upset about HBO's "Winning Time" using league and team trademarks without permission. Apparently, neither the NBA nor the Los Angeles Lakers approved the show's use of the team's logos or other intellectual property. More: NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass confirmed that the production did not seek authorization for its use of the NBA's intellectual property; HBO and the Lakers declined to comment on the report. Some NBA veterans, including longtime Lakers athletic trainer Gary Vitti, also objected to the show's depiction of former player, coach, and general manager Jerry West. The series is based on a 2014 nonfiction book by author Jeff Pearlman. BRO BIBLE

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"Metal Lords" NEW TRAILERS JEFF FOXWORTHY: THE GOOD OLD DAYS: The comedian's first solo stand-up special in 24 years was filmed at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis, and covers topics including life before modern technology and parenting. It arrives on March 22. [Netflix] WWE EVIL: The first-ever WWE original series made specifically for Peacock, this eight-part docuseries profiles notable "heels" -- or villain characters -- from throughout the history of the professional wrestling league. John Cena created the show and hosts; individual episodes will highlight the careers of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sasha Banks, Roman Reigns, and others. It debuts on March 24. [Peacock] METAL LORDS: Comedy feature about a high school metal group that enters a Battle of the Bands competition, featuring two long-time devotees (Jaeden Martell and Adrian Greensmith) along with a cellist (Isis Hainsworth) whom they've recently recruited. "Game of Thrones" co-creator D.B. Weiss wrote the script and produced; Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello is also on board as an executive producer. The film debuts on April 8. [Netflix] THREE BUSY DEBRAS: Sandy Honig, Mitra Jouhari and Alyssa Stonoha co-created this surreal live-action Adult Swim series, and also star as three housewives, all named Debra, from the suburban community of Lemoncurd. Season 2 airs on Adult Swim, and streams on HBO Max, starting April 24. [Adult Swim / HBO Max]

NBC will air a two-hour concert special featuring singer Adele on March 20. "An Audience with Adele" aired in November in the UK, and was recorded at the London Palladium. More: The show will begin streaming on Peacock starting March 21. The show features cuts from Adele's most recent album, "30," alongside some of her most popular hits. Celebrity guests included Idris Elba, Emma Thompson, and Hannah Waddington. CBS aired its own concert and interview special featuring the artist, titled "Adele: One Night Only," last November. DEADLINE

Aimee Carrero CASTING UPDATES THE BOYS SPIN-OFF: The still-untitled college-set spin-off of Amazon's "The Boys" lost its two lead actors, as Aimee Carrero and Shane Paul McGhie exited the project following a significant creative overhaul. (Original executive producer and showrunner Craig Rosenberg has also departed, and was replaced by Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters.) Carrero has since joined the cast of the Prime Video dark comedy series "The Consultant." [Amazon] BEEF: The upcoming drama series from A24 and "Dave" vet Lee Sung Jin stars Steven Yeun and Ali Wong as a couple whose lives begin to unravel after a road rage incident. David Choe and Patti Yasutake joined the cast as series regulars, while Mario Bello and Ashley Park will make guest appearances. [Netflix] WALKER: INDEPENDENCE: "Another Life" vet Greg Hovanessian will co-star in this spin-off pilot from The CW. The new series takes place in the late 1800s, and follows affluent Bostonian Abby Walker as she travels West and seeks revenge on the men who murdered her husband. Matt Barr has been cast as the lovable rogue who helps Walker in her quest; Hovanessian will play the new sheriff in the corrupt town of Independence, Texas. [CW] NIGHT COURT: India de Beaufort ("Kimi") will take on a regular role in the sequel comedy series, replacing previously cast Ana Villafañe. Melissa Rauch stars as Judge Abby Stone, the daughter of the original show's main character, Harry Stone (the late Harry Anderson). Original "Night Court" star John Larroquette will reprise his role as Assistant District Attorney Dan Fielding. [NBC] CRUSHED: Bebe Wood will star in the Tubi coming-of-age comedy feature as a high schooler trying to make a move on her crush (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) during an eventful senior class trip. "Night, Night" vet Niki Koss will direct. [Tubi]

QUICK HITS The Path to AI Maturity, provides insights from the C-suite on current levels of AI investment, priorities by stage of AI maturity and more.* Amazon ordered two seasons of an animated comedy series -- centered on a Muslim-American family in the early 2000s -- from creator Ramy Youssef and his production company, Cairo Cowboy. YouTube pulled an episode of the Nelk Boys video podcast featuring former President Donald Trump, due to its policy against misinformation about the 2020 presidential election; Trump compared the video's removal to censorship by Russian state-controlled media. PBS will release new Season 2 episodes of the Jane Austen adaptation series "Sanditon" on the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel a week before their TV debuts. The sixth and final season of the UK gangster drama "Peaky Blinders" hits Netflix on June 10; the story will conclude in a sequel film that goes into production next year. The Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) released a statement opposing Disney+'s decision to add the mature-themed Marvel Comics-inspired series produced for Netflix -- including "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones" -- to its US library. The satirical comedy series "Woke" -- starring Lamorne Morris as a cartoonist who has a political awakening following a run-in with the police -- returns to Hulu for a second season on April 8. Deadline reported that "Saturday Night Live" cast member Pete Davidson will star in a comedy series inspired by his own life -- tentatively titled "Bupkis" -- along with "SNL" creator and producer Lorne Michaels. Actor Emilio Delgado, who played handyman and Fix-It Shop owner Luis for more than 40 years on "Sesame Street" died Thursday at his home in New York at age 81. Are you leaving revenue from payments processing on the table? Find out in our guide to payments for software companies.* *This is sponsored content

Lon Harris is the writer and editor of Inside Streaming and was the very first person to ever write an Inside newsletter. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and also writes about TV and film for Fandom, Screen Junkies, Rotten Tomatoes, Gamma Ray and others. Plus he has a Game of Thrones podcast called "Casterly Talk" and competes on The Movie Trivia Schmoedown as "The Professor." Editor Jonathan Harris is a writer and editor who lives in Los Angeles.

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