"Stranger Things" sets records / "Slow Horses" renewed / Netflix password sharing trials / "Man from Toronto" teaser

Plus today's calendar, new Netflix film strategy, "Flight Attendant" ending, "The Bear" and "Gotham Knights" trailers, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network June 01, 2022

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According to Netflix, the fourth season of "Stranger Things" set a new record with the most-watched debut weekend ever for an English-language series. The first 7 episodes of the new season were viewed globally for 286.7 million hours over the weekend, which included the Memorial Day holiday in the US. More: The previous record was held by Season 2 of "Bridgerton," which was streamed for 193 million hours in its debut weekend back in March. "Stranger Things" Season 4, Volume 1 apparently hit the #1 spot on Netflix's Top 10 in 83 countries, and made the Top 10 list in 93 countries; this also sets a new record for English-language series. The final two episodes of "Stranger Things" Season 4 hit Netflix in July. CNN

Apple renewed the British espionage drama series "Slow Horses" for two additional years, taking it through Season 4. The series is based on author Mick Herron's "Slough House" series of spy novels. More: Season 1 of "Slow Horses" debuted on Apple TV+ in April; Season 2 will follow later this year. The show centers on a group of British intelligence agents who remain on the MI5 payroll but have been shipped off to a "dumping ground" department known as Slough House, to finish off their careers in obscurity. Gary Oldman stars as Slough House leader Jackson Lamb; the cast also includes Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, and Christopher Chung. DEADLINE

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DAILY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1 SOUTH PARK: THE STREAMING WARS: The latest Paramount+ "South Park" special -- the fourth overall -- finds Cartman locked in a battle of wills against his own mother that ultimately threatens the town's very existence. [Paramount+] TRIXIE MOTEL: Eight-episode reality series in which "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" winner Trixie Mattel documents her purchase and renovation of the rundown Ruby Montana Coral Sands Inn in Palm Springs, California, over the course of four months. Guest stars include Zooey Deschanel, Lisa Vanderpump, Nicole Byer, Leslie Jordan, and Katya. [Discovery+] GENERATION DRAG: Debut reality series following five teens and their families as they prepare for performances at Dragutante, an annual event for LGBTQ teens. Tyra Banks is among the show's executive producers. [Discovery+] TOM SWIFT: Debut mystery drama series spun off from CW's "Nancy Drew" adaptation. Tian Richards stars as a brilliant billionaire inventor who faces off against a powerful Illuminati-esque group following the unexplained disappearance of his father. The series was loosely inspired by the YA books from the Stratemeyer Syndicate, published under the collective pseudonym "Victor Appleton." Episodes air Tuesdays on CW and hit the app and website on Wednesdays. [CW] AMERICA'S GOT TALENT: The NBC talent competition series returned on Tuesday night for its 17th season; new episodes hit both Hulu and Peacock on Wednesdays. Terry Crews hosts; judges include Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell. [Hulu and Peacock] DANCING WITH MYSELF: Debut NBC reality competition series in which competitors face off in a series of "high-energy dance challenges," many of them inspired by routines that have gone viral on social media. Camille Kostek hosts; "celebrity advisors" who will mentor the contestants include Shakira, Nick Jonas, and Liza Koshy. New episodes air on TV on Tuesdays and stream the following day. [Hulu and Peacock] THE LAST TOURIST: 2021 documentary looking at the global impact of "over-tourism," and the consequences of constant streams of international visitors on the environment, wildlife, and communities of their favorite destinations. Tyson Sadler makes his feature directing debut with the film. [Hulu] ESCAPE TO THE CHATEAU: The British reality series, which airs on the Channel 4 network in the UK, centers around Dick Strawbridge and Angel Adoree, who purchased and restored the 19th Century Château de la Motte-Husson in Martigné-sur-Mayenne, France. Today, they live on the property with their children while also renting it out as an event space. Season 8 aired in 2021 in the UK and debuts in the US on Peacock today. [Peacock] CITY OF QUEENS: 2021 documentary featuring eight London drag queens discussing their personal stories, contrasting the glamorous fun and humor of their performances with the sometimes darker reality of their lives and backgrounds. [Peacock] MY DEAD DAD: Coming-of-age comedy-drama feature from co-writer/director Fabio Frey ("Ex-Bros"). Pedro Correa (who co-wrote the script) stars as a burnout who's left in charge of managing an LA apartment complex after the death of his estranged father. The cast also includes Raymond Cruz, Courtney Dietz, Simon Rex, Chris Pontius, and Booboo Stewart. [HBO Max] BLUE BAYOU: Justin Chon ("Pachinko") wrote and directed this 2021 drama feature and also stars as a Korean-American adoptee and family man who's suddenly confronted with the real possibility of being deported. Alicia Vikander, Mark O'Brien, Linh Dan Pham, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Emory Cohen co-star. It premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. [HBO Max] SPRINGWATCH: The BBC's annual "Springwatch" specials feature live footage of wildlife amidst the changing of the seasons, captured on cameras set up across the UK. The 2022 edition comes to BritBox in the US today. [BritBox] HOLLYWOOD BULLDOGS: THE RISE AND FALLS OF THE GREAT BRITISH STUNTMAN: 2021 documentary looking back at the history and legacy of film and TV stunt performers in the UK. Jon Spira ("Anyone Can Play Guitar") directed. [Crackle] A LIFE IN TEN PICTURES: BBC Two series, which aired in the UK last year, looking back at the lives of notable people through the study of just ten significant photographs. The six-episode series features profiles of Freddie Mercury, Tupac Shakur, Elizabeth Taylor, Muhammad Ali, John Lennon, and Amy Winehouse. [Crackle] A FAN'S GUIDE TO MS. MARVEL: Documentary short in which the cast and crew of the upcoming Marvel Comics adaptation "Ms. Marvel" -- including star Iman Vellani and directors Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah -- introduce fans to the show and its central character, Muslim-American teen Kamala Khan. "Ms. Marvel" arrives next week, on June 8. [Disney+] ILLUSION (ILLUZJA): 2022 drama feature from Poland starring Agata Buzek as a desperate mother who takes up her own investigation into her missing daughter, and starts to believe that she's having supernatural or inexplicable insights into the case. Marta Minorowicz ("Zud") co-wrote the script and directed. [Netflix]

A report from the blog Rest of World indicates that Netflix's early attempts to crack down on password sharing in some Central and South American markets have faced numerous setbacks. The company's new password-sharing policy has taken effect so far in Peru, Chile, and Costa Rica. More: These markets were selected because they represent Netflix's lowest revenue per user, making them particularly vulnerable to shifts in pricing. Essentially, the new policies tie Netflix access to a specific location; anyone using a subscriber's account from another apartment, city, or country is considered in violation of the Terms of Use. Subscribers can add up to two additional users in remote locations at a cost of around $2 per month each. Many Netflix consumers in Peru who spoke with Rest of World indicated that the messaging around the policies and enforcement have been inconsistent and unclear, leaving them confused; some have dropped Netflix entirely in favor of competing services, such as HBO Max. REST OF WORLD

Netflix dropped a trailer for the action-comedy feature "The Man from Toronto." Kevin Hart stars as an ordinary sales consultant who's mistaken for the world's deadliest assassin (Woody Harrelson) after checking in to the wrong vacation rental home. More: The cast also includes Kaley Cuoco, Jasmine Mathew, Lela Loren, and Ellen Barkin. "The Hitman's Bodyguard" vet Patrick Hughes directed. The film lands on Netflix on June 24. THE PLAYLIST

"The Gray Man" The Hollywood Reporter spoke to numerous Netflix staffers and other industry insiders about the company's new approach to developing feature films. Under division chief Scott Stuber, the streamer will produce fewer original films, with an enhanced focus on quality. More: The new strategy won't eliminate lower-budget projects entirely, but the remaining films will likely be more niche and catered to specific, passionate audiences. Netflix continues to pursue "big event films," including the upcoming action-thriller "The Gray Man" starring Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling; the high-profile sequel to "Knives Out"; and the Emily Blunt thriller "Pain Hustlers," a recent $50 million+ acquisition. Netflix's stated goal remains to release at least one original film a week, either in live-action or animation. In general, THR's sources conclude that the era of "expensive vanity projects" -- such as Martin Scorsese's $175 million film "The Irishman" -- is likely over for the streamer. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"The Flight Attendant" star and executive producer Kaley Cuoco told People.com that she believes the show's second season will also be the last. Though she implied that other members of the creative team disagree about the future of the series, Cuoco noted "I think for me, at this moment, the plane has landed." More: An HBO Max representative told TV Line that no final decision has been made about "Flight Attendant" Season 3. Cuoco indicated that she might be willing to return for more seasons several years down the road, "to make sure that the fans are excited and that we're not pushing it too hard." Cuoco also stars in the HBO Max animated series "Harley Quinn" and will co-star in the upcoming Netflix film "The Man from Toronto." "The Flight Attendant" wrapped up its eight-episode second season on May 26. TV LINE

QUICK HITS 64% of companies used this channel to generate nearly half of their revenue—and it’s not paid ads or content.* FX dropped the trailer for the debut half-hour comedy series "The Bear," starring Jeremy Allen White as a fine-dining chef who returns home to Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop; all Season 1 episodes come to Hulu on June 23. "The Wire" co-creators David Simon and Ed Burns looked back on the seminal crime series on the 20th anniversary of its debut for The New York Times; HBO also announced a new "The Wire" podcast to be hosted by rapper and actor Method Man.  CW released a trailer for the upcoming superhero drama series "Gotham Knights," about a new crime-fighting team put together by Bruce Wayne's rebellious adopted son (Oscar Morgan) following the death of Batman. Adrienne Warren will star in the Hulu drama series "Black Cake," based on the book by Charmaine Wilkerson; Warren and creator Marissa Jo Cerar previously collaborated on the ABC limited series "Women of the Movement." Showtime released a teaser for "American Gigolo," a sequel series following up on the 1980 Paul Schrader film; Jon Bernthal stars as a former Los Angeles sex worker restarting his life after a 15-year prison stay for a crime he didn't commit. Shonda Rhimes' company Shondaland announced two new diversity initiatives in collaboration with Netflix, aimed at expanding the pool of available below-the-line talent from underrepresented communities. Paramount+ partnered with two European public broadcasters -- Italy's RAI and Germany's ZDF -- on the coming-of-age drama series "The Gymnasts," based on a book by Italian author Ilaria Bernardini; the story centers on a group of teen girl gymnasts squaring off in an elite international competition. Financial institutions are leaving workers behind. Find out if you’re one of them.* *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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