YouTube TV lawsuit / Korean content back on Tencent / "Dead to Me" S3 views / Moore joins "Dr. Death"

Plus the full holiday weekend calendar, "Doom Patrol" Season 4 trailer, Fireside acquires Stremium, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network November 23, 2022

A group of YouTube TV subscribers filed a class-action lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company on Friday, based on allegations of anti-competitive behavior. At issue specifically are streaming agreements between the streaming platform Hulu and the cable network ESPN, which are either controlled or entirely owned by Disney. More: The suit accuses Disney of using its influence over both streamers and networks to set a "price floor" for the entire streaming marketplace, increasing prices for all consumers. The suit alleges that prices in the live pay-TV market have doubled since Disney assumed operational control over Hulu in May 2019 and started raising prices for its Hulu + Live TV offering. Disney's agreements with rival streamers insist that ESPN must be included in the cheapest package they offer, locking other "skinny bundles" into a consistent baseline rate. Cable providers once made similar complaints about ESPN's ability to set prices as well; the network's dominance only started to erode with the arrival of cord-cutting and streaming services. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Presidents Yoon and Xi China's largest streaming service, Tencent, resumed distributing shows and films from South Korea following a six-year hiatus. The first Korean film to become available for Chinese consumers is "Hotel by the River," from director Hong Sang-soo, which debuted earlier this month. More: China formally restricted the distribution of South Korean cultural products -- including films, shows, and K-pop music -- in 2017, after the South Korean government agreed to host a US missile defense system, known as THAAD. The timing of the decision may be linked to a recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Bali, during which they discussed the importance of opening up cultural and personal exchanges between citizens of the two nations. It was the first meeting between South Korean and Chinese leadership since 2019. CNN

WEEKEND CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 WEDNESDAY: Comedy-horror series -- based on the classic "Addams Family" cartoons, shows, and films -- from co-creators and "Smallville" vets Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Jenna Ortega stars as teenage Wednesday Addams, who begins her studies at the mysterious Nevermore Academy and stumbles into a supernatural mystery. Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Christina Ricci, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, and Fred Armisen co-star; Tim Burton produced and directed the first four episodes. [Netflix] THE SWIMMERS: Biographical sports drama based on the true story of sisters and athletes Yusra and Sarah Mardini (Nathalie and Manal Issa), who helped to save lives while fleeing war-torn Syria in a dinghy on the Aegean Sea, and ultimately competed in swimming events at the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the Refugee Team. Sally El Hosaini ("My Brother The Devil") co-wrote and directed. [Netflix] BLOOD, SEX & ROYALTY: Three-part biographical drama series from the UK starring "Coronation Street" veteran Amy James-Kelly as Anne Boleyn, and centering on her tumultuous relationship with King Henry VIII (Max Parker). The series combines scripted and documentary elements in relating Anne and Henry's story. [Netflix] CHRISTMAS ON MISTLETOE FARM: British family comedy about a single dad (Scott Garnham) who inherits a farm just before Christmas. Though he's unsure about readjusting to quiet village life, his kids begin concocting a plan to remain in the country forever. Debbie Isitt ("Nativity!") wrote and directed. [Netflix] TACO CHRONICLES: CROSS THE BORDER: The Spanish-language culinary docuseries returns for a third season, with a focus on Mexican chefs pushing taco culture forward while working in the United States. [Netflix] LESSON PLAN: Crime drama from Poland starring Jan Wieczorkowski as an ex-cop who takes a job at the school where his murdered best friend taught, in hopes of confronting the criminal gang he believes was responsible. Daniel Markowicz ("Bartkowiak") directed. [Netflix] WHO'S A GOOD BOY? (EL GUAU): Spanish-language teen rom-com from Mexico starring Sebastián Dante as a schemer on a mission to land a date with his fetching new classmate (Sirena Ortiz). [Netflix] THE UNBROKEN VOICE (ARELYS HENAO: CANTO PARA NO LLORAR): Spanish-language biographical musical drama series starring Mariana Gómez as Colombian singer-songwriter Arelys Henao, with a focus on her rise to popularity from humble beginnings and her outspoken activism on behalf of abuse victims. [Netflix] SHAQ: Four-part docuseries profiling basketball icon Shaquille O'Neal, looking back at his athletic career -- including four NBA championships -- as well as his personal life. O'Neal and his family participated in the series; other interview subjects include Penny Hardaway, Dwyane Wade, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, and Jerry West. "The Shop" vet Robert Alexander directed. [HBO Max] GOOD NIGHT OPPY: 2022 documentary relating the story of NASA's Opportunity rover, which was expected to operate for just 90 days but ended up exploring the Martian surface for nearly 15 years. The film features archival footage from Opportunity (nicknamed "Oppy"), recreations of its adventures on Mars, and interviews with the scientists and engineers behind the mission. Ryan White ("The Keepers") directed; Angela Bassett narrates. [Amazon] CYRANO: 2021 romantic musical drama, based on screenwriter Erica Schmidt's 2018 stage musical, which itself was inspired by the classic 1897 Edmond Rostand play "Cyrano de Bergerac." Peter Dinklage stars as Cyrano, a dwarf who's desperately in love with his childhood friend Roxanne (Haley Bennett) but nonetheless assists a new suitor (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) in pursuing her affections. Joe Wright ("Darkest Hour") directed. [Amazon] PITCH PERFECT: BUMPER IN BERLIN: Comedy series spun off from the "Pitch Perfect" movie franchise, in which Bumper Allen (Adam Devine) has a surprise chart-topping hit in Berlin and moves to Germany to restart his music career. Flula Borg, Sarah Hyland, Jameela Jamil, and Lera Abova co-star; "Pitch Perfect" vet Elizabeth Banks and Megan Amram ("The Good Place") co-created. [Peacock] ECHO 3: Debut action-thriller series from creator Mark Boal ("The Hurt Locker"), about a covert black ops mission to rescue a scientist (Jessie Collins) after she goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border. Luke Evans, Michael Huisman, and Bradley Whitford co-star. The series is based on an Israeli original, called "When Heroes Fly." [Apple TV+] LAST OF THE GIANTS: WILD FISH: Reality nature series from National Geographic in which host Cyril Chauquet and his team seek out particularly large examples of rare and endangered freshwater fish throughout North America and the Amazon Rainforest. [Disney+] THE VILLAINS OF VALLEY VIEW: Live-action Disney Channel comedy series about a family of supervillains on the run from the authorities who pose as a typical suburban family in Texas. James Patrick Stuart, Lucy Davis, Isabella Pappas, Malachi Barton, Reed Horstmann, and Kayden Muller-Janssen co-star. 4 new episodes from the show's ongoing first season hit Disney+ today. [Disney+] PUPPY DOG PALS: The animated Disney Junior series from creator and star Harland Williams follows the adventures of two fun-loving puppy brothers. Two new holiday-themed episodes -- part of the show's fifth season -- come to Disney+ today. [Disney+] DADDIES ON REQUEST (PAPÁS POR ENCARGO): Spanish-language comedy-drama series from Mexico, starring Farah Justiniani as a teenager who embarks on a road trip with her three adoptive fathers (Jorge Blanco, Michael Ronda, and Lalo Brito) to visit her estranged mother in Zacatecas. [Disney+] THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 THANKSGIVING DAY NFL GAMES: The Buffalo Bills take on the Detroit Lions from Michigan's Ford Field. The game begins streaming at 12:30 pm ET on Paramount+. Also on Thursday, The New England Patriots take on the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium. That game streams on Peacock starting at 8:20 pm ET; live coverage starts at 7:00 pm ET with "Football Night in America." [Paramount+ / Peacock] CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION: Debut procedural crime drama series, spun off from the iconic CBS original, which ran from 2005 to 2020. The new series brings back the Behavioral Analysis Unit, which is now tracking a network of serial killers that formed during the COVID pandemic and lockdown. Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, Kristen Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, and Adam Rodriguez co-star. [Paramount+] THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE: Peacock will stream NBC's live coverage of the 96th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from New York City, along with performances by the casts of the Broadway shows "Moulin Rouge" and "SIX The Musical." Kevin Frazier and Keltie Knight co-host. The stream begins at 9:00 am ET/PT on Thanksgiving. [Peacock] NATIONAL DOG SHOW 2022: NBC's coverage of the 2022 American Kennel Club Dog Show will stream live on Peacock, starting Thursday at noon ET. John O'Hurley, David Frei, and Mary Carillo host. [Peacock] LOVE, LIZZO: Documentary feature profiling the trailblazing singer, rapper, and flutist from "Hype!" and "Surfwise" vet Doug Pray, featuring insights on her life and career from the artist herself. [HBO Max] A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY: Holiday mystery-comedy for all ages starring Violet McGraw as an amateur sleuth who springs into action after her father is falsely accused of stealing their hometown's prized jingle bell collection. Eddie Cibrian, Beau Bridges, and Oscar Nuñez co-star. [HBO Max] HOLIDAY HARMONY: Holiday rom-com starring Annelise Cepero as a singer-songwriter rushing across the country to perform at a high-profile Christmas concert, only to get stuck mentoring a local choir full of misfits in a small Oklahoma town. Jeremy Sumpter, Brooke Shields, Carla Jimenez, and Lauren Swickard. [HBO Max] THE NOEL DIARY: Holiday romantic comedy-drama feature starring Justin Hartley as an author who returns to his hometown after 20 years away to settle his late mother's estate. But once there, he realizes that she was a hoarder, and he has decades worth of clutter to clear through. James Remar, Bonnie Bedelia, Barrett Doss, and Essence Atkins co-star; Charles Shyer ("Father of the Bride") directed. [Netlfix] FIRST LOVE: Debut romantic drama series from Japan starring Mitsushima Hikari and Satoh Takeru a couple who fall in love in the 1990s, then meet back up and relive their memories together over the course of the following three decades. [Netflix] A UNICORN FOR CHRISTMAS: In this fantasy drama for the whole family, young Izzy (Abby James Witherspoon) discovers a real unicorn at a Christmas carnival, and attempts to keep it out of the clutches of a greedy fair owner. [Hulu] MERRY KISS CAM: Holiday rom-com starring Jesse Bradford and Katie Lowes as a mismatched couple who meet up at a hockey game when they're featured on the "kiss cam." [Hulu] FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25 THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER: Original holiday special reimagining Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" ballet -- about a girl who meets a magical toymaker goes on a journey with a living Nutcracker doll -- with a remixed hip-hop soundtrack. The cast includes Caché Melvin, Allison Holker Boss, Stephen "tWitch" Boss, Comfort Fedoke, Du-Shant "Fik-shun" Stegall, Kurtis Blow, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons narrates. [Disney+] WE'RE HERE: The reality series features "RuPaul's Drag Race" vets Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O'Hara, and Shangela Laquifa Wadley touring the country and recruiting small-town residents to participate in their own one-night-only drag showcases. It's back for a third season. [HBO Max] FANTASY FOOTBALL: Original sports comedy feature from Nickelodeon starring Marsai Martin as the daughter of a struggling NFL player (Omari Hardwick) who discovers she can control her dad's on-field actions -- and turn him into a superstar -- via the video game "Madden NFL '23." Kelly Rowland co-stars. [Paramount+] GHISLAINE MAXWELL: FILTHY RICH: Documentary profiling the convicted sex trafficker and former socialite, who was a key accomplice of disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein, featuring insights from a number of her victims. "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich" vet Lisa Bryant and Maiken Baird ("Icarus") directed; Joe Berlinger executive produced. [Netflix] BLOOD & WATER: English-language teen crime drama series from South Africa, starring Ama Qamata as a girl who transfers to an elite Cape Town school while searching for her sister, who was kidnapped as a baby. Season 3 debuts today on Netflix in the US. [Netflix] THE CROODS: FAMILY TREE: Animated comedy series, spun off from the DreamWorks film franchise, in which two very different prehistoric families are forced to cohabitate in the same treehouse. Season 5 debuts today on both Hulu and Peacock. [Hulu and Peacock] THE IMMACULATE ROOM: 2022 thriller in which a couple agrees to isolate themselves in a strange futuristic room for 50 days, with no contact with the outside world, for a shot at a $5 million prize. Emile Hirsch, Kate Bosworth, and Ashley Greene co-star; Mukunda Michael Dewil wrote and directed. [Hulu] WRONG PLACE: Direct-to-VOD crime thriller starring Bruce Willis as a small-town former police chief who's targeted by a local meth kingpin (Michael Sirow) after witnessing a violent crime. Ashley Greene co-stars. [Hulu] FOUR COUSINS AND A CHRISTMAS: Holiday comedy-drama about a group of cousins whose beloved grandmother passes away suddenly, forcing them to spend Christmas with their estranged grandfather. Ayla Kell, Raffaela Capp, Lily Gibson, Natasha Capp, Teri Polo, and Robert Davi co-star. [Hulu] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26 ALONE TOGETHER: 2022 indie romantic drama feature from writer/director Katie Holmes, who also stars as food critic June. When her boyfriend (Derek Luke) bails on a trip that she accidentally double-booked, June gets stuck spending the entire pandemic lockdown cohabitating with a newly-single stranger (Jim Sturgess). [Hulu] HOW TO PLEASE A WOMAN: Comedy-drama feature from Australia starring Sally Phillips as a woman in her 50s who decides to open an all-male erotic house cleaning service. Caroline Brazier, Erik Thomson, Tasma Walton, and Alexander England co-star. [Hulu]

"The Crown" and "Dead to Me" In its first four days on Netflix, Season 3 of the dark comedy series "Dead to Me" was viewed for around 30.3 million hours. That was good enough for the #4 rank among all English-language series on Netflix for the full week ending on November 20. More: Season 5 of "The Crown" once more topped the list with 84.3 million hours viewed on the week; the new season of the royal drama has been viewed for 191.7 million hours since its release on November 9. In second place was "1899," a period mystery-drama series from the creators of the German-language hit "Dark"; it's now been viewed for 79.3 million hours. This is the final season for "Dead to Me," which co-stars Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate as unlikely friends who met in a grief support group. DEADLINE

Mandy Moore joined the cast of Peacock's true-crime anthology drama series "Dr. Death" for its upcoming second season. Each season of the series dramatizes a true story about medical malpractice and murder; Season 2 relates the saga of disgraced Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. More: Édgar Ramírez stars in Season 2 as Macchiarini, who was nicknamed "The Miracle Man" before being accused of manipulative behavior and research fraud. Moore will co-star as investigative journalist Benita Alexander, who becomes involved in a romance with Macchiarini that gives her a window into his crimes. Ashley Michel Hoban -- a producer on "Dr. Death" Season 1 -- will step in as writer and showrunner for Season 2. The series is based on a Wondery podcast. TV LINE

QUICK HITS DUER's founder wanted pants that stretch "from bike lane to boardroom to an evening night out." Try the World's Most Comfortable Pants during Black Friday — shop up to 50% off sitewide.* HBO Max dropped a trailer for Season 4 of the DC Comics superhero comedy-drama series "Doom Patrol," arriving on December 8. Mark Cuban's interactive Web3 platform Fireside acquired the streaming platform Stremium, which will bring the app to a variety of smart TVs and other connected devices. "Copenhagen Cowboy," the new six-episode crime series from filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn ("Drive"), hits Netflix on January 5. "Enchanted" director Kevin Lima told The Hollywood Reporter that he wasn't invited to collaborate on the new sequel "Disenchanted" due to "a change of executives and Hollywood politics"; Adam Shankman took over directing duties on the new film. The cast and creator of the 2003 holiday rom-com "Love Actually" will reunite for an ABC special in honor of the film's upcoming 20th anniversary. Actor Takayuki Suzuki joined the cast of HBO Max's "Tokyo Vice" in a recurring role for its upcoming second season. *This is sponsored content

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