Netflix password update / "Squid Game" player allegations / "Night Court" renewed / YouTube misses on Q4 revenue

Plus the weekend calendar, Apple TV+'s "Lazarus," "1923" renewed, Bening joins "Apples," "Sex/Life" S2, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network February 03, 2023

Netflix claims new rules cracking down on password sharing were posted in error. Apparently, the regulations only apply to a trial of the new password system that's going on in Chile, Peru, and Costa Rica, and were not intended for a global audience. More: In a statement, Netflix said "a help center article containing information that is only applicable to Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru went live in other countries." The post has since been updated. According to the new rules, current subscribers would need to log into Netflix once a month via their home Wi-Fii connection or risk being temporarily locked out. The announcement led to widespread criticism and pushback online; Jimmy Kimmel even responded in his late night monologue on Thursday night. THE GUARDIAN

According to a new report from Vice, contestants on Netflix's "Squid Game"-inspired reality competition series experienced a string of medical emergencies due to freezing cold temperatures on the set. Some players also told Vice's Motherboard blog that the show appeared to be scripted, and they felt more like extras than real contestants with a chance to win the game. More: "Squid Game: The Challenge" is currently in production at a former military base in Bedfordshire, England, just outside London. As in the scripted "Squid Game" series, 456 players are competing in elaborately staged versions of playground games for a shot at a $4.56 million prize; unlike the scripted show, the reality series games are not meant to be dangerous or lethal. Contesants confirmed to Motherboard that they went through a medical assessment prior to being accepted on the show, and were told several times that the experience would be "intense." An earlier report in the British tabloid The Sun featured contestants complaining about "freezing weather." In a statement, Netflix denied that any "Squid Game" contestants have suffered "serious injury." VICE

WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3 HARLEM: The comedy series from creator and producer Tracy Oliver ("Girls Trip") -- about four best friends in their 30s living and working in the titular New York neighborhood -- returns to Prime Video for a second season this week. Meagan Good, Jerrie Johnson, Grace Byers, and Shoniqua Shandai co-star; Whoopi Goldberg makes guest appearances this season. [Amazon] DEAR EDWARD: Debut drama series, adapted from Ann Napolitano's novel by writer/showrunner Jason Katims ("Friday Night Lights"). Colin O'Brien stars as Edward Adler, a 12-year-old boy who's the lone survivor of a devastating commercial plane crash that takes the lives of his parents along with all the other passengers. Katims' "Friday Night Lights" collaborator Connie Britton and Taylor Schilling co-star. [Apple TV+] KILLING COUNTY: Three-part true-crime documentary from ABC News Studios and executive producer Colin Kaepernick, looking at police corruption in Kern County, California. The series explores the death of Jorge Ramirez Jr. in an officer-involved shooting, and subsequently follows his family's quest for justice. [Hulu] GIGI & NATE: 2022 coming-of-age drama feature, based on a true story, about the healing bond that forms between recent quadriplegic Nate (Charlie Rowe) and a capuchin monkey named Gigi. Marcia Gay Harden, Josephine Langford, Jim Belushi, and Diane Ladd co-star. [Hulu] SAM & KATE: 2022 comedy-drama feature from first-time writer/director Darren Le Gallo. Jake Hoffman stars as Sam, who returns to his hometown to care for his ailing father (played by Jake's real-life dad, actor Dustin Hoffman), then falls in love with a local (Schuyler Fisk). Sissy Spacek co-stars. [Peacock] PREMIER LEAGUE: NBC Sports Premier League soccer coverage is available to livestream for all Peacock Premium subscribers. This weekend's matches include Chelsea v. Fulham, Aston Villa v. Leicester City, Everton v. Arsenal, and Newcastle v. West Ham. [Peacock] JEEPERS CREEPERS: REBORN: 2022 supernatural horror film rebooting the "Jeepers Creepers" trilogy, about the return of a demonic serial killer known as "The Creeper." Sydney Craven, Imran Adams, Dee Wallace, and Gary Graham co-star. [Hulu] STAND: Documentary profiling former NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. The film follows Abdul-Rauf's experiences as a child, when he struggled with Tourette's syndrome, through his nine years in the NBA, when he became a target for hate speech and Islamophobia. Abdul-Rauf participated in the film, which also features interviews with Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr, Mahershala Ali, Shaquille O'Neal, Ice Cube, and others. [Showtime] TRUE SPIRIT: Australian biopic relating the true story of teenager Jessica Watson (Teagan Croft), the youngest person to ever sail by herself around the world in a single trip. Cliff Curtis, Anna Paquin, and Josh Lawson co-star. [Netflix] THOMAS & FRIENDS: ALL ENGINES GO: The animated educational series for young kids -- a reboot of the long-running original "Thomas & Friends" with updated animation -- returns with new episodes, part of its second overall season. [Netflix] CLASS: Hindi-language remake of the Spanish Netflix coming-of-age drama series "Elite," following three working-class kids as they enroll in a posh international school in Dehli. [Netflix] INFIESTO: Mystery-thriller feature from Spain, starring Isak Férriz and Iria del Río as detectives investigating a bizarre disappearance in a rural mining town during the early days of the COVID pandemic. Patxi Amezcua ("The 7th Floor") wrote and directed. [Netflix] STROMBOLI: 2022 comedy-drama feature from The Netherlands, based on a novel by Saskia Noort. Elise Schaap stars as a recently divorced woman who's confronted by painful memories from her past while attending a retreat on the titular, volcanic Italian island. [Netflix] VIKINGWOLF (VIKINGULVEN): Horror film from Norway, starring Elli Rhiannon Müller Osborne as a teen who witnesses a gruesome murder at a party, then begins having strange visions. Stig Svendsen ("Kings Bay') co-wrote and directed. [Netflix] ROWDY: 2022 documentary profile of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, produced in collaboration with NASCAR Productions. The film features insights from Busch into his own life and career, along with commentary from Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, and members of Busch's family. [Freevee] LIFE BELOW ZERO: The National Geographic reality series follows hardy individuals living in relative isolation in the frigid wilderness of Alaska. Season 19 aired on cable in 2022 and his Disney+ today. [Disney+] SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4 BELLATOR 290: BADER VS. FEDOR 2: Bellator's Heavyweight World Champion Ryan Bader faces off against MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko in this rematch, airing live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ Saturday night at 9 pm ET. In the co-main event, Johnny Eblen will take on Anatoly Tokov. [Paramount+] WWE NXT VENGEANCE DAY: The WWE pro wrestling event will stream live on Peacock from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Events include Bron Breakker vs. Grayson Waller in a steel cage match; The New Day facing off against Pretty Deadly and the Triple Threat winners in a fatal four-way tag team match; and Katana Chance and Kayden Carter vs. Fallon Henley and Kiana James in a tag team match for the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship. [Peacock] SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: [Peacock] SWEETER THAN CHOCOLATE: Hallmark original romantic comedy starring Brenda Strong as a TV reporter investigating a local baker (Dan Jeannotte) whose sweet treats reportedly hold the secret to finding true love. [Peacock] FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP: This weekend's events include Moguls Finals from Deer Valley and Freestyle Halfpipe and Slopestyle Finals from Mammoth. [Peacock] NITRO RALLYCROSS: Peacock will livestream this weekend's racing event from Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta, for all Premium subscribers. Coverage begins with Round 9 at 3 pm ET. [Peacock] SIX NATIONS RUGBY: This weekend's matches include England vs. Scotland and Wales vs. Ireland. [Peacock] PROJECT LEGION: Direct-to-VOD sci-fi thriller starring mixed martial artist Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone as a soldier who awakens after a covert mission to find that the apocalypse has started, and he's surrounded on all sides by demonic creatures. Lance Kawas ("Good Thief") co-wrote and directed. [Hulu] SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5 THE 65th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS: The annual music award show airs live on CBS and streams on Paramount+ from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, starting at 8 pm ET/PT. Performers include Bad Bunny, Brandi Carlile, Lizzo, Luke Combs, Kim Patras with Sam Smith, Mary J. Blige, and Steve Lacy; Trevor Noah hosts. [Paramount+]

NBC renewed its revival of the classic sitcom "Night Court" for a second season. The workplace comedy series has reached an overall audience of around 25.7 million after its first four episodes, according to the network. More: The show's pilot had the most-viewed broadcast premiere of the 2022-2023 TV season; it's the most-watched debut network comedy series since ABC's "The Conners" in 2018. Melissa Rauch stars as Judge Abby Stone, the daughter of original "Night Court" protagonist Harry Stone (who was played by the late Harry Anderson). It was Rauch, a former "The Big Bang Theory" cast member, who originally proposed a "Night Court" revival after combing through Warner Bros. TV's catalog of classic shows. Original "Night Court" star John Larroquette reprises his role as former prosecutor Dan Fielding, who is now a public defender. New "Night Court" episodes air Tuesday nights on NBC and hit Peacock on Wednesdays. DEADLINE

Google's parent company Alphabet missed both its earnings and revenue goals in Q4 of 2022. The company's stock dropped nearly 4% after reporting its numbers on Thursday.  More: YouTube ad revenue hit $7.96 billion for the quarter, missing projections of $8.25 billion; in 2021, YouTube hit $8.63 billion in Q4 revenue. CFO Ruth Porat blamed the YouTube slowdown on an overall challenging economic climate, and a pullback from sponsors on both planned and direct response ad buys. Though its "Shorts" product now gets around 50 billion daily views, YouTube also faces increased competition from TikTok. CNBC

Deadline reported that actors Zazie Beetz and Tom Hardy are circling the Apple TV+ drama series "Lazarus." The project comes from A+E Studios, and is based on a book series by authors Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril, writing under the pen name "Lars Kepler." More: Beetz is expected to star as Inspector Saga Bauer, a police detective working undercover in a maximum-security psychiatric hospital. Hardy would co-star as an inmate in the hospital whose fractured mind may hold the key to finding a notorious serial killer. Norwegian filmmaker Øystein Karlsen ("Exit," "Lillyhammer") will write, direct, and executive produce the series; Hardy and Beetz will also likely executive produce the series. DEADLINE

Paramount+ renewed the Western drama series "1923" for a second season. The series -- a prequel to the Paramount Network smash hit "Yellowstone" -- had the most-watched premiere of any Paramount+ original, with 7.4 million total viewers across the streaming service and cable TV. More: Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren co-star as Jacob and Cara Dutton, ancestors of the Dutton Family from "Yellowstone" who lived in Montana in the early 20th Century. Brandon Sklenar, Darren Mann, Michelle Randolph, and James Badge Dale co-star. The previous "Yellowstone" prequel series "1883" streamed on Paramount+ for just one season. In addition to streaming on Paramount+, the pilot episode also aired after "Yellowstone" on cable's Paramount Network. DEADLINE

Annette Bening signed on to star in the upcoming Peacock limited series "Apples Never Fall." It will be Bening's first TV role since starring in the 2005 HBO movie "Mrs. Harris," for which she was Emmy nominated. More: The series is based on a book by author Liane Moriarty, whose work also inspired the series "Big Little Lies" and "Nine Perfect Strangers." Bening will star as Joy, a mother to four adult children who suddenly vanishes, causing them to re-examine their parents' marriage and family history. Melanie Marnich ("The OA," "Big Love") will write the adaptation and serve as showrunner on the series. DEADLINE

QUICK HITS Businesses who combine their expense and travel management onto one platform are saving up to 25% on travel spend.* Netflix posted a new trailer for the romantic comedy-drama "Sex/Life," returning on March 2. According to Nielsen, the most-watched series in the US during the first week of 2023 was Netflix's teen comedy-drama series "Ginny & Georgia," which was viewed for 2.5 billion minutes in its first four days on the platform. The YA adventure drama series "Outer Banks" returns to Netflix for a third season on February 23; the streamer posted a new trailer this week. The animated anthology series "Star Wars: Visions" returns to Disney+ for a new season on May 4; iconic stop-motion studio Aardman ("Chicken Run") is among the contributors. Two of The CW's key development executives -- Michael Roberts and Gaye Hirsch -- were let go this week, as restructuring by new owners Nexstar continues. The Netflix reality dating series "Perfect Match" brings back contestants from other series -- such as "Love Is Blind" and "Too Hot to Handle" -- for a new shot at love, and allows them to intervene and make decisions about one anothers' new matches and budding relationships; it debuts on February 14. Hulu renewed the animated action-comedy series "Hit-Monkey" for a second season; the show was previously titled "Marvel's Hit-Monkey," but will drop the comic book publisher's name from the title for Season 2, as 20th Television Animation takes over production from the defunct Marvel TV. Peacock renewed the reality competition series "The Traitors" for a second season. A live concert special recorded during The Weeknd's performances at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium in 2022 will debut on HBO Max on February 25. It turns out, singer Linda Ronstadt won't financially benefit from the surge in interest in her 1970 song "Long, Long Time" following its appearance in HBO's "The Last of Us"; the master recording belongs to the song's writer, Gary White. Composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross reunited to write the score for David Fincher's new Netflix film "The Killer"; the duo have scored all of Fincher's films since "The Social Network" in 2010. Get convenient and affordable therapy now with 25% off your first month.* *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 Eduardo Garcia is a writer and editor based in New York. He is the author of "Things You Can Do," an illustrated book about climate action. Bylines in The New York Times, The Guardian, Slate, Scientific American, and others. In one of his previous lives, Eduardo worked as a Reuters correspondent in Latin America for nearly a decade.

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