YouTube TV price hike / Twitch CEO steps down / Meyers film may go to WB / CW grabs "FBoy Island"

Plus the weekend calendar, YouTube lifts Trump ban, "Citadel" renewed, FX's "Class of '09," "The Other Two" Season 3 first look, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network March 17, 2023

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Google announced a price increase for its YouTube TV cable replacement service on Thursday. According to a new email sent to subscribers, a month of YouTube TV jumps from $65 to $73 in April. More: Google blamed the move on the rising costs of accessing cable TV content, explaining in the email that the price update was required to continue "bringing you the best possible service." In December, YouTube agreed to pay around $2 billion a year for the NFL "Sunday Ticket" package, which bundles together out-of-market football games that aren't airing on local networks. An add-on feature allowing subscribers to access high-resolution 4K streams will come down in price, from $20 a month to $10. CNBC

On Twitter, Twitch CEO and co-founder Emmett Shear announced his resignation from the job after 16 years. President Dan Clancy took over as CEO immediately following Shear's Twitter post. More: Shear explained that, as a new father, he was ready to step away from his daily responsibilities at the livestreaming platform. Shear and co-creator Justin Kan created Twitch as a "24/7 reality show" capturing Kan's everyday life; it was then known as "Justin.tv." In 2013, Justin.tv transformed into Twitch, and refocused from "lifecasting" to content designed for gamers; Amazon purchased the platform for $970 million in cash the following year. IGN

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WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, MARCH 17 BONO & THE EDGE: A SORT OF HOMECOMING, WITH DAVID LETTERMAN: Documentary and concert special in which the U2 bandmates return to Dublin, Ireland -- with former talk show host David Letterman in tow -- for both a visit and a live performance. Morgan Neville ("Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain") directed. [Disney+] EXTRAPOLATIONS: Anthology drama series from creator Scott Z. Burns ("Contagion"), featuring a variety of interconnected storis exploring the long-term effects of climate change. The massive cast includes Meryl Streep, Kit Harington, Edward Norton, Marion Cotillard, Tobey Maguire, Forest Whitaker, Diane Lane, Daveed Diggs, Yara Shahidi, Matthew Rhys, and Gemma Chan. [Apple TV+] MONSTER FACTORY: Debut docuseries produced by Public Record and Vox Media Studios, set at a New Jersey school for aspiring professional wrestlers. All six episodes premiere today. [Apple TV+] BOSTON STRANGLER: Period crime drama film, based on the true story of reporter Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley), who covered the Boston Strangler serial killer case for the Boston Record American. Carrie Coon, Alessandro Nivola, Chris Cooper, and David Dastmalchain co-star; Matt Ruskin wrote and directed. [Hulu] GOOD TROUBLE: The Freeform drama series -- a spinoff of "The Fosters" about the 20-something residents of an LA apartment complex -- is back for a fifth season; new episodes come to Hulu on Fridays. Cierra Ramirez, Zuri Adele, Sherry Cola, Bryan Craig, and Emma Hunton co-star; former regular Maia Mitchell returns for guest appearances this season. [Hulu] SUMMIT FEVER: 2022 thriller from the UK about two dedicated climbers attempting to conquer the world's three most challenging mountains, whose plans are interrupted by a deadly storm. Ryan Phillippe, Hannah New, and Freddie Thorp co-star. [Hulu] RUBIKON: 2022 sci-fi drama set on board a space station in the aftermath of a cataclysm that shrouds the Earth in a toxic fog. The space station crew must decide whether to return to the surface and aid survivors or remain alive in perpetual orbit. Julia Franz Richter, George Blagden, Mark Ivanir, and Nicholas Monu co-star; Magdalena Lauritsch co-wrote and directed. [Hulu] SWARM: Debut horror-thriller series from "Atlanta" collaborators Donald Glover and Janine Nabers. Dominique Fishback stars as Dre, a young woman whose obsession with a Beyoncé-inspired pop star takes her to a dark, violent place. Chloe Bailey, Damson Idris, Paris Jackson, and Rory Culkin co-star. [Amazon] CLASS OF '07: Australian comedy series about an apocalyptic tidal wave that strikes a mountaintop all-girls Catholic high school during a 10-year class reunion. Stranded together on campus, the former classmates must work together in order to survive. Emily Browning, Megan Smart, and Caitlin Stasey co-star. [Amazon] DOM: The fact-based Brazilian crime drama series is back on Prime Video with a second season. The action cuts back and forth between '70s and late '90s Rio, and follows the stories of narcotics cop Victor (Filipe Bragança/Flávio Tolezani) and his son, the notorious crime boss Pedro Dom (Gabriel Leone). [Amazon] ANGEL FLIGHT: Debut drama series from Japan starring Ryoko Yonekura as Nami Izawa, who runs a unique mortuary service -- Angel Hearse -- accompanying the deceased on international flights back home. [Amazon] POWER BOOK II: GHOST: The crime drama series is a sequel to the original "Power," centering on Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.) as he follows in his father's footsteps and enters the drug business. It's back this week for a third season. [Starz] THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT: Animated fantasy-adventure film, based on the 2009 novel by Kate DiCamillo, about an orphaned boy searching for his long-lost sister who's informed by a fortune teller that he must "follow the magician's elephant." Noah Jupe, Benedict Wong, Pixie Davies, Sian Clifford, Brian Tyree Henry, and Aasif Mandvi co-star. [Netflix] AGENT ELVIS: Animated comedy series for adults in which rock icon Elvis Presley takes on a side gig as an elite international operative. Matthew McConaughey plays The King; Kaitlin Olson, Johnny Knoxville, Niecy Nash, Tom Kenny, Don Cheadle, and many others co-star. Presley's ex-wife Priscilla co-created the show and voices her own character. [Netflix] DANCE 100: Debut reality competition series in which 8 choreographers face off in a variety of street dancing showdowns for a shot at a $100,000 cash prize, with the twist that the dancers themselves decide who advances. Celebrity fitness instructor Ally Love hosts. [Netflix] SKY HIGH: THE SERIES (HASTA EL CIELO): Spanish crime drama series, following up on the action of the 2020 film, in which cash-strapped newly-widowed single mom Sole (Asia Ortega) joins her late husband's heist crew. Luis Tosar, Álvaro Rico, Richard Holmes, and Fernando Cayo co-star. [Netflix] MAESTRO IN BLUE: Netflix's first original series from Greece is this mystery-drama about a musician (Christopher Papakaliatis) who visits a scenic island to plan a festival, then becomes involved in the complicated lives of a number of locals. [Netflix] IN HIS SHADOW (LE ROI DES OMBRES): Crime drama from France about two half-brothers who find themselves on opposite sides of a violent conflict following the death of their father. Kaaris, Alassane Diong, Hassam Ghancy, and Samuel Jouy co-star; Marc Fouchard wrote and directed. [Netflix] BEACH COTTAGE CHRONICLES: Unscripted Magnolia Network series exploring various beach cottages, with an eye toward their inspired designs, architecture, and fascinating backstories. It's back this week for a second season. [HBO Max] LEAVE: 2022 thriller from Norway starring Alicia von Rittberg as a woman searching for clues about her mysterious past who begins receiving dire warnings from a malevolent spirit. [Shudder] SUNDAY, MARCH 19 LUCKY HANK: Debut comedy-drama series from creators Paul Lieberstein ("The Office") and Aaron Zelman ("Criminal Minds"), based on the novel "Straight Man" by Richard Russo. Bob Odenkirk stars as the head of the English Department at an underfunded Pennsylvania college who's coping with a midlife crisis. Executive producers include filmmaker Peter Farrelly and "Better Call Saul" vet Mark Johnson. [AMC+] ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED: 2022 documentary from filmmaker Laura Poitras ("Citizenfour"), profiling photographer and activist Nan Goldin, with a focus on her campaign to hold the Sackler Family accountable for the opioid epidemic. The film, a nominee for Best Documentary Feature at this year's Oscars, is only the second non-fiction film in history to win the Golden Lion at Venice. [HBO Max] A WINNING TEAM: Debut romantic comedy-drama from Hallmark, about a former soccer pro (Nadia Hatta) who teams up with a laid-back small town coach (Kristoffer Polaha) to guide her niece's youth soccer team to the playoffs. [Peacock]

Writer/director Nancy Meyers is reportedly in talks with Warner Bros. after Netflix shut down development on her latest film project. Netflix apparently pulled the plug on the high-profile romantic comedy project due to budgetary concerns. More: No final deal is yet in place with Warner Bros., and there are apparently still details to iron out. Meyers is reportedly in discussions with Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Owen Wilson, and Michael Fassbender about appearing in the film, but no deals are yet in place. Previous reports suggested that Netflix executives balked when the proposed budget jumped above $130 million. The film, tentatively titled "Paris Paramount," centers on former lovers and filmmakers who begrudgingly reunite for a new project; it's loosely autobiographical for Meyers, who formerly collaborated on films with her ex-spouse Charles Shyer. DEADLINE

A message from FORTE GROUP ChatGPT, "when it comes to whether 'ilities' should be prioritized in software engineering, who is right, the CTO or the CEO?" To learn the answer firsthand, join Forte Group on March 30th, 2023, for a virtual panel discussion, "The balance between business expectations and CTOs' software sustainability needs." A panel on how CTOs balance and prioritize non-functional requirements into their roadmap. We have lined up seasoned professionals in the room who drive the evolution from agile, excellent cloud migration, and test-driven-development to become what we refer to as modern engineering. Our expert panel, composed of experienced CTOs and business leaders and our special guest ChatGPT, will share their thoughts on 7 "ilities" that continue to be the source of conversation within engineering circles: Usability Maintainability  Scalability Availability  Extensibility Security Portability Take the opportunity to learn from experts in the field and gain valuable insights into the latest engineering trends! Register Now

According to Deadline, the former HBO Max dating competition series "FBoy Island" will return for a third season on The CW. The network, recently acquired by Nexstar, is also developing a spinoff series, called "FGirl Island." More: The shows come from the STX studio, which has been shopping the franchise around since its December 2022 cancellation. The original "FBoy Island" debuted in the Summer of 2021 and streamed for two seasons on HBO Max. The show centers on three single women picking new partners from a group of 24 hunky guys, with the twist that only 12 of the men are seriously looking for love; the rest are chasing a cash prize. Nexstar hired former NBCUniversal executive Heather Olander to oversee the network's unscripted programming last month; this is her first acquisition deal. DEADLINE

YouTube lifted restrictions on the account of former President Donald Trump on Friday. Trump's channel was never deleted, but was stripped of its ability to post new videos following the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol building. More: Trump's accounts have now been reinstated across all major US internet services, including Facebook and Twitter, ahead of his 2024 presidential campaign. In 2021, YouTube's then-CEO Susan Wojcicki said Trump's restriction would be lifted when the risk of real-world violence had passed. In a new statement, YouTube VP of Public Policy Leslie Miller explained that the decision was made after balancing "the continued risk of real-world violence" with "the importance of preserving the opportunity for voters to hear equally from major national candidates." Trump currently has around 2.6 million subscribers on YouTube. CNBC

Netflix is among a group of more than 50 companies participating in the "biggest-ever" gathering of US businesses in Vietnam. The mission -- organized the US-ASEAN Business Council -- includes companies from the defense, pharmaceutical and technology industries, and signals rising interest in the Southeast Asian country as a global manufacturing hub and consumer market. More: Last month, Reuters reported that Netflix was exploring the possibility of opening a Vietnam office. Other companies participating in the mission include SpaceX, Boeing, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Visa, Citibank, Meta, Amazon Web Services, and Lockheed Martin. YAHOO FINANCE

QUICK HITS Develop a better understanding of partnership marketing, discover various partnership types and how they’ve helped leading companies flourish in this guide.* Amazon renewed the mega-budget international spy thriller series "Citadel" for a second season ahead of Season 1's April 28 Prime Video debut. The FX sci-fi thriller limited series "Class of '09" -- starring Brian Tyree Henry and Kata Mara as FBI agents in different time periods grappling with the influence of AI on law enforcement -- premieres May 10 on Hulu. The comedy series "The Other Two" -- a former Comedy Central cast-off that now streams exclusively on HBO Max -- returns for a third season on May 4; Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver co-star as the fame-hungry older siblings of a teenage influencer (Case Walker). The already-controversial upcoming HBO series "The Idol" -- a collaboration between "Euphoria" vet Sam Levinson and R&B star The Weeknd -- will premiere out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival ahead of its fall broadcast and streaming premiere. Pop star Demi Lovato will make their directorial debut with the Hulu feature documentary "Child Star," examining the experience of achieving international fame at a young age; the film will feature personal insights from a number of former child stars. Two of the three celebrity women featured on the Peacock reality dating series "Queens Court" -- Tamar Braxton and Evelyn Lozada -- are now engaged to men they met on the show. End the March Madness of manual expense reporting with Divvy. Demo with Divvy to get a College Basketball Jersey of your choice.* *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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