AMC+ ad tier / "Love is Blind" reunion delayed / Max pitched to families / Netflix "Hitchhiker" lawsuit

Plus today's calendar, Paramount+ "Knuckles" series sets cast, Apple signs Canal+ content deal, new "The Idol" trailer, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network April 17, 2023

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We're mixing up the format of Inside Streaming starting today. From now on, the newsletter will arrive three times per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The Monday edition will feature a calendar highlighting the biggest and most prominent new streaming content of the week, while Wednesday and Friday editions will feature infographics taking a deeper dive into the world of streaming. We hope you enjoy the new format, and thanks for reading! -- Lon Lon

AMC Networks plan to introduce a low-cost ad-supported AMC+ tier later on this year. No pricing details or launch date were announced, but the new option will likely be available in the fall. More: AMC+ currently costs $8.99 per month, and also includes content from AMC's other networks and streamers, including Acorn TV, Shudder, and Sundance Now. Some of the platform's most popular shows include "The Walking Dead" and "Mad Men." In a memo sent to AMC staff in November of last year, chairman James Dolan noted that streaming was not making up for the loss of revenue from the company's cable networks, and announced significant cuts. In Q4 of 2022, AMC reported 11.8 million paid subscribers across all of its streaming services. TECHCRUNCH

Netflix's livestreamed "Love is Blind" Season 4 reunion was delayed by more than one hour on Sunday night. This was only the streamer's second-ever experiment with livestreaming, following the Chris Rock comedy special "Selective Outrage." More: The reunion had been scheduled for 8 pm ET on Sunday; Netflix began to report delays on social media starting at around 8:15. The event started for some viewers around 9:30 pm but remained unavailable for others; it will appear on Netflix moving forward as an on-demand title. A new production company, Embassy Row -- which did not produce the first four seasons of "Love is Blind" -- was brought in to supervise the live reunion specifically. A number of Netflix competitors and rivals -- including Hulu, Peacock, the Bravo cable network, and even Blockbuster Video -- mocked the delay on their social media accounts. NEW YORK TIMES

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COMING TO STREAMING THIS WEEK TUESDAY, APRIL 18 BETTER CALL SAUL: The sixth and final season of the AMC crime drama series aired on cable last summer and comes to Netflix today. Bob Odenkirk stars as Albuquerque criminal defense attorney Jimmy McGill, who by this point has nearly completed his transformation into the shady "Saul Goodman." Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Tony Dalton, and Giancarlo Esposito co-star. [Netflix] HOW TO GET RICH: Debut unscripted educational series in which author and financial adviser Ramit Sethi travels around the US, helping everyday people sort out their money problems. The series was inspired by Sethi's 2009 book, "I Will Teach You To Be Rich," and comes from "Undercover Boss" producers Studio Lambert. [Netflix] WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: ONCE & ALWAYS: Scripted superhero special commemorating the 30th anniversary of the "Power Rangers" franchise, and uniting a number of veterans from throughout the show's history for a new adventure. Steve Cardenas, Walter Jones, David Yost, Catherine Sutherland, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Karan Ashley co-star. [Netflix] ALGIERS, AMERICA: THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT: Five-part sports docuseries centering on the Edna Karr Cougars, a championship football program representing a predominately Black high school in Algiers, New Orleans. Under the mentorship of Coach Brice Brown, players train and compete while facing challenges including gun violence, the drug trade, mass incarceration, and gentrification. [Hulu] THURSDAY, APRIL 20 MRS. DAVIS: Debut sci-fi drama series from co-creators Damon Lindelof ("The Leftovers") and Tara Hernandez ("Young Sheldon"), starring Betty Gilpin as a nun who declares war on a powerful and allegedly benevolent artificial intelligence. Jake McDorman, Andy McQueen, Chris Diamantopoulos, Margo Martindale, Elizabeth Marvel, David Arquette, Ben Chaplin, and Katja Herbers co-star. [Peacock] MIKE JUDGE'S BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD: Paramount+'s revival of the classic '90s animated comedy series is back for a second season. Mike Judge ("King of the Hill") created the series and voices both main characters. The first two episodes premiere Thursday. [Paramount+] THE DIPLOMAT: Debut political thriller series from Debora Cahn ("Vinyl," "Grey's Anatomy"), starring Keri Russell as the new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. While she publicly works to defuse international crises, at home, her marriage with a fellow career diplomat (Rufus Sewell) is falling apart. [Netflix] HIGH SCIENCE: Educational comedy series from Funny or Die, in which perpetually stoned hosts Matt Klinman and Zack Poitras discuss real scientific topics with actual experts in various fields. Paul Bettany provides the voice of Dr. Oh, a robotic bong. [HBO Max] FRIDAY, APRIL 21 GHOSTED: Romantic action-comedy feature from director Dexter Fletcher ("Rocketman") and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick ("Zombieland"), starring Chris Evans as a regular guy who discovers his new crush (Ana de Armas) is actually an international superspy. Adrian Brody, Mike Moh, Amy Sedaris, and Tim Blake Nelson co-star. [Apple TV+] BIG BEASTS: 10-part nature docuseries premiering across the next five weeks, examining some of the largest animals on Earth in their native habitats. Tom Hiddleston narrates. [Apple TV+] DEAD RINGERS: Limited psychological thriller series, based on the 1988 David Cronenberg film, starring Rachel Weisz in a dual role as twin sister gynecologists who share every aspect of their day-to-day lives. Michael Chernus, Poppy Liu, and Britne Oldford co-star; Alice Birch ("Succession," "Normal People") created the series and served as head writer. [Amazon] WILD ISLES: Six-part nature series, originally produced for BBC One, examining wildlife living around the British Isles and Ireland. 95-year-old icon Sir David Attenborough hosts, in what may be his final TV project. [Amazon] SATURDAY, APRIL 22 SECRETS OF THE ELEPHANTS: Four-part nature series from National Geographic and executive producer James Cameron, investigating the animals' rich emotional and internal lives, and unpacking their various cultural behaviors and survival strategies. The series airs this week on cable and streams on both Hulu and Disney+. Natalie Portman narrates. [Hulu and Disney+] DEAR MAMA: Five-part FX docuseries profiling late rapper Tupac Shakur, with a focus on his relationship with his activist mother, Afeni. Filmmaker Allen Hughes ("The Defiant Ones") wrote, directed, and produced. The series debuts Friday night on FX; new episodes hit Hulu on Saturdays. [Hulu] SUNDAY, APRIL 23 SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE: The comedy series -- inspired by the real life of star Bridget Everett -- returns this weekend for a second season. The new season finds Sam (Everett) and Joel (Jeff Hiller) moving in together as platonic roommates. [HBO Max] FROM: The sci-fi horror series from creator John Griffin ("The Twilight Zone") returns for a second season on Sunday. It's set in a small town where the residents are all trapped by mysterious dark forces that won't allow them to leave. Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey, Hannah Cheramy, and Simon Webster co-star. [MGM+]

Warner Bros. Discovery executive Pato Spagnoletto -- the company's chief direct-to-consumer marketing officer -- spoke with Variety ahead of the launch of the merged "Max" streaming service. Spagnoletto explained that the controversial decision to drop HBO from the new platform's name was meant "to signal change," specifically that the new service is intended "for the entire family." More: Both Spagnoletto and WBD president of global streaming JB Perrette have said that they don't feel the "HBO" brand specifically was seen as family-friendly. According to Spagnoletto, "The One To Watch" was chosen as a tagline for the new service because it was already being used internally, and the team felt that it positioned them as "a little bit of the underdog." Spagnoletto also discussed the use of imagery that recalls the "Harry Potter" films in the marketing for the new Max series, noting that it doesn't necessarily mean anything about the new content itself; he suggests that the ads were merely meant to reflect "the history and the richness" of the franchise as a whole. The new Max service launches on May 23. VARIETY

Taylor Hazlewood A 27-year-old respiratory therapist from Kentucky has sued Netflix for including his photo in the true-crime documentary "The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker." An image of Taylor Hazlewood posing with a hatchet is used during a montage in the film, even though he has no other connection to the case. More: The documentary concerns a 2013 TV interview with a hitchhiker named Caleb "Kai" McGillvary, who related a story about rescuing a woman from an attacker using a hatchet. Shortly after his news clip went viral, McGillvary was arrested in connection with the murder of New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy; he was ultimately convicted of the crime in 2019 and sentenced to 57 years in prison. Hazlewood's photo is featured during a sequence about the viral impact of the McGillvary TV interview, with the (apparently inaccurate) implication that he was responding to the news story. Hazlewood claims he was never contacted by producers about the use of his photo; he's seeking $1 million in damages. WASHINGTON POST

Paramount+ announced some casting for its upcoming live-action "Sonic the Hedgehog" spinoff series. Idris Elba will reprise his voice role from the 2022 film "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" as Knuckles the Echidna for the series.  More: The series finds Knuckles taking on police officer Wade Whipple (Adam Pally) as a protégé. "Sonic" film star Tika Sumpter will also make guest appearances as her character, Maddie, while film director Jeff Fowler will helm the pilot episode. The action takes place between "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" and the upcoming sequel "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," slated for theatrical release in December 2024. Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, Ellie Taylor, and Rory McCann also joined the cast in original roles. VARIETY

Apple signed an overall multi-year deal to share its original content with European media company and streamer Canal+. All Canal+ subscribers in select countries will get access to Apple TV+ shows and films at no additional cost, starting on April 20. More: Unlike a traditional carrier deal, Canal+ won't offer Apple TV+ as a standalone hub or service, but will integrate Apple originals into its own apps and network line-ups. The Apple series "The Morning Show," "Foundation," and "Tehran" will be broadcast on Canal+'s premium cable networks. Apple senior VP of services Eddy Cue told Variety that this is a temporary deal designed to boost Apple TV+'s visibility in France. TECHCRUNCH

QUICK HITS Say goodbye to silos. With Miro, teams can sync, flow, and feel the connection of working side by side, even in remote and hybrid work environments.* The long-awaited and already-controversial HBO series "The Idol" debuts on June 4; the series will also screen out of competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival. A new survey from Deloitte found that US households pay an average of $48 per month for streaming subscriptions, and that "subscription fatigue" is apparently on the rise. Sets from Björk and Frank Ocean were not featured as part of YouTube's Coachella livestreams over the weekend, disappointing many fans. The 2015 superhero film "Ant-Man" is now streaming on Disney+ with an American Sign Language option for hearing-impaired and deaf viewers; when in use, viewers will see an ASL performer in the bottom right-hand corner of their screen, translating the film's dialogue. NBCUniversal and BBC ordered a first season of the reality competition series "Destination X," in which contestants race against one another through mystery locations while being actively deceived about their surroundings. Netflix released a trailer for Season 2 of the fantasy drama "Sweet Tooth," based on the DC comics by Jeff Lemire; the new episodes arrive on April 27. "King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone" -- a documentary about the life of England's King Charles III -- debuts on May 2 in the US. The documentary profile "Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me" comes to Netflix on May 16. Sales pros worldwide say sales ops is key to productivity. Download the new "Trends in Sales Ops" report to learn more.* *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.

Surgery won’t look the same in 10 years – invest in Monogram, the robots pioneering more precise procedures.

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