"Ted Lasso" hits ratings high / Ad market chart / "The Idol" S2 rumors / "Velma" renewed

Plus the weekend calendar, "Real Housewives" edited for Peacock, Wes Anderson's "Henry Sugar," and more

Inside Streaming For June 16, 2023

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We've got a jam-packed issue for you today, including some spicy rumors about the fate of HBO's "The Idol" and the latest from France's Annecy animation festival, where Max revealed they're bringing the largely despised animated comedy "Velma" back for a surprise second season. It's a robust weekend calendar as well, with summer movie season hitting the streaming platforms. Netflix has their big action sequel "Extraction 2" this weekend, featuring Chris Hemsworth's return as international mercenary Tyler Rake, while the UK rom-com/martial arts mash-up "Polite Society" makes its Peacock debut. Have any questions or comments for me? Anything you want to read about more that we don't feature enough? Hit reply on this email and let me hear from you! Thanks for reading Inside Streaming. Lon p/lon-harris

1 Apple's "Ted Lasso" hit #4 on Nielsen's Top 10 streaming chart for the week of May 15 through May 21st, with 769 minutes viewed. It was the best performance in the show's history, for an episode that led into what's believed to be the series finale. More: The Netflix action film "The Mother" and period drama series "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" continued their runs atop the list, with over 1 billion minutes viewed each. "S.W.A.T." -- the former CBS procedural drama which now streams on Netflix, Hulu, and Paramount+ -- accumulated 635 minutes viewed across all three platforms. Due to technical problems, Prime Video's "Air" was not featured on Nielsen's top movies list for the previous week, May 8-14; the company issued a correction, and noted that "Air" would have been the week's third most-streamed film.

2 The US Ad Market Tracker: Standard Media Index's "US Ad Market Tracker" is a composite of ad spending from major agencies, to get an overall picture of how much is being spent on both traditional and digital advertising. In Inside Streaming, we've frequently spoken about the slump in the online ad market, which prompted belt-tightening and less ambitious content budgets across the industry. Looking at the raw numbers, it's clear that a portion of the US advertising economy entered a recession in mid-2022. 2021 Was a Record Year: Part of what makes the 16.4% total drop in growth across 2022 such a shock to the system was the massive overall boom in the digital ad space throughout 2020 and 2021. Nearly every ad spending measure that's tracked by major agencies and analytics firms were climbing at their fastest rates ever in 2021. The sudden and unanticipated slump in the digital ad market also coincides with an expected, trend-based drop in spending on the conventional ad market, which slipped 0.9% in 2022, and shows few signs of returning to its previous health. Looking Forward: Data from eMarketer suggests that media ad spending will continue to grow over the next few years, but at a slower rate than the growth the market experienced during the pandemic. They're forecasting 6.9% overall growth in worldwide media spending by the end of 2023.

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3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, JUNE 16 EXTRACTION 2: 2023 action-thriller -- a sequel to 2020's "Extraction" -- in which Chris Hemsworth returns as international black ops mercenary Tyler Rake. In the new film, Rake is assigned to rescue a Georgian gangster's family from a well-guarded prison facility. Adam Bessa, Olga Kurylenko, Golshifteh Farahani, and Daniel Bernhardt co-star; writer Joe Russo and director Sam Hargrave return from the first "Extraction." [Netflix] BLACK CLOVER: SWORD OF THE WIZARD KING: Japanese anime feature, based on the "Black Clover" manga by Yūki Tabata and its animated series adaptation. It centers on two orphans -- an ingenious mage and a boy born without magic -- as they square off to win the title of Wizard King. [Netflix] OUTLANDER: The romantic sci-fi fantasy drama about a 20th Century nurse (Catríona Balfe) who travels back to 18th Century Scotland and falls for a Highland warrior (Sam Heughan) returns this week for a seventh season. Season 7 will be split into two 8-episode halves; Part 2 arrives next year. The series is based on novels by Diana Gabaldon, and has already been renewed for an eighth and final season. A prequel is also in the works. [Starz] POLITE SOCIETY: 2023 action comedy from the UK, which had its world premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Priya Kansara stars as a martial artist and aspiring stuntwoman who sets out to save her sister from getting married by pulling off an elaborate wedding heist. Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Akshay Khanna, and Seraphina Beh co-star. The film is the feature debut of writer/director Nida Manzoor. [Peacock] LOUDMOUTH: Documentary profile of the activist and media figure Rev. Al Sharpton, featuring insights from the man himself, along with President Barack Obama, Rev. Jesse Jackson, James Brown, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and others. The film -- which premiered earlier this year at Tribeca -- debuts tonight on Paramount+ and Sunday on the Showtime cable network. [Paramout+] THE GRAND TOUR: EUROCRASH: Unscripted series in which Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May set off on a 1,400-mile journey across Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia in a series of unlikely or unexpected vehicles. [Amazon] SPOILER ALERT: 2022 romantic drama, based on Michael Ausiello's memoir, "Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies." Jim Parsons stars as Ausiello, whose partner Kit (Ben Aldridge) stays with him and cares for him after he's diagnosed with stage-4 neuroendocrine cancer. Sally Field and Bill Irwin co-star; Michael Showalter ("The Big Sick") directed. [Amazon] AN UNFORGETTABLE YEAR - WINTER (UM ANO INESQUECÍVEL - INVERNO): The third of Amazon's collection of four Brazilian teen romantic comedy features is based on a short story by Paula Pimenta. Maitê Padilha stars as Mabel, whose graduation plans with her friends are ruined when she's forced to embark on a Chilean ski vacation with her parents. [Amazon] CHEVALIER: 2023 biographical drama feature, based on the life of 18th Century French-Caribbean musician Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). The film follows Bologne -- the child of an African slave and her European master -- as he becomes a popular yet controversial performer at the court of French Queen Marie-Antoinette (Lucy Boynton). Samara Weaving, Marton Csokas, and Minnie Driver co-star; Stephen Williams ("Soul Survivor") directed. [Hulu] MAYBE I DO: 2023 romantic comedy feature from writer/director Michael Jacobs, based on his play, "Cheaters." It's about a young couple who decide to introduce their parents, then discover the old folks already know one another rather intimately. Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, William H. Macy, Emma Roberts, and Luke Bracey co-star. [Hulu] STAN LEE: Original documentary profiling the legendary Marvel Comics writer and editor, who was credited with helping to develop many of the publisher's most iconic heroes and villains. The film debuted at the Tribeca Festival and commemorates what would have been Lee's 100th birthday. [Disney+] PRETTY FREEKIN SCARY: Debut Disney Channel live-action comedy series, based on the books by Chris P. Flesh. Eliana Su'a stars as 14-year-old Frankie Ripp, who's killed in a freak accident but permitted by the Grim Reaper to return to Earth, so long as she obeys her Underworld guardians (Kyan Samuels and Leah Mei Gold). The first 7 episodes come to Disney+ in the US today. [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. The first 5 Season 2 episodes come to Disney+ today. [Disney+] MORIMOTO'S SUSHI MASTER: Debut reality competition series focused exclusively on sushi preparation and presentation, featuring renowned chef and restauranteur Masaharu Morimoto as head judge. Lyrica Okano hosts. [Roku] THE LOST KING: 2022 comedy-drama feature from the UK, inspired by a true story and based on the 2013 book "The King's Grave" by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones. Sally Hawkins stars as Langley, who comes to believe she's located the remains of King Richard III under a parking lot in Leicester. Steve Coogan co-stars and executive produced; Stephen Frears ("Philomena") directed. [AMC+ / Acorn TV] LOVELY LITTLE FARM: The kids' series combines live-action and animation to relate the story of sisters Jill and Jacky, who raise a variety of animals -- real and mythological -- on their magical farm. It's back for a second season. [Apple TV+] HOFFMAN FAMILY GOLD: Discovery reality series in which "Gold Rush" vet Todd Hoffman -- along with his father Jack and son Hunter -- attempts to turn around a rundown gold mine 80 miles north of Nome, Alaska. Season 2 premieres this weekend on both cable and Max. [Max] SATURDAY, JUNE 17 GREY'S ANATOMY: The ABC medical drama series' 19th season premiered in October on network TV and hits Netflix in its entirety today. Series lead Ellen Pompeo reduced her involvement in the show this year, while former castmate Kate Walsh returned in a recurring capacity. Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Kevin McKidd, and Caterina Scorsone co-star. [Netflix] KING THE LAND: Debut romantic comedy series from Korea, about the relationship between the wealthy but dour heir (Lee Jun-ho) of a luxury hotel group and the always-cheerful manager (Im Yoon-ah) of his company's flagship property. [Netflix] SEE YOU IN MY 19th LIFE: First-year Korean romantic fantasy-comedy series, based on a popular internet comic, starring Shin Hye Sun as a woman who can endlessly reincarnate and recall her past lives. After her 18th life is cut tragically short, she dedicates Life #19 to reconnecting with all those she left behind prematurely. [Netflix] JOHN EARLY: NOW MORE THAN EVER: Hour-long HBO music and comedy special, shot at Brooklyn's Roulette Intermedium in the style of a gritty 1970s rock documentary, and featuring back-up from the comedian's "loyal band," The Lemon Squares. [Max] SUNDAY, JUNE 18 THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY: The fifth series in AMC and Robert Kirkman's "Walking Dead" franchise features Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan reprising their roles as Maggie and Negan. The new series finds them traveling to post-apocalyptic Manhattan in search of Maggie's kidnapped son, Hershel. Gaius Charles, Željko Ivanek, and Michael Anthony co-star; "Walking Dead" and "Son of Zorn" vet Eli Jorné created the new series. [AMC+] THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES: The dark comedy crime series from co-star and creator Danny McBride -- centering on the Gemstone family of megachurch pastors and televangelists -- returns for a third season this weekend. John Goodman, Adam DeVine, Edi Patterson, Cassidy Freeman, and Walton Goggins co-star. [Max] BEACHSIDE BRAWL: The Food Network competition series pits chefs from the East Coast against their West Coast rivals, in a battle to determine who prepares the best summer dishes. It's back for a second season this week on both cable and Max; Antonia Lofaso hosts. [Max] THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE: DAVID VS. GOLIATH: The 16th season of the Food Network reality competition series brings nine food truck operators from across the US to Los Angeles -- the epicenter of food truck culture -- for a showdown testing not just their culinary expertise but marketing savvy and selling skills. Jet Tila, Joe Sasto, and last season's winner, Evanice Holz, serve as judges; Tyler Florence hosts. [Max] WE BABY BEARS: The animated series -- a prequel to the original "We Bare Bears" following Grizz, Panda, and Ice Bear as cubs -- is back for a second season. Connor Andrade, Amari McCoy, and Max Mitchell co-star; Demetri Martin narrates. [Max] THE WEDDING CONTRACT: Romantic comedy feature from Hallmark, starring Becca Tobin and Jake Epstein as a Jewish couple whose wedding plans are thrown into disarray after their opinionated and controlling mothers meet for the first time. [Peacock]

4 According to a report in Page Six, HBO's controversial drama series "The Idol" won't return for a second season. One source told the tabloid that "this was never meant to be a long-running show"; the report also suggests that star and co-creator The Weeknd's "egomaniacal" behavior on-set has been an issue. More: HBO denied the report on Twitter. Reviews have been largely unkind to the series, which was also the subject of a Rolling Stone exposé and has seen backlash on social media to some of its more sexually explicit content. Viewership on Episode 2 of the series dipped from the premiere. The series was originally directed by Amy Seimetz, who had filmed the majority of her episodes before exiting the project; The Weeknd and co-creator Sam Levinson reworked the series themselves.

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5 At the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Thursday, Max original comedy chief Suzanna Makkos unveiled the streamer's upcoming slate of adult animated series. The line-up includes a second season of the divisive "Scooby Doo" reimagining "Velma," from producer and star Mindy Kaling. More: Kaling, Constance Wu, Sam Richardson, and Glenn Howerton will all return for "Velma" Season 2; the show takes place before the Scooby Gang's iconic adventuers in the Mystery Machine, when they're still in high school together. Makkos previewed a new series, "Anything Factory," from "Rick & Morty" vet Tom Kauffman; it's about a guy who returns to help out his family business, a Willy Wonka-esque factory. Max also released a trailer for the long-awaited upcoming second season of "Ten Year Old Tom."

6 An episode of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" Season 15 was edited before being uploaded to Peacock. Following a delay in the traditional Peacock next-day release schedule, the episode was posted with an altered intro, appearing to remove former cast member Nene Leakes. More: During the episode's "Previously On..." montage, the title card appears to glitch, showing an intro screen from the series' fourth season. However, it appears that Leakes -- who has sued Bravo in the past, making claims of a racist work environment -- had been removed from the Season 4 title card.  Following a backlash from fans on social media, Peacock edited the intro, entirely removing the Season 4 title card; the episode now just features the original title card "glitching out." Leakes thanked her fans on Twitter for calling attention to the change.

7 In a wide-ranging interview with IndieWire, filmmaker Wes Anderson discussed his upcoming Netflix adaptation of author Roald Dahl's "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar." Anderson's film -- his second based on a Dahl story, after "Fantastic Mr. Fox" -- runs just 37 minutes long. More: Anderson had planned to adapt "Henry Sugar" for the screen prior to Netflix's acquisition of Dahl's complete works. Benedict Cumberbatch will star in "Henry Sugar" as a professional gambler who can see with his eyes closed Anderson compared his 37-minute project to BBC's classic "Play for Today" series, brief programs from notable future filmmakers including Stephen Frears and John Schlesinger. Anderson previously directed the 13-minute short "Hotel Chevalier," which served as a prequel for his film "The Darjeeling Limited." "Henry Sugar" will hit Netflix this fall; Anderson's latest feature-length film, "Asteroid City," is in US theaters now.

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Knowledge Hub Term of the Day Data-driven attribution: Data-driven attribution is an attribution model used in marketing to measure the impact of touchpoints throughout the customer journey. Read More Question of the Week How do you feel about the phrase "The customer is always right"? Join the conversation

INSIDE STREAMING LEADERBOARD (ALL-TIME) 🥇 Cesar Santamaria (63) 🥈 Ayhan Ergezen (60) 🥉 Jon Lusty (57)

Lon Harris Writer 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." This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia

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