Netflix's Drop 01 event / "One Piece" Week 2 views / SEC fines "Stoner Cats" / Fox bets big on "Krapopolis"

Plus today's calendar, Sunday Ticket moves to YouTube, Scoops Ahoy at Walmart, "For All Mankind" S4, and more

Inside Streaming For September 13, 2023

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Good morning/afternoon, Inside Streaming readers! I really tried to figure out who is making Netflix's "Stranger Things" Scoops Ahoy-branded ice cream, to no avail. Obviously, Netflix and Walmart didn't build a whole factory just to churn out Scoops Ahoy for a single promotion... Seems likely that Wells Dairy, the company that produces Walmart's own "Great Value" brand ice creams, are also producing the new "Stranger Things" line. Though Scoops Ahoy itself, within the world of "Stranger Things," kind of feels like it's modeled on Baskin-Robbins. This would also make sense as a collaboration.  But none of the articles or press releases that I found specified. At some point, I'll try to pick up a pint of The Void and judge for myself, I suppose. Enjoy today's issue! We'll see you back here tomorrow. Lon p/lon-harris

1 Netflix will stream previews of upcoming animated series and new seasons during the Drop 01 virtual event later this month. The event streams on Tudum, YouTube, and Netflix's Twitch channel on September 27 at 9 am PT/12 pm ET. More: The first three episodes of Netflix's new "Castlevania" spinoff series, "Nocturne," will stream in their entirety during the event. Between episodes, Netflix will present clips and "reveals" from several other upcoming shows, including the anime remake "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off," "Blue Eye Samurai," a new season of "Sonic Prime," and the spinoff "Masters of the Universe: Revolution." The full event will run for about 90 minutes.

2 The live-action manga and anime adaptation "One Piece" pulled in about 19.3 million views during its first full week on Netflix, according to the streamer's internal numbers. That made it easily the week's top English-language series on the platform. More: During its debut 4-day weekend, "One Piece" netted around 18.5 million views, bringing it to a total of 37.8 million in under two weeks. Those are relatively strong numbers, but the series still has a long way to go before it has a hope of cracking the streamer's all-time Top 10 list. Already, it seems clear that "One Piece" has exceeded the performance of "Cowboy Bebop," another Netflix live-action anime and manga adaptation from Tomorrow Studios that was canceled after a single season.

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3 DAILY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS: The 40th installment of the annual award show was held Tuesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey; the full broadcast comes to Paramount+ today. Nicki Minaj hosts for the second year in a row; performers include Demi Lovato, Diddy, Doja Cat, Fall Out Boy, Future, Lil Wayne, Olivia Rodrigo, Shakira, and Tomorrow X Together. [Paramount+] THE MORNING SHOW: The drama series, set behind the scenes at a popular network TV morning news show, returns this week for a third season. Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, and Julianna Margulies co-star; Jon Hamm joins the cast this year. [Apple TV+] ELEMENTAL: 2023 animated romantic comedy-drama from Pixar and "The Good Dinosaur" vet Peter Sohn. In a segregated city inhabited by anthropomorphic elements of nature, a young woman made of fire (Leah Lewis) and a water guy (Mamoudou Athie) fall in love. Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Catherine O'Hara co-star. (A behind-the-scenes documentary, "Good Chemistry: The Story of Elemental," also hits D+ today.) [Disney+] ANIMALS UP CLOSE WITH BERTIE GREGORY: Nature series from National Geographic in which the wildlife filmmaker follows individual animals for weeks at a time, developing a thorough and intimate appreciation for their day-to-day lives and struggles. All six episodes premiere today on Disney+. [Disney+] MARVEL STUDIOS ASSEMBLED: THE MAKING OF GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3: The behind-the-scenes docuseries takes an intimate look at the production of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films with insights from the cast and crew. The latest special looks at the third "Guardians" film and features writer/director James Gunn and co-stars Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldaña. [Disney+] MARVEL'S SPIDEY AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS: Animated series from Disney Junior following the kid superhero team of Peter Parker (Spidey), Miles Morales (Spin), and Gwen Stacy (Ghost-Spider). Seven fresh Season 2 episodes come to Disney+ today. [Disney+] RAVEN'S HOME: The Disney Channel live-action supernatural comedy series -- a spinoff of "That's So Raven" -- follows the ongoing adventures of Raven Baxter (Raven-Symoné) and her son, Booker (Isaac Ryan Brown), who has inherited her psychic gift. 4 fresh episodes from the show's ongoing sixth season hit Disney+ today. [Disney+] MIRACULOUS: TALES OF LADYBUG & CAT NOIR: A dubbed version of the French animated series airs in the US on The Disney Channel. The action centers on two Parisian teens who transform into the titular superheroes to save their city. Seven episodes from the show's current fifth season move to Disney+ in the US today. [Disney+] WELCOME TO WREXHAM: FX sports docuseries chronicling the ups and downs of Welsh football club Wrexham AFC following its purchase by North American actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. It's back for a second season. Episodes air Tuesday nights on cable and hit Hulu on Wednesdays. [Hulu] THE OTHER BLACK GIRL: Mystery comedy-drama series, based on the 2021 novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris, starring Sinclair Daniel as an editorial assistant at a New York publishing firm who's tired of being the only Black woman in her office. But when the company hires new staffer Hazel (Ashleigh Murray), her attitude begins to shift. Harris co-wrote the adaptation and produced along with Rashida Jones; Jordan Reddout and Gus Hickey ("Mixed-ish") served as showrunners. [Hulu] THE MAGIC FLUTE: 2022 musical fantasy film from Germany, produced in English and inspired by the 1791 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It's about a struggling new music student (Jack Wolfe) who discovers a magical gateway to another world in his school's library. Iwan Rheon, F. Murray Abraham, Niamh McCormack, and Amir Wilson co-star; filmmaker Roland Emmerich executive produced. [Hulu] WRESTLERS: Debut behind-the-scenes sports docuseries from "Last Chance U" and "Cheer" vet Greg Whiteley and BBC Studios Los Angeles, taking an intimate look at the Ohio Valley Wrestling circuit and the efforts of legendary competitor Al Snow to keep it afloat. [Netflix] CLASS ACT (TAPIE): French biographical drama series, inspired by the life of businessman and politician Bernard Tapie. Laurent Lafitte stars as a fictionalized version of Tapie, whose relentless ambition makes him a notable and ever-controversial public figure. [Netflix] FREESTYLE: Action drama from Poland, starring Maciej Musiałowski as an aspiring rap star, desperate for cash to pay for recording sessions, who sets up a risky drug deal. Maciej Bochniak, a veteran of Poland's "The Office" remake, co-wrote and directed. [Netflix] THE SWARM: Debut English-language sci-fi series, produced in Germany and featuring an international cast, based on the novel by Frank Schätzing. Following a string of brutal attacks by sea creatures, scientists conclude that humanity is under assault by a "swarm intelligence" living in the ocean's depths. Cécile de France, Alexander Karim, Leonie Benesch, and Joshua Odjick co-star. [CW] DONYALE LUNA: SUPER MODEL: HBO documentary profile of the trailblazing fashion icon, who was among the first Black models to appear on the European covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar magazines. Nailah Jefferson ("Vanishing Pearls: The Oystermen of Pointe a la Hache") directs. [Max] HALLOWEEN WARS: Reality competition series from Food Network, spun off from "Holiday Wars," in which various skilled craftspeople -- from cake decorators to candy makers to pumpkin carvers and beyond -- square off in a string of spooky challenges. The first 12 seasons come to Max today; Season 13 debuts on September 17. [Max] HALLOWEEN COOKIE CHALLENGE: Food Network baking competition series in which a group of five bakers participate in a string of cookie-themed showdowns. Jet Tila and Rosanna Pansino co-host. Season 1 hits Max today; new episodes arrive on September 25. [Max] OUTRAGEOUS PUMPKINS: Another Food Network competition series, this one finds expert pumpkin carvers facing off for a shot at a $25,000 grand prize. Alyson Hannigan hosts. The first 3 seasons come to Max today; Season 4 will premiere later on this month. [Max]

4 The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed charges against the animated NFT-backed web series "Stoner Cats." The creators of the series -- Stoner Cats 2 LLC -- did not admit to any wrongdoing, but nonetheless agreed to pay a $1 million fine and will establish a fund to repay customers who purchased their NFTs. More: The "Stoner Cats" series launched in 2021, and was funded by selling NFTs to the public; in all, the NFT offering raised more than $8 million. In exchange for purchasing the NFT, buyers had access to view the series and received their own "Stoner Cat" avatar; they would also theoretically receive sneak previews and insight into future animated projects. The series was co-created by Ash Brannon, Chris Cartagena, and Sarah Cole; voice actors included Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Chris Rock, Jane Fonda, and Seth MacFarlane. According to the SEC, the company failed to register its NFT offerings, and paid talent via "illicit funds." Six episodes of the series were created; the story centers on a group of cats who become self-aware after accessing their owner's stash of medicinal cannabis.

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5 Fox's animated comedy series "Krapopolis" from "Community" and "Rick & Morty" vet Dan Harmon is one of very few original scripted series debuting this fall on network TV. The show is significant for Fox both because of its central position on the fall schedule, and as the first original production from the network's newly-acquired Bento Box studio. More: Fox and Bento Box plan to develop more relationships with creators like Harmon moving forward. "Krapopolis" has already been renewed for three seasons, prior to its TV and streaming debut on September 24. The series is set in a mythical version of Ancient Greece in which humans and gods interact; the voice cast includes Hannah Waddingham, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Pam Murphy and Duncan Trussell. One other animated series -- the Jon Hamm-narrated mystery-comedy "Grimsburg" -- will hit Fox at midseason; otherwise, the network's line-up includes returning scripted series or reality shows. Fox also renewed the reality competition series "Lego Masters" for a fifth season. If the strikes are not resolved by October 1, it's unlikely any additional scripted episodes will be produced for the 2023-2024 broadcast TV season.

6 According to the NFL, the Sunday Ticket package has more subscribers this year on YouTube TV than it did last season on DirecTV. Sunday Ticket made its debut on DirecTV in 1994; this is the first football season in which it's been available on an alternate platform. More: Sports Illustrated has dubbed Sunday Ticket's move to YouTube as a "clear success." YouTube does not offer the "Game Mix" DirecTV option, featuring eight games on screen simultaneously; instead, it offers a multi-view option allowing fans to check in with up to four games at once. Some fans were critical of the lack of customization options within multi-view; YouTube picks the four games that are featured, rather than allowing fans to select for themselves. Google is reportedly paying the NFL around $2 billion per season for the Sunday Ticket rights.

7 Pints of Scoops Ahoy ice cream, the fictional brand featured in Netflix's "Stranger Things," are now available to purchase in Walmart stores across the US and Australia. Seven flavors are available, including USS Butterscotch, Chocolate Pudding, Mint Flare, "The Void," and Pineapple Upside Down. More: The ice creams will soon expand their global footprint to the UK, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, and Japan. Netflix also released a mysterious new video showcasing the Season 4 destruction of some parts of Hawkins, Indiana, including the Scoops Ahoy ice cream shop within the Starcourt Mall. The fifth and final season of the coming-of-age sci-fi horror series has been delayed by the Hollywood strikes.

8 QUICK HITS How much should you pay influencers in Q4? Get the benchmarks in this blog.* Apple dropped a trailer for Season 4 of the sci-fi drama series "For All Mankind," arriving on November 10; the new episodes take place in an alternate version of 2003, when the space program is focused on mining mineral-rich asteroids. Hulu ordered the six-episode docuseries "It's All Country," exploring iconic songs and artists that forever changed country music; Luke Bryan hosts and executive produces, alongside Peyton Manning. The "Pet Sematary" prequel film "Bloodlines" hits Paramount+ on October 6; Jackson White stars as a young version of Jud Crandall, the neighbor played by Fred Gwynne in the 1989 original. The family holiday comedy feature "Dashing Through the Snow" hits Disney+ on November 17; Ludacris stars as a grumpy dad who has a chance Christmas Eve encounter with an eccentric (Lil Rel Howery) who believes he's Santa Claus. A sequel to Nickelodeon's live-action 2022 film "Monster High: The Movie" will debut on Paramount+ in time for Halloween; the films are based on the Mattel toy franchise, about the offspring of iconic monsters. CBS picked up the humorous chat series "Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen" to temporarily replace "The Late Late Show with James Corden" in its late-night schedule; following the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the spot will be filled with a new take on the Comedy Central game show series "@midnight." The National Book Awards dropped Drew Barrymore as host this week, following her controversial decision to resume production on her talk show during dual Hollywood strikes. Netflix announced an upcoming Japanese romantic drama series, "Beyond Goodbye," from screenwriter Yoshikazu Okada ("The Last 10 Years"); Kasumi Arimura stars as a grieving woman who gets to know the man who received her fiance's heart as a transplant. Hyperstack: Direct access to NVIDIA GPUs at scale, built for AI workloads, per-minute billing. Secure H100s & A100s today!* *This is sponsored content

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Knowledge Hub Term of the Day Return on investment: Return on investment measures the amount of realized value produced minus the cost to achieve that result. Read More Question of the Week Do you share details about your salary with your coworkers? Join the conversation

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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 Lon Harris

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