"Only Murders" S3 hits #3 / Fallon apologizes to staff / Roku pulls Quibi shows / "One Piece" S2 scripts are done

Plus the weekend calendar, Apple's "Monarch" trailer, Amazon previews "The Burial," new "Castlevania" spinoff, and more

Inside Streaming For September 08, 2023

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Happy Friday! We're bidding a fond farewell to Quibi shows this week. Once the all-mobile all-the-time streaming service folded, mere months after its debut, Roku stepped in to save some of the app's more "popular" shows. That included the "Reno 911!" reboot, a new series based on "The Fugitive," and "Dishmantled," a cooking competition series in which chefs had to guess what dishes had been fired at them via a food cannon and then reconstruct them from memory. Yes, this was a real show. Tituss Burgess hosted it. But now Roku is pulling these shows from its ad-supported free streaming line-up, claiming it needs to save cash and they weren't bringing in a lot of new viewership anyway. These Quibi shows were truly out of time, launching in April 2020 but essentially replicating Facebook-friendly BuzzFeed-style content from a decade before. It was as if Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman had just missed the YouTube phenomenon entirely, so when they came up with a new platform with very similar content -- but a lot less of it, and you had to pay a monthly subscription fee -- they didn't realize they were re-inventing the wheel until it was too late. Anyway, it's over now, and now those shows may very well have disappeared forever. Enjoy today's issue and we'll see you next week! Lon p/lon-harris

1 The Season 3 premiere of Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" hit #9 on Nielsen's Top 10 list of streaming shows during its debut week, from August 7-13. The comedy-mystery series was viewed for around 719 minutes total throughout the week, good enough for #3 on the Streaming Originals chart. More: The USA Network legal drama "Suits" -- now streaming on both Netflix and Peacock -- continued its dominance of the Nielsen charts for the eighth week in a row. "Suits" was viewed for another 3 billion minutes in early August, making it the first series in streaming history to hit that milestone for seven consecutive weeks. To date, "Suits" has been streamed for 26.5 billion minutes across both platforms. Only two other shows exceeded the 1 billion minutes milestone between August 7-13: "The Lincoln Lawyer" on Netflix and "Bluey" on Disney+.

2 According to CNN, "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon apologized to his staff in the wake of a "toxic workplace" exposé in Rolling Stone. According to a follow-up Rolling Stone story, Fallon hosted a Zoom call with staff in which he told them he's embarrassed by the story and "feel[s] so bad, I can't even tell you." More: Fallon apparently told staffers that he wants "The Tonight Show" to be a "fun" environment that's "inclusive to everybody." 16 current and former employees made allegations against Fallon and his producers in the article, in some cases complaining that their experiences were detrimental to their mental health. Fallon currently appears on the "Strike Force Five" podcast along with fellow late-night hosts John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers.

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3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 THE CHANGELING: Debut fantasy-horror series, based on the novel by Victor LaValle. LaKeith Stanfield stars as a used book dealer whose wife (Adina Porter) mysteriously vanishes shortly after the birth of their first child. Clark Backo, Samuel T. Herring, and Malcolm Barrett co-star; Kelly Marcel ("Saving Mr. Banks") created the series and wrote the adaptation. [Apple TV+] SITTING IN BARS WITH CAKE: 2023 romantic comedy-drama feature, inspired by Audrey Shulman's book and the real-life trend of "cakebarring." Yara Shahidi and Odessa A'zion co-star as best friends who begin bringing cakes to bars as a way of meeting new people; the tradition takes on greater significance after they receive some tragic personal news. Shulman wrote the script; Trish Sie ("Pitch Perfect 3") directed. [Amazon] SELLING THE OC: The reality series follows brothers Jason and Brett Oppenheim as they open a new luxury real estate office in Orange County, California. The Season 2 cast also includes Alexandra Hall, Alexandra Jarvis, Alexandra Rose, Tyler Stanaland, Polly Brindle, Lauren Shortt, Kyle Cardona, Gio Helou, Brandi Marshall, Sean Palmieri, and Austin Victoria. [Netflix] SPY OPS: Historical docuseries, from the producers of "Spycraft," in which retired intelligence operatives from different global agencies share insider stories about espionage tactics and real covert operations. [Netflix] POKÉMON ULTIMATE JOURNEYS: THE SERIES: The animated "Pokémon" series returns to Netflix for the fourth and final chunk of its 25th season, subtitled "To Be a Pokémon Master." These episodes are set in the continuity from the recent Pokémon films (starting with 2017's "I Choose You!"), and follow the final adventures of Ash and Pikachu. [Netflix] BURNING BODY (EL CUERPO EN LLAMAS): Scripted Spanish true-crime drama series, inspired by the 2017 killing of 38-year-old Barcelona police agent Pedro Rodríguez. After the murder of a police officer, two fellow agents become the primary suspects: his girlfriend and her lover. Úrsula Corberó, Quim Gutiérrez, and Pep Tosar co-star. [Netflix] ROSA PERAL'S TAPES (LAS CINTAS DE ROSA PERAL): True-crime documentary feature from Spain, centered on the real case that inspired "Burning Body," and featuring the first prison interviews from former police agent and convicted killer Rosa Peral. [Netflix] A TIME CALLED YOU: First-year fantasy-romance series from Korea, based on the Taiwanese series "Someday Or One Day." Jeon Yeo-been stars as Jun-hee, a grieving woman from 2023 who's sent back in time to the year 1998, where she meets a man bearing an uncanny resemblance to her late boyfriend. Ahn Hyo-seop and Kang Hoon co-star. [Netflix] DREAMING WHILST BLACK: First-year British comedy series from co-creator, writer, and star Adjani Salmon. She plays Kwabena, who works a dull recruiting job by day but dreams of becoming a filmmaker. Dani Moseley, Demmy Ladipo, and Rachel Adedeji co-star. The series airs on Friday nights on Showtime in the US, starting this week. [Paramount+] TINY TOONS LOONIVERSITY: Debut animated series, a reboot of '90s favorite "Tiny Toon Adventures" that's set in a separate continuity, in which the characters attend college together at ACME Looniversity. [Max] 97 MINUTES: 2023 direct-to-VOD action-thriller set on board a hijacked commercial airliner with just 97 minutes to make a landing before its fuel runs out. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Alec Baldwin, and MyAnne Buring co-star; Timo Vuorensola ("Iron Sky") directed. [Hulu] BLOOD FLOWER (HARUM MALAM): 2022 horror film from Malaysia, starring Idan Aedan as a young apprentice faith healer who's being tormented by a malicious spirit. Dain Said ("Dukun") co-wrote the script and directed. This is the first-ever Shudder Original from Malaysia. [Shudder] SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CBS Sports' broadcasts of UNLV at Michigan and UCLA at San Diego State both stream for Paramount+ subscribers today. The games start at 12:30 pm PT. [Paramount+] NWSL CHALLENGE CUP: Paramount+ also gets CBS' stream of this weekend's Challenge Cup Finals. The match starts at 9:30 am PT on Saturday. [Paramount+] GUIDING EMILY: Drama feature from Hallmark, following both a newly-blind woman's (Sarah Drew) period of adjustment, along with her future guide dog's sometimes difficult training process. Eric McCormack, Antonio Cupo, and Sharon Taylor co-star. [Peacock] AMBIENT SWIM: A collection of relaxing segments that combine music, voice-over narration, and animation, produced for the Adult Swim cable network. Season 2 comes to Max today. [Max] SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: Sunday night's Week 1 NFL match-up between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants starts on NBC and Peacock at 5:20 pm ET. [Peacock] NFL ON CBS: CBS' Week 1 NFL line-up features a double-header, based on your local market. The first game starts at 1 pm ET, while Game 2 follows at 4:25 pm. [Paramount+] THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON: Post-apocalyptic horror-drama series, spun off from "The Walking Dead," and featuring Norma Reedus reprising his role as hunter Daryl Dixon. The new episodes find Dixon washing ashore in France, the origin of the zombie plague, and searching for a way to get home. Clémence Poésy, Adam Nagaitis, and Anne Charrier co-star. [AMC+] RIDE WITH NORMAN REEDUS: The travel series follows the actor and motorcycle enthusiast as he explores biker culture in exotic and far-flung destinations around the world. It's back this week for a sixth season, including guests Keanu Reeves, Josh Holloway, Adri Law, and Johnny Knoxville. [AMC+] UNSELLABLE HOUSES: The HGTV reality series follows twin sisters Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb as they help desperate homeowners across the Pacific Northwest to perform emergency renovations that will help flip their properties at long last. It's back this week on cable and Max for a fourth season. [Max] FLCL: GRUNGE: Debut anime series, following up on the classic series "FLCL" but with a new look and artistic style. The action centers on a group of three teens in an apocalyptic, dystopian world who are struggling with their transition into adulthood. Episodes stream on Max and air as part of the "Toonami" anime anthology on cable's Adult Swim network. [Max] LOVE & MARRIAGE: DETROIT: Debut reality series from the Oprah Winfrey Network following the lives of a group of three Black families and their friends, all of whom have long-standing ties to the city of Detroit. Season 1 aired earlier this summer on OWN and hits Max today. [Max] CORSAGE: 2022 historical drama feature starring Vicky Krieps as 19th Century Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who rebels against the expectations placed on her office and devises a cunning strategy to cement her legacy. Florian Teichtmeister, Katharina Lorenz, and Jeanne Werner co-star; Austrian filmmaker Marie Kreutzer ("The Ground Beneath My Feet") wrote and directed. [Hulu]

4 Roku pulled 37 original shows from the Roku Channel, including a number of programs that were acquired from the now-defunct Quibi app. The removed shows include the revival of Comedy Central's "Reno 911!," the Anna Kendrick sex doll comedy "Dummy," the Sophie Turner thriller "Survive," stunt racing showcase "Elba vs. Block," and a reimagining of the classic short story "The Most Dangerous Game" starring Christoph Waltz. More: Roku acquired Quibi's assets in early 2021. Two seasons of the Canadian sitcom "Children Ruin Everything" were also pulled from Roku Channel. Roku removed the programming in order to cut expenses, and will take a $55-$65 million content impairment charge. According to Variety, the Quibi shows were not helping Roku to attract new viewers.

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5 Though Netflix has yet to formally renew the live-action "One Piece" series, producers told Variety that scripts for a potential second season are already completed. Tomorrow Studios CEO Marty Adelstein told Variety "we've got scripts ready," and producers would need around one year to complete work on new episodes once the strikes have ended. More: Tomorrow Studios president Becky Clements reiterated that the production can move forward very quickly once talent is available. The show has had some early success on Netflix, rising to the #1 spot on its US weekly watch list; the streamer reports that it had 18.5 million views after four days on the platform. Clements said that, according to discussions with Netflix, the show has exceeded expectations; she considers a Season 2 renewal likely. Tomorrow Studios also produced the significantly less-popular live-action adaptation of "Cowboy Bebop" for Netflix, which was canceled after just one season.

6 Apple dropped a trailer for the upcoming Godzilla series "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters." The show connects to Legendary's theatrical "Monsterverse" film series, and centers on the covert international organization -- Monarch -- that monitors kaiju activity around the globe. More: The action is set after the events of 2019's "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," and follows two siblings exploring their own family's connection to Monarch. Kurt Russell and his real-life son Wyatt Russell co-star as the same character, Army officer Lee Shaw, at different moments in his life. John Goodman also reprises his role as Monarch administrator Bill Randa from the film "Kong: Skull Island." Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Anders Holm, and Mari Yamamoto co-star. The first two episodes hit Apple TV+ on November 17. The next Legendary Monsterview film -- "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" -- is slated for release on April 12.

7 Amazon released a trailer for "The Burial," a courtroom comedy-drama feature based on a 1999 New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr. Jamie Foxx stars as personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary, who takes on a case that pits an independent funeral home owner (Tommy Lee Jones) against a massive corporation. More: Jurnee Smollett and Alan Ruck co-star. The film debuts this weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival; it will also play in select theaters before hitting Prime Video on October 13. Maggie Betts ("Novitiate") directed.

8 QUICK HITS Launch your MVP with AWS. The Build Accelerator offers access to on-demand content, technical support, and $2K in AWS Activate credits. Apply today!* Netflix's new animated "Castlevania" spinoff series "Nocturne" debuts on September 28, but fans can get an early sneak peek during the streamer's first-ever Drop 01 Twitch broadcast the day before. FX released a trailer for "A Murder at the End of the World," a mystery-thriller series starring Emma Corrin and Clive Owen, from "The OA" vets Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij; the 7-episode whodunnit series hits cable on November 14, and Hulu the following day. In a new Los Angeles Times profile, "The Last of Us" co-creator Craig Mazin confirms that the HBO series has already cast an actor to play Abby in Season 2. The three-part HBO documentary "Savior Complex" explores whistleblower allegations against former American missionary Renee Bach, who is accused of providing medical treatment to Ugandan children without qualifications or a license; the series arrives on September 26. Amazon's UK content chief, Dan Grabiner, will exit the company in October to launch his own production company. ARM targets $60 billion IPO valuation, Instacart at $24b. Get access to the Top 25 pre-IPO deals like Stripe, OpenAI, Databricks and Anduril.* *This is sponsored content

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Knowledge Hub Term of the Day Data mining: Data mining refers to the process of sorting through and analyzing large quantities of raw data. 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 Eduardo Garcia

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