Xumo launches Stream Box / Netflix selling more merch / SAG-AFTRA talks continue / Report on Android device malware

Plus today's calendar, Wolf Entertainment returns to work, Roy Wood exits "Daily Show," "Masters of the Air" in Jan., and more

Inside Streaming For October 05, 2023

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Hello Inside Streaming readers! Personally, I can't believe Comedy Central is passing on Roy Wood Jr. to host "The Daily Show." He's been one of their best correspondents for years, he's a brilliant comic in his own right, and he clearly wanted the job and was excited to take over the franchise. What more do you want? I'm also a Hasan Minhaj fan but, if it's not going to be him... Wood strikes me as the ideal candidate. Not sure who they think they're going to find that's going to be better and also more accepted by current "Daily Show" fans.  Oh well, that's just my hot take. Enjoy today's issue! Lon p/lon-harris

1 Xumo introduced its new Stream Box, available at no cost for all Spectrum TV subscribers. Xumo is a 50-50 collaboration between Comcast and Charter Communications, the two largest cable operators in the US. More: Charter and Comcast first announced plans to collaborate around 18 months ago. Xumo is also the name of Comcast's free ad-supported streaming service, which will provide the device's native content. The Stream Box is built on top of Comcast's "Flex" devices. In addition to free ad-supported channels from Xumo, the box will also come with a number of built-in streaming apps, including Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Max, Netflix, Peacock, Pluto, Prime Video, and Tubi. Spectrum subscribers get their first Stream Box for free and will have the option to pay for additional boxes; Comcast will soon begin offering Stream Boxes to its Xfinity subscribers. Xumo president Marcien Jenckes says the company wants to "build a complete entertainment experience that breaks down the streaming silos and makes TV easy again."

2 A new report from The Wall Street Journal looks at Netflix's various efforts to further capitalize on its popular franchises. While the streamer previously waited for a series to build up a large following before launching merchandise, they started developing products based on the live-action "One Piece" series right away. More: The company now plans to begin workshopping merchandise based around properties while they're in production, or potentially even earlier in the development process. In this way, Netflix's strategy is coming to resemble Disney, which has long focused on consumer products and experiences alongside its entertainment releases. "One Piece" merch that's now available in stores includes keychains sold at Walmart, sweatshirts at Zara, T-shirts at PacSun, chocolates at FYE, and figurines produced with the Japanese toy company Bandai; many of these items have been in development for over a year. In addition to selling merch, Netflix is also beginning to build out real-world experiences -- such as VR games, pop-up restaurants, and fan meetups -- based on its intellectual property.

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3 DAILY CALENDAR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5 LOKI: The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) sci-fi drama series -- charting the mischievous Asgardian prince's adventures through space and time -- returns for a second season at 9 pm ET on Thursday. Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia DiMartino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, and Jonathan Majors co-star; Ke Huy Quan joins the cast for Season 2. [Disney+] OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH: The historical comedy-drama series -- loosely based on the life of aristocrat-turned-pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) -- is back for a second season. Taika Waititi, Nathan Foad, Joel Fry, Samson Kayo, Vico Ortiz, Samba Schutte, and Ewen Bremner co-star. [Max] BATTLEBOTS: Season 12 of the rebooted reality competition series -- in which specially designed remote-controlled armed and armored machines do combat -- debuted in January on Discovery Channel. The second half of the season comes to Max today. Chris Rose, Kenny Florian, and Faruq Tauheed co-host. [Max] EVERYTHING NOW: First-year YA comedy-drama series from the UK. "Talk to Me" breakout Sophie Wilde stars as a teen from London who returns to school after an extended hospital stay to treat her anorexia. Lauryn Ajufo, Jessie Mae Alonzo, Vivienne Acheampong, Alex Hassell, and Stephen Fry co-star; newcomer Ripley Parker created. [Netflix] LUPIN: The French mystery-thriller series returns with a collection of 7 new episodes, which Netflix has dubbed "Part 3." Omar Sy stars as ingenious professional thief Assane Diop, who takes inspiration from the classic literary character Arsène Lupin. Ludivine Sagnier and Etan Simon co-star. [Netflix] KHUFIYA: Hindi-language spy thriller film from India, based on the novel "Escape to Nowhere" by Amar Bhushan. Tabu stars as a government operative tracking a mole who's selling India's defense secrets abroad. Ali Fazal, Wamiqa Gabbi, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Atul Kulkarni co-star; Vishal Bhardwaj ("Modern Love: Mumbai") directs. [Netflix] MONSTER HIGH 2: 2023 live-action musical fantasy film from Nickelodeon, based on Mattel's Monster High toy franchise, and serving as a direct sequel to 2022's "Monster High: The Movie." Close friends Clawdeen Wolf (Miia Harris), Draculaura (Nayah Damasen), and Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot) face new challenges as they enter their sophomore year at a high school for the children of iconic monsters. [Paramount+] BARGAIN: Six-part dystopian thriller series from Korea, adapted by writer/director Jeon Woo-sung from his own short film. It's set at a remote brothel that actually serves as a front for an organ trafficking ring. Chaos ensues following a catastrophic earthquake, which leaves the victims, traffickers, and buyers trapped in the building together. The series is a collaboration between Paramount and Korean streaming service TVING. [Paramount+] THE FIRST LADY OF BMF: THE TONESA WELCH STORY: Biographical drama starring Michelle Mitchenor as infamous Detroit drug kingpin Tonesa Welch, referred to by federal prosecutors as the "First Lady" of the Black Mafia Family crime syndicate. Actor Vivica A. Fox makes her directorial debut with the film. [BET+] THE IMPACT: ATLANTA: Reality series following the personal lives of some of Atlanta's top influencers, entrepreneurs, and artists. The Season 2 cast includes Ariana 'Ari' Fletcher, Destiny 'Dess Dior' Bailey, Dionte 'Arrogant Tae' Gray, Jerrika Karlae, Lakeyah Robinson, and Tuson Jewell. [BET+] THE BOOGEYMAN: 2023 horror film based on the 1973 short story by Stephen King. Sophie Thatcher stars as a young woman who's determined to protect her sister from the titular creature, who feeds off of fear and can mimic the voices of loved ones. Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, and David Dastmalchian co-star; Rob Savage ("Host") directs. [Hulu] SULLIVAN'S CROSSING: First-year Canadian romantic drama series, based on the novels by Robyn Carr, whose work also inspired Netflix's "Virgin River" series. Morgan Kohan stars as neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan, who returns to rural Nova Scotia to reconnect with her estranged father (Scott Patterson). New episodes air Wednesday nights on CW and move to the app and website on Thursdays. [CW] SPENCER SISTERS: Another debut drama series from Canada, this one stars Lea Thompson and Stacey Farber as a mother-daughter duo -- one a crime novelist and the other a former cop -- who open their own detective agency. Season 1 debuted earlier this year in Canada; new episodes air Wednesdays on CW and come to streaming on Thursdays. [CW]

4 After resuming negotiations this week, representatives of SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) plan to meet again on Friday and potentially next week as well. In a joint statement on Wednesday night, the two groups said that negotiations will resume on Friday, and work on a new contract will continue throughout the weekend. More: Friday marks the 85th day of the SAG-AFTRA strike. The groups will meet at SAG-AFTRA headquarters on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles; the "CEO Gang of Four" (NBCUniversal's Donna Langley, Warner Bros Discovery's David Zaslav, Netflix's Ted Sarandos and Disney's Bob Iger) will also be in attendance. Formal talks are expected to resume on October 9, the same day that WGA membership will vote on ratifying their new tentative agreement.

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5 A new report indicates that many low-cost Android streaming devices are sold with malware pre-installed. According to research by cybersecurity firm Human Security, around 200 different Android device models are likely impacted. More: Cheap Android streaming boxes are often sold unbranded, or under different names to disguise their origins; they come with malware pre-installed to allow third parties to access information or apps on the devices. Human Security has traced various kinds of fraud to these backdoors, including identity theft, remote code installation, advertising fraud, and even residential proxy services, in which hackers sell access to a person's home network. Many of these devices are manufactured in China; Human Security tracked some of the malware back to individuals or organizations in China. Human Security has also tracked a similar scheme involving Android apps that can be used for fraudulent purposes.

6 With the WGA strike coming to a close, uber-producer Dick Wolf's company Wolf Entertainment is going back to work. Wolf Entertainment opened writers rooms for new seasons of NBC's "Chicago" franchise, two "Law & Order" series, and CBS' "FBI" shows. More: Long-time Wolf collaborator Derek Haas departed last spring; Andrea Newman will take over as sole showrunner of "Chicago Fire," while Matt Olmstead will take control of "FBI: International" ahead of its third season. The company is now seeking a new permanent showrunner for "Law & Order: Organized Crime"; Sean Jablonski, the fourth showrunner to exit the procedural drama in just over 1 year, quit in March. Wolf Entertainment's "On Call" was in production for Amazon Prime Video when the writers strike was called; it's expected to resume filming after the SAG-AFTRA strike is concluded.

7 Roy Wood Jr. won't return in his role as a correspondent for "The Daily Show" when it resumes production later this month. The comedian has been a "Daily Show" regular for the last eight years. More: Wood was considered a potential candidate to take over as "Daily Show" host following Trevor Noah's exit, particularly after his well-received set at the White House Correspondents Dinner in April. In August, Variety reported that fellow correspondent Hasan Minhaj was Comedy Central's top choice to take over the show. Following a New Yorker story alleging that Minhaj fabricated several anecdotes from his stand-up specials, a new Variety report suggested that the network is "going back to square one" in its search for a full-time host. Wood explained that, as he's not being offered the top job, he wants more time to explore new opportunities.

8 QUICK HITS LiquidPiston's engines are up to 10x smaller and 30% more fuel efficient. Invest as they disrupt the $400B combustion engine market.* Apple's epic WWII limited drama series "Masters of the Air" -- from "Band of Brothers" producers Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman -- debuts on January 26, 2024; the series, based on a book by Donald L. Miller, follows the exploits of the 100th Bomb Group (aka "The Bloody Hundredth") throughout the conflict. Executive producer Mimi Leder spoke with The Daily Beast about restaging the January 6 insurrection for an episode of Apple's "The Morning Show," and why the drama series worked the controversial events into its storyline. "Saturday Night Live" returns on October 14 with host Pete Davidson and new cast member Chloe Troast. The complete five-season run of HBO's darkly comic family drama series "Six Feet Under" comes to Netflix on November 1. Four more Netflix executives -- all from the business affairs and legal team -- departed the company as part of a management restructure. All six current stars will return for the upcoming sixth season of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Miami"; the new episodes debut November 1 on cable and come to Peacock the following day. An upcoming Netflix documentary, "The Devil on Trial," looks back at the 1980s murder trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who claimed that he stabbed an acquaintance to death while possessed by Satan; the same case also inspired the third "Conjuring" film, "The Devil Made Me Do It."  A widely-shared clip from the Netflix docuseries "Beckham" features Victoria Beckham recalling her "very working class" upbringing, after which husband David Beckham interrupts and instructs her to "be honest." "My Adventures with Superman" producer Josie Campbell told Comics Cube that Warner Bros. asked the team to avoid using classic Superman villains Lex Luthor, Brainiac, or General Zod in Season 1, in an effort to keep the show fresh and non-repetitive; the full first season is now streaming on Max. The Charlotte Hornets are the first NBA team to launch a sponsorship deal with an online influencer; a patch featuring MrBeast's "Feastables" logo will appear on all team jerseys throughout the 2023-2024 season. The docuseries "Behind the Attraction," looking at the development of classic Disney Parks rides, returns for a second season on November 1. "The Great American Baking Show" returns to Roku Channel this year with a new season, subtitled "Celebrity Holiday"; Casey Wilson and Zach Cherry will co-host, alongside judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. Hulu released a full clip of the Broadway-style musical number "Creatures of the Night," as performed by Martin Short in the Season 3 finale of "Only Murders in the Building"; a soundtrack for Season 3's fake musical, "Death Rattle Dazzle," is also streaming on Spotify. These are the 5 core strategies for cloud innovation that showcase how digital native businesses are harnessing cloud innovations. Read now.* *This is sponsored content

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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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