Iger's ESPN plans / Paramount ignores Apollo offer / YouTube adds Coachella multiview / "The Program" prompts new investigation

Plus today's calendar, Hulu's "Dress My Tour," Paramount grabs "King of Queens," "Tales of the Empire" teaser, and more

Inside Streaming For April 04, 2024

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Hello again and thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming daily brief. I'm a big fan of the Patricia Highsmith Ripley novels, so I'm looking forward to this new Netflix adaptation from Steven Zaillian very much. But I'm also pretty confused. The series is apparently adapting the first Ripley book, "The Talented Mr. Ripley." But while the character in that novel is a young man, Irish actor Andrew Scott, who stars as Ripley in the show, is almost 50 years old.  It's not that I mind more opportunities for middle-aged actors, necessarily. But the characters' youth is an integral part of the story. It's about a young man chasing another young man across Europe on behalf of his wealthy father. I'm not sure how exactly that makes sense if the characters are all 50 instead of, say, 25. As well, "Talented Mr. Ripley" is just the first Ripley novel, and he ages over the course of all the stories. So if you start out with a 50-year-old, the guy's, what, 70 in the sequels? I'm still curious to check out the show but this is hard to wrap my head around in some ways. Just not at all what I'd imagine for "Ripley Season 1." Lon p/lon-harris

1 During Disney's annual shareholders meeting, CEO Bob Iger announced that ESPN's standalone streaming service will launch in 2025, and will be available through Disney+. Iger said the arrival of ESPN content will mirror this week's integration of Hulu into the Disney+ platform. More: The ESPN streamer will feature content from all of the brand's cable networks, including games from the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, along with college sports. Iger suggested that the platform will also feature interactive "engagement points," such as fantasy sports, sports betting, and an online store. Iger declined to comment on plans for a joint ESPN-Fox Sports-Warner Bros. Discovery streaming venture. During the shareholder meeting, Iger successfully defended his control over Disney from a group of dissident investors, led by Nelson Peltz of Trian.

2 According to The New York Times, over the weekend, investment firm Apollo Global Management offered $26 billion to fully acquire Paramount Global. Paramount executives are apparnetly ignoring Apollo's deal, for fear of derailing ongoing negotiations with Skydance. More: Apollo's $26 billion offer includes the value of Paramount's debt. Apollo had previously offered $11 billion for the Paramount film and TV studios; that offer did not include CBS and the company's many cable networks. The Times suggests that, as of this week, Paramount's discussions about a potential Skydance acquisition have become exclusive.

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3 DAILY CALENDAR THURSDAY, APRIL 4 STAR TREK: DISCOVERY: The sci-fi drama series, tracking the adventures of the starship Discovery's crew in the distant future, returns today for a fifth and final season. In the 32nd Century, Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her shipmates search for a mysterious power that's been hidden for centuries. Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio, and David Ajala co-star. [Paramount+] RIPLEY: Debut psychological thriller series, based on the 1955 Patricia Highsmith novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Andrew Scott stars as Tom Ripley, a duplicitious New Yorker who travels to Europe in the 1960s to convince a wealthy heir (Johnny Flynn) to return home, then adopts his glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle. Dakota Fanning, Eliot Sumner, Maurizio Lombardi, and John Malkovich co-star. Steven Zaillian ("The Night Of") created, wrote, and directed. [Netflix] I WOKE UP A VAMPIRE: Horror-comedy series for the whole family about a 13-year-old (Kaileen Angelic Chang) who discovers she's actually a human-vampire hybrid known as a "Vampling." It's back for the second half of its first season. [Netflix] LEGO NINJAGO: DRAGONS RISING: The animated kids action-comedy series centers on two very different teens who use their ninja powers to protect magical dragons. It's back for a second season. [Netflix] 100 DAYS TO INDY: Season 1 of The CW behind-the-scenes sports docuseries chronicled the lead-up to the 2023 Indianapolis 500 from the perspective of driver Josef Newgarden. It comes to Netflix today. The show returns to network TV for a second season next month. [Netflix] CROOKS: Debut crime drama series from Germany, starring Frederick Lau as a retired safecracker who's forced out of retirement when former associates demand that he steal a priceless coin. Christoph Krutzler, Svenja Jung, and Karl Welunschek co-star; Marvin Kren ("4 Blocks") created and showruns. [Netflix] THE TEARSMITH (FABBRICANTE DI LACRIME): 2024 YA fantasy-romance film from Italy, based on the novel by Erin Doom. Simone Baldasseroni and Dana Melanie star as teens who grew up in the same orphanage, and fall in love after being adopted into the same family. Doom wrote the adaptation herself; Alessandro Genovesi ("My Big Gay Italian Wedding") directed. [Netflix] AMERICAN HORROR STORY: DELICATE: The 12th season of FX's anthology horror series was inspired by Danielle Valentine's novel "Delicate Condition," and centers on a pregnant woman (Emma Roberts) who begins developing paranoid suspicions. Kim Kardashian, Cara Delevingne, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez co-star. It's back this week for the second half of the season; new epiodes air Wednesdays on cable and hit Hulu on Thursdays. [Hulu] LORD OF MISRULE: 2023 horror film from director William Brent Bell ("Orphan: First Kill"), starring Tuppence Middleton as a minister whose daughter (Evie Templeton) goes missing during her new community's annual harvest festival. Ralph Ineson, Matt Stokoe, Alexa Goodall, and Anton Valensi co-star. [Hulu] BEST IN CHOW: Reality competition series from A&E in which comedian Matt Richards challenges creative cooks from street carts, food trucks, and state fairs across the US to produce innovative new junk food delicacies. Season 1 debuted last year on cable and hits Hulu today. [Hulu] DARK MARVELS: History Channel docuseries looking back at the world's most clever yet diabolical inventions, including weapons of war, spy tools, and other deadly devices. Season 1 aired last year on TV and comes to Hulu today. [Hulu] MOUNTAIN MEN: ULTIMAKE MARKSMAN: Reality competition series from History Channel in which expert marksmen and markswomen compete using a variety of old and even ancient weapons, including primitive knives, bows, and early firearms. Season 1 aired last year on cable and hits Hulu today. [Hulu] MÚSICA: Coming-of-age romantic comedy from co-writer, director, and star Rudy Mancuso, in his feature debut. He plays Rudy, a young Brazilian-American with synesthesia seeking love and a sense of purpose in present-day Newark, New Jersey. Camila Mendes, J.B. Smoove, and Francesca Reale co-star. [Prime Video] HOP: Debut animated series for preschoolers from "Arthur" creator Marc Brown, about an enthusiastic frog with one leg shorter than the other and his quirky group of close friends. The first six half-hour episodes premiere today; new episodes will continue to roll out throughout this year. [Max] DIVIDED YOUTH (DA PONTE PRA LÁ): Debut teen drama series from Brazil. Gabz stars as a young woman from an impoverished section of São Paulo seeking clues about the murder of her best friend, leading her to infiltrate one of the city's most exclusive private schools,. João Guilherme Ávila, Victor Laim, and Marcello Antony co-star. [Max]

4 YouTube plans to upgrade its coverage of this year's Coachella music festival. The platform will now offer a "Multiview" option, allowing users to watch up to four different stages simultaneously. More: YouTube also offers a multiview option for NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers. This is the 12th straight year that YouTube will stream performances from Coachella; streams from a total of six stages will be available. Multiview users will be able to swap audio between different feeds in real-time. More features being added this year include QR codes to ease online purchases during the streams, upgrades to the live chatrooms, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content on YouTube Shorts. YouTube's Coachella coverage begins on April 12 at 4 pm PT.

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5 The Netflix docuseries "The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping" prompted a new investigation into a now-shuttered northern New York boarding academy for teens. The three-part series investigates allegations of oppression and abuse against the Academy at Ivy Ridge and other disciplinary programs for young people with "behavioral issues." More: Filmmaker Katherine Kubler, who produced and directed the series, was a former student at Ivy Ridge. In the docuseries, former students allege that they were violently restrained, sexually and psychologically abused, and barred from going outside, or even looking out the window or smiling. St. Lawrence Country DA Gary Pasqua said that, in the aftermath of the series' debut last month, his office has received more than 50 complaints against the academy. Ivy Ridge was closed in 2009.

6 Hulu announced the new reality competition series "Dress My Tour," hosted by model Kate Upton. 11 fashion designers will create new looks for various musical artists, with the winner receiving a $100,000 prize. More: "Masked Singer" costume designer Marina Toybina and Lady Gaga choreographer Laurieann Gibson serve as the show's primary judges. Season 1 guest judges will also include JoJo Siwa, Paula Abdul, Toni Braxton, Ty Dolla $ign, Coi Leray, JT of City Girls, French Montana, and Jessie James Decker The show was developed by "Kingdom Business" and "Love & Listings" producer Dr. Holly Carter. Upton is a reality competition series veteran, having previously appeared on "Project Runway" and "RuPaul's Drag Race."

7 Sony Pictures Television and Paramount Global signed a new licensing deal for the classic CBS sitcom "The King of Queens." All nine seasons of the series will stream on both Paramount+ and the company's free ad-supported Pluto TV platform. More: Paramount TV and cable networks will also get "King of Queens" reruns, though the company's did not specify which specific channels. The new deal kicked in immediately; "King of Queens" is now available across Paramount's streamers. It's also not an exclusive agreement; "King of Queens" will remain available on NBCUniversal networks and the Peacock service. Kevin James and Leah Remini co-star in the series as working class New York couple Doug and Carrie Heffernan.

8 QUICK HITS As a key player in the corporate world, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve and understand the implications of Visa and Mastercard's groundbreaking $5 billion settlement.* Disney+ released a trailer for "Star Wars: Tales of the Empire," a collection of six new animated shorts hitting the platform on May 4. During a podcast appearance, "Selling Sunset" regular Heather Rae El Moussa described producing the reality series as "brutal" and "very toxic"; she doesn't appear on the show's upcoming 8th season. Apple TV+ added a new collection of 30 licensed Hollywood films, in addition to the 50+ movies that joined the platform back in March; the new list includes "Armageddon," "Bridesmaids," "Clueless," "Forrest Gump," "Taken," "The Departed," and the first three "John Wick" films, among other titles. Paramount+ ordered the two-part docuseries "Melissa Etheridge: I'm Not Broken," in which the singer-songwriter pens an original song based on letters she's received from five incarcerated women. Crunchyroll will allow subscribers to access the service via multiple user profiles starting later this month. ABC renewed the procedural drama "Will Trent" for a third season; the series streams on the Hulu service. Conan O'Brien will return to "The Tonight Show" as a guest next week, on April 9; this will be his first appearance on the late night show since he was fired in 2010 in favor of a returning Jay Leno. Netflix dropped a trailer for the romantic comedy feature "Mother of the Bride," starring Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt as college sweethearts who unexpectedly reunite while attending destination weddings in Thailand; the film, from "Mean Girls" vet Mark Waters, debuts on May 9. During an appearance this week on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," "Game of Thrones" vet Hannah Waddingham said that she still suffers chronic claustrophobia after filming a scene in which her character -- Septa Unella -- was choked with wine. Several actors joined the cast of Netflix's upcoming Western series "The Abandons," including Ryan Hurst, Michael Greyeyes, Michiel Huisman, and Toby Hemingway; the project will reunite "Sons of Anarchy" vet Hurst with creator and showrunner Kurt Sutter. Jonathan Nolan told The Hollywood Reporter that he's "100% determined" to close out the story of HBO's "Westworld" in some format, despite the network's cancellation of the show after four seasons. Apple's limited thriller series "The Savant" rounded out its cast, bringing on actors Jordana Spiro, Trinity Lee Shirley, David Wilson Barnes, Dagmara Dominczyk, and others; Jessica Chastain stars in the fact-based drama as an investigator who infiltrates internet hate groups. Dice Cream is automating the ice cream industry with their revolutionary technology. Learn more about investing in their ice cream robot.* *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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