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| Hello again and thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming brief... As a big fan of the original Nickelodeon "Avatar" animated series, I'm perplexed by the news that the new Netflix show will eliminate, or at least significantly tone down, the Sokka character's sexist views. Sokka's journey from narrow-minded misogynist to a more respectful and humanistic perspective is one of the show's most endearing and memorable subplots, exactly the kind of thoughtful, patient character development that sets "Avatar" apart from so many other action-fantasy cartoons for kids and families. Sokka's commentary is inappropriate at first, but that allows the character to actually learn a lesson and grow from his experiences. I don't want to pre-judge this new series before we get a look at it, but this is what undermines so many of today's "new takes" on classic shows and franchises. By sanding down the edges and taking away anything weird or unconventional or outside-the-box, you rob these stories and properties of their personality and specificity. Everything just gets reduced back to its core plotline and basic iconography. (So it LOOKS ROUGHLY like "Cowboy Bebop," but the tonal elements that defined "Cowboy Bebop" are somehow absent.) I'm still looking forward to checking out "Avatar" when it lands next month. Here's hoping my concerns are misplaced. Enjoy today's issue! Lon
p/lon-harris | |
| 1 | | Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings donated $1.1 billion in shares of the company to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The California charity is popular among billionaires and tech company founders, providing tax benefits, relative privacy, and the ability to direct how their funds are used and invested. More: - Hastings' donation accounts for around 40% of his total stake in Netflix, and comes as the stock hit a two-year high, following a promising Q4 earnings report.
- The Silicon Valley Community Foundation was founded in 2007 and had more than $10 billion in assets at the close of 2022.
- Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has also donated more than $1 billion in Facebook shares to the non-profit
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| 2 | | NBC News reported on a new YouTube trend, in which channels use AI-generated or manipulated media to spread misinformation about promiment Black celebrities. Targeted celebrities include rapper and executive Sean "Diddy" Combs, comedian Steve Harvey, actor Denzel Washington, and preacher and author Bishop T.D. Jakes. More: - Both Combs and Jakes are dealing with fallout from legitimate public scandals, which have inspired the release of manipulated or false footage appearing to confirm various allegations against them.
- NBC News' reporter Kat Tenbarge says that the network reviewed content from 12 YouTube channels that posted what appeared to be AI-generated fake news about Black celebrities specifically.
- Other channels utilized "clickbait" strategies, in which the headline and thumbnail promise content that's not actually contained in the videos.
- A YouTube spokesperson told NBC News that it had flagged and removed several of the reviewed videos, and had terminated three of the channels for Terms of Service violations.
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| 3 | | DAILY CALENDAR TUESDAY, JANUARY 30 NASCAR: FULL SPEED: Five-part sports docuseries taking viewers behind the scenes for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and championship race. Featured drivers include Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, Kyler Larson, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, and Tyler Reddick; Dale Earnhard Jr. executive produces. [Netflix] JACK WHITEHALL: SETTLE DOWN: The comedian's latest Netflix special was recorded at London's O2 Arena, and includes material about dogs, drinking, eating alone, and his decision to start a family. [Netflix] ARRANGED LOVE: 2023 romantic comedy feature, originally produced for the E! cable network, starring Sharmita Bhattacharya as an ambitious young woman who agrees to return to India and enter an arranged marriage to save her embattled startup. Andres Joseph, Cathy Shim, and Suchitra Pillai co-star. [Peacock] | | | |
| 4 | | Paramount's ad-supported free streamer Pluto TV refreshed its brand and website ahead of its 10th anniversary in March. The platform will also be featured in a high-profile ad on this year's Super Bowl, which is airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. More: - Paramount aims to declare Pluto TV as the "founder" of the free ad-supported streaming TV (or FAST) category, which now also includes popular services like Fox's Tubi and Roku Channel.
- Pluto currently operates in more than 35 global markets.
- The platform passsed $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time in 2021 and has become a centerpiece in Paramount's overall streaming strategy.
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| 5 | | Africa's Showmax -- the continent's most popular local streaming service -- relaunches in February with a more powerful backend and a robust slate of fresh content. A partnership struck last year with NBCUniversal and Sky provided Showmax with a revamped platform, built on the same technology as the Peacock service. More: - The streamer announced 21 new original shows and films debuting in February alone.
- Showmax is owned by the African entertainment conglomerate MultiChoice, which also operates the popular pay-TV brand DStv.
- Showmax is currently locked in a rivalry for first place in the African market with Netflix; executives hope the relaunch in February gives them the boost they need to secure the #1 spot.
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| 6 | | In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, "Avatar: The Last Airbender" cast members Kiawentiio and Ian Ousley discuss toning down the Sokka character's sexism in the new Netflix live-action adaptation. Ousley, who portrays Sokka in the new series, said that realism adds "more weight" to some of the character's commentary, which made it feel inappropriate for the new take. More: - Kiawentiio, who portrays Sokka's sister Katara in the new series, added that "there were a lot of moments [featuring Sokka] in the original show that were iffy."
- In the original "Avatar" Nickelodeon series, young Water Tribe warrior Sokka starts out as immature and prejudiced against women, but gradually sees the error of his ways throughout his adventures.
- According to showrunner Albert Kim, there will be several significant changes in the new "Avatar" series, which also depicts previously unseen events like the destruction of the Airbender people and the rise of the Fire Nation.
- Netflix's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" premieres on February 22.
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| 7 | | Production started on the Paramount+ "Star Trek" film "Section 31." Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh reprises her "Star Trek: Discovery" role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou for the new movie. More: - The film follows Georgiou as she works as an operative for the Federation's covert intelligence service, known as Section 31.
- The cast also includes Omari Hardwick, Kacey Rohl, Sam Richardson, Sven Ruygrok, and James Hiroyuki Liao.
- A deleted scene from Season 1 of "Star Trek: Discovery" teased Georgiou's involvement with Section 31; a spinoff project has been rumored ever since.
- Craig Sweeny wrote the script, while Olatunde Osunsanmi will direct; they're both "Star Trek: Discovery" veterans.
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- In a Monday appearance on CNBC, NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Jim Cramer that he's "thrilled" about the racing circuit's new seven-year deal with Amazon Prime Video, and confirmed that Amazon is "here to stay" in terms of live-streamed sports.
- HBO's "True Detective: Night Country" continued to grow its audience in its third week, despite fierce Sunday night competition from the NFL's NFC Championship game.
- NBC ordered a pilot for a new multi-camera sitcom starring Reba McEntire; the series, from Universal TV, finds McEntire's character running her late father's restaurant along with her estranged half-sister.
- A new teaser for the anime "Dragon Ball Daima" features young Son Goku's new look; the series debuts sometime later on this year.
- "Top Boy" creator Ronan Bennett told the BBC that he's currently having discussions with Netflix about a spinoff series, centered on Jasmine Jobson's character, Jaq Lawrence.
- A+E Networks took a 50% equity stake in celebrity chef Rachael Ray's Free Food Studios and ordered 278 episodes of fresh programming from the company to air over the next two years.
- Hulu is developing the reality series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," about a group of married Mormon women who are "swingers."
- 2024's PaleyFest LA events include panels dedicated to Apple's "The Morning Show," Disney+'s "Loki," the CBS sitcom "Young Sheldon," Netflix's live-action "Avatar: The Last Airbender," HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and Fox's "Family Guy," along with Seth Meyers' and Stephen Colbert's late-night shows; the event runs April 12-20 at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre.
- Terrence Howard joined the cast of Peacock's limited crime drama series "Fight Night"; the project reunites Howard with director/producer Craig Brewer, with whom he previously collaborated on the 2005 film "Hustle & Flow."
- Amazon MGM acquired the documentary profile "I Am: Celine Dion," chronicling the iconic singer's battle with the rare neurological disorder Stiff Person Syndrome; the film will debut on Prime Video at some point this year.
- "Haunting of Hill House" and "Bly Manor" actor Oliver Jackson-Cohen spoke with The Independent about being what he terms "Netflix famous."
- Actor Jennifer Nettles ("Harriet") joined the cast of the Blumhouse TV and Prime Video dark fantasy/action series "The Bondsman"; Kevin Bacon stars as a bounty hunter who returns from the dead for a second chance at life, but with a demonic catch.
- To promote the 12th and final season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," HBO will open two "Latte Larry's" coffee shop pop-ups in Los Angeles; Larry David opened a similar business in Season 10 of the comedy series, as part of a personal feud.
- "Westworld" star Evan Rachel Wood told The Hollywood Reporter that she still doesn't know the ending co-creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy had planned for the HBO sci-fi drama's never-produced fifth season.
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 | 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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