Paramount+ drops Nick shows / "Euphoria" S3 delay / "Love is Blind" tops charts / Danes joins "The Beast in Me"

Plus the weekend calendar, Hulu w/ TV adds MLB Network, "Selena + Restaurant" heads to Max, Sarandos honored by King, and more

Inside Streaming For March 29, 2024

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Hello and thanks for reading today's Inside Streaming! You may have noticed that, in yesterday's edition, I repeatedly used the title "A Simple Plan" when I meant "A Simple Favor." It's an easy enough mistake to make, I suppose... Both are the titles of memorable films. But I have to say, I'm a bit concerned that I made the same error several times and didn't catch it, even after a proofread. I'm only in my 40s! It's too soon for this level of cognitive decline. Might be time to start using those "enhance your memory" flash cards or something. Anyway, Amazon is working on a sequel to Paul Feig's film "A Simple FAVOR," not Sam Raimi's film "A Simple Plan." I apologize for the error. Have a great weekend. Lon p/lon-harris

1 Paramount+ dropped 10 shows from Nickelodeon this week. The list includes recent revivals of "Blue's Clues," "Rugrats," and "Are You Afraid of the Dark?," the Paramount+ original "Big Nate," plus the cable shows "It's Pony," "Middlemost Post," "Ollie's Pack," "Ryan's Mystery Playdate," "Santiago of the Seas," and "That Girl Lay Lay." More: Paramount executives suggested that some archive titles would be pulled from the service during their recent Q4 earnings call, as part of efforts to "focus on content with mass global appeal." Deadline notes that content for kids and families is among the best-performing categories on Paramount+, making the move a bit counter-intuitive. Last month, Paramount also shut down the Noggin interactive kids streaming service, which was populated largely by Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. content.

2 According to Variety, "Euphoria" Season 3 has been delayed by creative differences between creator/writer Sam Levinson, the cast, and HBO executives. While Levinson's original ideas for Season 3 pleased the team from HBO, they were rejected by star Zendaya; reworked concepts were apparently then rejected by HBO. More: Most of the proposals for "Euphoria" Season 3 catch up with the characters after a five-year time jump, as the cast has aged considerably since Season 2 was produced. The "Euphoria" team has also suffered two recent losses: both co-star Angus Cloud and producer Kevin Turen died suddenly last year. Proposed and rejected concepts for Zendaya's character Rue included becoming a pregnancy surrogate and a new career as a private detective. While stars Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi remain committed to returning for more "Euphoria," Variety notes that they could likely earn considerably more making new films instead of the HBO series.

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3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, MARCH 29 LISA FRANKENSTEIN: 2024 horror comedy from writer Diablo Cody ("Juno") and director Zelda Williams, in her feature debut. Kathryn Newton stars as a lonely teen in the late 1980s who falls in love with the reanimated corpse of a Victorian gentleman (Cole Sprouse). Liza Soberano, Joe Chrest, Carla Gugino, and Jenna Davis co-star. [Peacock] FRIGHT KREWE: The DreamWorks animated YA horror series returns to both Hulu and Peacock for a second season this week. It centers on a group of young misfits tasked by a voodoo queen's spirit with saving New Orleans from an ancient demon. The voice cast includes Tim Johnson Jr., Sydney Mikayla, Terrence Little Gardenhigh, Grace Lu, and Chester Rushing. [Hulu and Peacock] A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW: Limited period drama series from Showtime, based on the 2016 novel by Amor Towles. Ewan McGregor stars as a pampered Russian aristocrat who's placed under permanent house arrest by the Bolsheviks in an attic hotel room. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Leah Harvey, Johnny Harris, and Paul Ready co-star; Ben Vanstone ("The Last Kingdom") created. New episodes air Sunday nights on cable but start streaming on Fridays for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers. [Paramount+] STEVE! (MARTIN) A DOCUMENTARY IN TWO PIECES: Profile of the actor, comedian, and writer from filmmaker Morgan Neville ("Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain"). "Then," looks back at Martin's rise to fame and his decision to step away from stand-up comedy at age 35, while Part 2, "Now," features Martin reflecting on his life and career in the present day. [Apple TV+] FRAGGLE ROCK: BACK TO THE ROCK: The children's musical fantasy-comedy series is a reboot of the classic '80s series from Jim Henson, set in the hidden, merry underground world of Fraggles, Doozers, and Gorgs. It's back for a second season. [Apple TV+] IS IT CAKE? The unscripted culinary game show, in which bakers attempt to fool a panel of judges with lifelife ultra-realistic cakes, returns this weekend for a third season. Mikey Day hosts. [Netflix] THE BEAUTIFUL GAME: 2024 sports drama feature from the UK, inspired by the real-world Homeless World Cup event. Bill Nighy stars as Mal, the manager of England's homeless football team who believes a talented but troubled new prospect (Micheal Ward) could take them all the way to the championship. Thea Shrrock ("Me Before You") directs; Colin Farrell executive produced. [Netflix] HEART OF THE HUNTER: English-language action-thriller film from South Africa, based on the novel by Deon Meyer, about a retired assassin (Bonko Khoza) who returns to the field to help a friend unravel a government conspiracy. Mandla Dube ("Silverton Siege") directed. [Netflix] THE WAGES OF FEAR (LA SALAIRE DE LA PEUR): This 2024 French action-thriller from co-writer/director Julien Leclercq ("The Crew") is based on a novel by Georges Arnaud, which was previously adapted into a classic 1953 film. A team of expert drivers are hired to transport truckloads of nitroglycerine across a dangerous desert landscape, in order to prevent a massive explosion. Franck Gastambide, Alban Lenoir, Ana Girardot, and Sofiane Zermani co-star. [Netflix] RENEGADE NELL: Debut British historical fantasy-adventure series for all ages from creator Sally Wainwright ("Happy Valley," "Gentleman Jack"). Louisa Harland stars as Nell Jackson, a notorious young outlaw in 18th Century England who befriends a magical spirit named Billy Blind. [Disney+] MADU: Biographical documentary about Anthony Madu, a 12-year-old Nigerian boy who got an opportunity to leave home for the first time and study at a prestigious English ballet school after a clip of him performing in his hometown of Lagos went viral. Matthew Ogens ("Audible") and Nigerian filmmaker Joel 'Kachi Benson co-directed. [Disney+] JERROD CARMICHAEL REALITY SHOW: Debut eight-part humorous documentary series from HBO, in which the actor and comedian invites viewers inside his personal life as he searches for "love, sex, and truth." [Max] DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES: On the iconic, unscripted Food Network series, celebrity chef Guy Fieri travels across America to check out the best casual "greasy spoon" restaurants, cafes, and eateries. Season 47 aired last year on cable and hits Max today. [Max] SATURDAY, MARCH 30 PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS: The first event from Amazon's new streaming deal with Premier Boxing Champions features rising star Tim Tszyu taking on contender Sebastian "The Towering Inferno" Fundora for the WBO title. The action streams live on Prime Video from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night at 8 pm ET. [Prime Video] SPERMWORLD: Documentary feature about the internet sperm marketplace, unregulated forums and bulletin boards in which donors connect with hopeful parents. The film was produced by The New York Times and takes inspiration from an article by reporter Nellie Bowles. [Hulu] A MYSTERY ON THE CATTLE HILL EXPRESS: Animated family comedy about a brilliant pig inventor hoping to save his farm by developing an experimental super seed, until his work is mysteriously stolen. The film was originally produced in Norway but has been dubbed into English for US audiences. [Hulu] GUY'S RANCH KITCHEN: On the Food Network series, Guy Fieri invites friends and fellow chefs to his ranch for a "Sunday cookoff" to which each guest contributes favorite dishes. It's back this week for a seventh season. [Max] BEYOND THE AGGRESSIVES: 25 YEARS LATER: Debut documentary film from Showtime, following up on the 2005 doc "The Aggressives" which explored gender, race, class, and sexuality through the stories of young, queer, masculine-presenting New Yorkers of color. Director Daniel Peddle returns for the new film, catching up with some of his original subjects. [Paramount+] SUNDAY, MARCH 31 PARISH: Debut crime drama series, based on the BBC One series "The Driver." Giancarlo Esposito stars as a former criminal who retired to start a family, then returns to the underworld after his son is violently murdered. Arica Himmel, Paula Malcomson, Ivan Mbakop, and Skeet Ulrich co-star. Original "The Driver" creator Danny Brocklehurst also developed the new series. [AMC+]

4 Netflix's "Love is Blind" took over the #1 spot on Nielsen's streaming charts for the week of February 19-25. "Love is Blind's" 2.1 billion minutes viewed put it ahead of another breakout Netflix series, the live-action "Avatar: The Last Airbender" adaptation. More: The "Avatar" series was viewed for 1.9 billion minutes, still an impressive number though it was a considerable drop from the week before; all eight episodes were released at once, so many viewers had already finished their binges. "Avatar" has already been renewed through Season 3, which will complete the story from the original animated series. The NBC sitcom "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" hit the #5 spot on the charts this week, now that it has moved over to Netflix; it was viewed for 847 million minutes. The remainder of the chart was mostly taken up with popular licensed titles, including the Australian animated family series "Bluey," the CBS sitcom "Young Sheldon," the ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," and the USA Network legal procedural "Suits."

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5 The Netflix limited series "The Beast in Me" will reunite star Claire Danes and "Homeland" co-creator Howard Gordon. "The X-Files" vet Gabe Rotter wrote the new series, which Gordon will showrun and produce. More: Danes stars as an acclaimed author who has retreated from public life; when a real estate mogul who was suspected of killing his wife moves into the house next door, she becomes darkly fascinated by his story. Conan O'Brien and Jodie Foster are both attached to the project as executive producers. Danes won two Emmys for her work on "Homeland" and five total nominations.

6 Hulu with Live TV added the MLB Network to its channel line-up, just ahead of the start of 2024's baseball season. The network broadcasts over 100 MLB games per season, along with other baseball-themed original programming. More: YouTube TV dropped MLB Network in 2023 after failing to reach a new carriage agreement with the league; it does not appear that the service will be restored for this season. MLB Network is also available on the alternate cable replacement streamers Sling TV and Fubo. An ad-supported Hulu with Live TV plan costs $76.99 per month, along with access to both Disney+ and ESPN+; the same bundle is $89.99 without ads.

7 Selena Gomez will produce and host a new cooking series for Food Network and Max. "Selena + Restaurant" will find the actress/pop star and her close friend Raquelle Stevens collaborating with professional chefs in the kitchens of notable Los Angeles area restaurants. More: Gomez previously hosted and produced the HBO Max cooking show "Selena + Chef," in which pros gave her culinary lessons over Zoom; that concept was later spun off into a string of Food Network specials. Featured Season 1 restaurants and chefs include Shirley Chung of Ms Chi, Keith Corbin of Alta, Stephanie Izard of Girl & the Goat, Andrew and Michelle Muñoz of Moo's Craft Barbecue, Wolfgang Puck of CUT, and Marcel Vigneron of Lemon Grove. Gomez will receive instruction from the celebrity chefs before preparing her own "signature dish" to potentially include on the restaurant's menu. The series debuts on May 2 on both Food Network and Max.

8 QUICK HITS Want to reduce your AWS costs? Get your AWS cloud spend under control and maximize your AWS cost savings today.* Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos was awarded an Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire by King Charles III; the honor is bestowed on citizens of foreign countries in which the King is not the head of state. Olivia Colman won't return for the third season of Netflix's YA romantic drama "Heartstopper," due to a scheduling conflict; she told Forbes that the series is "one of the most beautiful things I've ever been part of." Five actors joined the cast of Netflix's upcoming medical drama "Pulse," including Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher, Chelsea Muirhead, Daniela Nieves, and Jessy Yates; Willa Fitzgerald stars as a young Miami ER doc who's unexpectedly promoted to Chief Resident. Filmmaker Neil Burger ("Voyagers") will direct the first two episodes of Amazon's forthcoming drama series "Motorheads"; Ryan Phillippe stars as a former NASCAR mechanic who's now running an auto-body shop in a small Pennsylvania town. A new promo for Apple's "Fraggle Rock" reboot -- "Back to the Rock" -- features guest stars "meeting" their Muppet characters for the first time; all 13 Season 2 episodes premiere today on TV+. Co-star Yvette Nicole Brown spoke with fans on X about the animated "Good Times" reboot, promising that it's "edgier and more irreverent" than the original show, but leaves the core themes of "family, fighting the system, and working to make things better" intact. Elevate your beauty brand on Amazon. Pattern's guide unveils this multi-billion dollar market.* *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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